[  « Previous Page | 1 | 2  ]

Did we say it was bloody?
Did we say it was bloody?Did we say it was bloody?

During the session I had the chance to play two maps - the final game will ship with ten, though that number is bound to increase in the future. Both maps shared very similar features, albeit in different settings. Firstly, they weren't too large. In each case there was a point where both teams of four would naturally converge, and there was always plenty of cover for either side to utilise. Equally, there were natural flanking opportunities, with elevated areas and 'secret' areas which allowed either side to covertly slide by. Since no-one, apart from Microsoft's PR people, knew the maps the early encounters were fairly mediocre. As rounds continued, however, the assembled journalists began to get to grips with the game and things slowly improved. One does wonder, however, whether with more experienced teams, games could descend into stalemate. Not only were the maps we played quite small, they were also narrow, making it relatively easy for well versed players to cover most angles. That said, with teams restricted to four on either side, it could prove difficult to cover all those possibilities if numbers start to dwindle. Only extended play-testing will give us any indication of how games will play out.

In weaponry, Gears of War again tips its hat in the direction of Halo, with a similar attitude to restricting weapon selection. You are allowed to carry two front-line weapons at one time, with a side-arm and a small collection of grenades to go with them. By default you start off with a standard issue assault rifle and shotgun, though calling these 'standard issue' is slightly misleading. Every weapon has a secondary fire, activated using the B-button, and Epic has included one secondary option which borders on genius: a chainsaw! It was only last week that our very own Paul Devlin mused on the sheer joy of "plunging headlong into a room full of enemies" and he was right; it's very satisfying. So, knowing that the secondary weapon of your 'standard issue' assault rifle is a chainsaw should prove a boon. It's all the more brilliant since it isn't a last resort, but a serious addition to your arsenal. You might not be plunging in headlong, but nothing equals the satisfaction of sneaking up to an enemy and dispatching them with your chainsaw. There's also nothing more frightening than the sound of a chainsaw nearby.

 Advertisement

It's another perfect example of the finer details Gears of War seems to have in abundance. It may seem like a cheap gimmick, but it actually proved very useful, and there are plenty of other small touches to be found too. Reloading, normally such a mundane task, has its own mini-game where pressing the button within a small time band will result in a quicker reload. Such a thing could prove the difference between life and death when faced with entrenched enemies, giving you the time advantage to put them under suppression before they can fire back. Occasionally, you may find that you are badly hurt but not quite dead - Epic call it 'bleed out' - which results in another mini-game-like mechanism where, by tapping the A-button repeatedly, you can help keep your heart pumping in the hope that a team-mate will come and revive you. If they don't you will eventually die, but it's another small detail in a game full of them.

Expectation can be a double-edged sword, and for better or worse Gears of War has it in spades. All those pretty screen shots and trailers have made Gears of War one of the most anticipated games of this year. Does it deserve the hype? Probably. The visuals alone make such a situation inevitable, but that said, there have been plenty of 'pretty' games that have played like complete dogs. If the multiplayer is anything to go by, Gears of War isn't one of those, but people who've wondered whether it's too derivative may have a case; though it undoubtedly does lots of things very well, there's precious little that's new in what we've seen so far. It's a tactical shooter, with a familiar premise and lots of gratuitous violence. Whether it's got that extra something to make the difference between a good game and a truly great one is something we'll have to wait to find out.

[  « Previous Page | 1 | 2  ]