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rsmithca's Gears of War (360)
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| [January 17, 2007 04:29:13 PM]
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Playing the co-op mode of Gears of War is one of the best game experiences I've had to date. Let me just say this first off: the single-player campaign is a lot of fun, but this game was MEANT to be played with a friend. Playing with your buddy not only allows you to share the experience with someone, it also enhances the experience in several ways. For example, when under heavy fire, one person can provide cover fire while the other person moves into a better position to flank the enemy. Unlike your computer-controlled allies, your friend can tell you exactly what he is doing and where he is going. There are sections of the campaign that are designed with two players in mind. One example is when the path splits up, and you and your buddy must go alone for a bit until the path meets up later. The times when you lack the presence of your friend to back you up are much more unnerving than their single-player counterparts. There are also some sections that require teamwork for something, such as one person has to drive a vehicle while the other person has to shoot down enemies with the vehicle's weapon before they reach you. One thing I forgot to mention in my first log of Gears of War is the revival mechanic. When one of your allies is down, you can revive them by going over to their position and pressing a button. This usually puts you in the line of enemy fire, and gets your heart pumping faster until you revive them and get back to cover. This mechanic plays a big part in co-op mode. You and your buddy are more likely to take risks than the computer-controlled friendlies, and as such, you will need to revive one another often if you are not careful. This is a great feature to have in a game, because the experience is not over if you go down, so long as your friend is willing to risk their life in order to bring you back. The campaign is extremely re-playable, and the fact that you can jump right into any of the parts that you have already beaten is really nice. The fun never gets old, especially when you are playing with a friend.
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| [January 17, 2007 03:39:02 PM]
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Playing through the single-player campaign for Gears of War is a harrowing experience. The main character, Fenix, is incredibly badass, and he is the only thing that makes one feel somewhat safer in this freaky game. The enemy designs vary from disgustingly bug-like to creatures reminiscent of humans in a very unsettling way. The story progresses very slowly and does not reveal much until the very end, but it adequately paints a very grim and desperate picture that makes you believe that you are the last hope for humankind. The fact that the story is left with several holes is OK; in fact, it leaves plenty of room to tackle those holes in a sequel (and there better be one!). Furthermore, the story is not nearly as important as the game play. This is what separates Gears of War from many other games of the same genre. Its novel use of cover as a necessity to stay alive is what makes it constantly a thrilling and edge-of-your-seat experience. Being able to blind fire and quickly move from cover to cover is an excellent mechanic, along with the inventive grenade throwing, which shows you its path and how it will bounce. Of course, all of these abilities would not be as useful if you did not have an absolute need for them. And the A.I. of the enemies in this game, even on its easiest difficulty setting, force you to use every source of cover, test your ability to flank, and will not go down easily. They also use cover extremely well, and generally require many shots to put them down. It is impossible to just run out and blast your way through this game. It requires patience, planning with tactics, and a good aim.
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rsmithca's Gears of War (360)
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Current Status: Finished playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 17 January, 2007
GameLog closed on: Monday 29 January, 2007 |
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