{tag [Review]} {tag [X360]}

I rented Gears of War fully with the intention of reviewing the game for the site, but after reading a number of reviews about the game, I decided I would not. It seemed I would have the one dissenting opinion among so many, and feared ridicule.

It's not usually in my blood to shy away from controversy, in fact, I usually revel in it. But I felt, I was too inexperienced to write such a review, feeling I must be missing something that the veteran writers had seen and embraced.

But the review I read this morning, in January's Electronic Gaming Monthly, put me over the edge. Reading Shoe, the editor-in-chief, and two other writers gush over Cliffy B's creation was enough to make me physically ill. Don't read anything into this: I love Cliffy B.'s stuff. Hell, I still play Unreal Tournament (the original)! But this literal masturbation guised as a review coupled with the realization that I was not the only person who felt this way, and I knew I had to write this review.

Video - 100%

Although my reviews usually start with the video/visuals category, I do it with a specific purpose here: this is the one area in which I agree with my peers in the video game media. This game is gorgeous. It is incredible to behold, and is potentially the most beautifully rendered game I have seen on any system, period. For this, Cliffy B and his team should be applauded. But I also feel others were blinded by the gorgeous graphics to the lackluster gameplay.

Audio - 70%
Nothing all that special in the audio category; it’s a standard set of futuristic sci-fi shooter sounds, a throwaway soundtrack, and mediocre surround sound. Let's just say I didn't hate it, but it certainly didn't wow me, hence the average score.

Controls/Interface - 70%
Again, an average category, but really, what else can a first person shooter on a console do? The third person/first person hybrid interface is pretty neat, but can be annoying at times.

Gameplay - 35%
This is where this game COMPLETELY drops the ball. I have decided to split the gameplay into two categories, and average the individual section scores, since they present such different experiences.

Multiplayer - 60%
The multiplayer is enjoyable, but really a bare bones experience. There are few modes of play and very few maps. Odd when you consider Cliffy B. really made his mark in the industry as the premiere map maker on Unreal Tournament. 
 
Single Player - 10%
Boo! This is what kills this game. There is no storyline: no motivation to speak of other than simple survival, and honestly, you don't even what it is you are fighting. Nameless aliens with no back-story won't hack it in this age of games like Half-Life and Halo, where narrative is critical to gameplay. Why would I continue to play this game not knowing what goal I am trying to achieve? This is multiplayer without the other players, and it just plain sucks.

Summary - 69%
You want a summary? This game is boring, plain and simple. With some map and multiplayer mode additions, it could be a great multiplayer-only game in the vein of Unreal Tournament...but it would still suck as a single-player campaign. If you have a couple of friends who love to "multiplayer" with this game, then it may be worth the purchase price...if you can find it on sale. Otherwise, stay away, far away from this game, until they produce GoW2 which will have all the fixes this game should have.