Classically Great

Updated May 1, 2007

With Gears of War® now reaching its six month anniversary at retail, it's worth looking at how this blockbuster Xbox 360™ game has changed the face of next-gen gaming and become a near instant classic among game players. From its jaw-dropping graphics to the exquisitely refined cooperative play and slick, tactical multiplayer option, it’s the small design decisions and features that have pushed Gears of War from being merely good to being undeniably great.

Beaten, battered and beautiful.

Benchmark Presentation
The brilliance of the Star Wars movies lay in their presentation of a "lived in" universe: the Millennium Falcon was a dump, C-3PO and R2-D2 were constantly scuffed up, and the X-Wing fighters looked scratched, burnt and dented. Gears of War employed this vision with their "destroyed beauty" concept, and it has succeeded brilliantly.

Most developers are content just to get a texture "right." But the Gears of War team labored long and hard to create truly breathtaking environments, and then they took a wrecking ball to them. Even our hero, Marcus Fenix, is scarred and greasy, and his armor looks beat to hell. Every console needs a visual benchmark and Gears of War has given Xbox 360 its graphical showpiece. Impressive as that may be on its own, its real importance is as a goal for other next-gen developers to reach toward.

Let's face it, everyone lights up a little when they hear
that satisfying "click" and know the next few bullets
have that extra bit of oomph.

Integrated Co-op Play
Cooperative gameplay is not a new feature. We've been teaming up with friends in action games since the days of Double Dragon, but Gears of War may offer the most finely tuned, seamlessly integrated cooperative gameplay yet seen. This is largely due to the fact that it is a cooperative game even when you play alone.

Instead of taking the easy way out by doubling up on enemies when a partner jumps in, Epic designed every level with cooperation (whether with the A.I. or a friend) in mind. Dominic is nearly as essential to the mission design as Marcus himself. In a fascinating twist, playing co-op online isn't drastically easier than playing alone, it's just more fun.

Working together never played so good.

Active Reload
It may seem like such a small detail (and it is) but the addition of Active Reload fundamentally changes the action experience. Taking a simple button press and making it an immersive activity, further engages the gamer and adds an appropriate level of tension.

Of equal importance is the accessibility of Active Reload. The initial button tap and fast moving meter simply make sense, and let's face it, everyone lights up a little when they hear that satisfying "click" and know the next few bullets have that extra bit of oomph. Instant gratification that still requires skill is a beautiful thing.

Action Meets Common Sense
Though much of Gears of War could be called over the top (chainsaw kills anyone?), the essence of the combat is rooted in common sense. For example, you can't run and gun at full speed, because it takes effort to aim. You can't carry unrealistic amounts of gear. And standing out in the open is a sure way to find yourself taking a dirt nap.

Chief among the common sense features is Gears of Wars' reliance on cover. First, while taking cover just makes sense, it also allows you the freedom of time to make strategic decisions. Where other games require constant, schizophrenic movement, Gears of War permits you to catch your breath, examine the battlefield and develop a plan of attack. Sure, it moves fast, but not at the breakneck, twitch-happy pace of other shooters.

Honorable mention for weapon balance.

The Game's Post-Release Growth
Along with games like The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™ and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas, Gears of War continues to not only improve, but evolve over time. Downloadable content is no longer a wish for top-tier titles, it's practically a requirement.

Gears of War isn't out to produce a couple of new maps and call it a day. Instead, Epic is willing to fundamentally change the way you play the game and make corrections where appropriate. For example, the recent update introduced the Annex multiplayer game mode, and for online Gears of War veterans, using capture points represents a monumental shift in strategy. You may have also noticed that you can no longer spot the names of the hosts of Ranked matches, ensuring that glitchers can't load up veteran teams to prey on a band of strangers.

While critics may maintain that much of what makes Gears of War great has been done before, I would submit that it's not the individual features that make the game but the total combination of every feature, bell, and whistle working so harmoniously together. It's that package that has made Gears of War one of the most popular Xbox 360 game titles and an instant classic of gameplay.

Article by Ryan Treit