Review

5 Mar

Shooters are nothing new, for many people they are the major hallmark of their gaming experiences. As most would have been divided between popular shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield, it would be difficult to break in new shooters that wouldn’t just fall through the cracks. Coming in hot was Microsoft’s newest shooter, Gears of War, an apocalyptic, cover-to-cover shooter that pits player’s in a world overrun with the stuff of nightmares.

In the player’s corners we play as Marcus Fenix, an imprisoned and disgraced war hero who is broken out by his best friend Dominic Santiago, for an important mission. While Marcus exhibits the typical markers of an action hero he is also somewhat unique in his own way. Marcus instantly reads as someone who doesn’t take any BS from anyone and is very good at reading people and a situation. Like other action hero’s he’s immediately ready to jump into the fire but doesn’t hesitate to voice any of his concerns. The backdrop for Gears of War is the war torn world known as Sera, that has been at war with itself for a very long time, most recently from the Locust Horde. A subterranean species that has laid waste to Sera and is mercilessly killing every human they can. All that seems to stand in their way is the COG (Coalition of Ordered Government), which Marcus is re-joining after his stint in prison for as yet unknown reasons.

Introducing a shooter that was capable to competing with the likes of Call of Duty, among other shooters, was no easy task and Gears of War managed to do that, not just with it’s fun gameplay but it’s incredible setting, deep characters and compelling campaign story. Like most shooters of the time, Gears of War doesn’t show any type of side narrative but does feature minor collectibles, COG tags of fallen soldiers littered throughout the war torn environment, the casualties of this long and gruelling war.

Being introduced to The Locust Horde, we are treated to a wide variety of their species that feel like they are ripped from our nightmares. Taking inspiration from the boogeymen and the monster under your bed, the Locust are an excellent personification of humanities fear of the dark, except this time they are not hiding. While normal units like the drones are scary on their own, they are atleast numerous that the fear they would inspire would normally subside but other creatures like the Corpsers and the Wretches and much more dangerous and nightmarish.

The characters we meet throughout Marcus’ mission are a reflection of the world that they live in. The hulking soldiers of this war come with their own distinct personalities that makes them absolutely fun to fight alongside and help provide a good foil for Marcus, who would just be a quite and stoic character, navigating the war torn world of Sera. Beneath it’s ruined exterior, Sera houses many deep secrets that intrigue and fascinate the player as they fight through the Horde. Gears of War takes an interesting approach with it’s world building as it is clear that the main story is designed to have player’s asking questions without distracting them from the gravity and importance of the main narrative.

The Verdict

Introducing itself as perhaps the new premiere shooter, Gears of War makes quite a mark on it’s new player base by giving them an enemy unlike anything encountered before. Giving us a hero that is also unlike many others, Marcus Fenix proves to be an incredible and resilient fighter and would become an iconic figure for Xbox and his team are some of the most down to earth, if a little unreal, and likable characters to grace Xbox. Gears of War focuses nicely on giving us an incredible campaign that both challenges and pushes the player to battle past the nightmare that is presented to us and is made all the more lively with all the lore shown in this war town world. Gears of War would be the start of a standout series for Xbox and one of it’s strongest franchises thanks in no small part to the excellent narrative values.

Main Narrative - Gears of War could have prevented itself as any typical shooter but instead decided to revamp an apocalyptic setting to suit it’s own goals and purposes. Delivering an exciting campaign designed with layers of complex world building and compelling secrets. Introduced to a vicious and deadly adversary I’m sure players found themselves wanting to continue to fight back against the Horde. - 8/10
Characters - The heroes of Gears of War are a fun and determined bunch. While it is clear there is a long standing history between members of the squad and other outside influences that run deep, not all their stories are going to be explained in this one title which is a good thing as it leaves room to explore in future entries. - 9/10
Collectible & Environmental Storytelling - The ruins of Sera show that the world has been at war for a very long time and very rarely has it known a moment of peace and it still might be a long time before it does again. During the campaign we see reminders of the fallen soldiers that have given their lives to fight the Locust and it seems clear that they will not be the last. - 9/10