Xbox 360 impressions: Gears of War multiplayer

by James Ransom-Wiley { May 11th 2006 at 7:45PM }

Gears of War is overwhelming. It's also deceptively simple to control. Our boot camp kicked off deep inside the Microsoft booth, where we were tossed in a 4 vs. 4 team deathmatch battle that was both humbling and amazing.

GOW is extremely polished in its current state. During our 30 minute play session we did not detect a moment of slowdown. The one glitch that occurred with some frequency (2-3 times) was getting stuck in cover mode -- but it was easy enough to break away. Character models, animation, lighting, and sound are already a step above any current Xbox 360 game, as they should be.

The game's true brilliance is its gameplay. The core strategy revolves around cover, which has never been better implemented than in GOW. If you don't use cover, you die. Half of the thrill is reaching that perfect cover point, racing low to the ground, camera bobbing, as you roadie-run for your life, bullets whizzing overhead.

GOW is a game of strategy; of pinning opponents and flanking. But don't assume the pace is slow. Combat is quick and brutal. Down an enemy, and reach him before his teammate can revive him, and you can stomp his face into the ground. Or better, plant your chainsaw into his chest.

The energy inside of the GOW showroom was electric. War cries and victory cheers filled the tiny space. Something special was taking place, and we can't wait for that to be shared with the entire Xbox 360 community.

Tags: E32006, Epic Games, EpicGames, Gears of War, GearsOfWar

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Footlong! @ May 11th 2006 7:48PM

This game is gonna be sick. All hail Cliffy B.

Cdaghostie @ May 11th 2006 7:50PM

First, and very sweet
Vehicles though?

Nate @ May 11th 2006 7:54PM

Sounds amazing.

Can't wait to play it...it's the game my 360 (and myself) is waiting for.

SirPasta117 @ May 11th 2006 7:55PM

O yea i would like to see vechials as well.

Rawnblade @ May 11th 2006 8:01PM

It sounds sickeningly pleasant. Crushing someone's face with your size 15's?

Disturbingly delightful.

Will @ May 11th 2006 8:08PM

CliffyB said in a press conference either yesterday or today that there will be a couple vehicles, but he wouldn't mention which ones. I can't remember where I downloaded the video of the press conference from. It was either from Team XBox or IGN, though, most likely.

And to be clear, I'm not talking about Microsoft's press conference on Tuesday. The video I'm talking about is a different shindig, with Cliffy doing some Q & A and doing a bit more detailed walkthrough of the first level again.

But yeah, in short, there will be some vehicles.

Big Ed @ May 11th 2006 8:14PM

Boot Camp eh? PATENT PENDING,PATENT PENDING, PATENT PENDING!

Andrew @ May 11th 2006 8:17PM

Implementation of an intelligent use of cover?

Now that is awesome. :]

Daniel Q @ May 11th 2006 8:24PM

Cliffy B bows to NO one.. this game will blow your sox..shirt..and pants of..

kgun @ May 11th 2006 8:36PM

sweeet. i finally have a reason to buy a 360 besides curiousity

elle @ May 11th 2006 8:37PM

"Half of the thrill is reaching that perfect cover point, racing low to the ground, camera bobbing, as you roadie-run for your life, bullets whizzing overhead."

The other half is using the huge q-tips to knock the guy off the platform.

Dauragon @ May 11th 2006 8:40PM

Sounds like another FPS....*yawn*

lefty @ May 11th 2006 8:44PM

can't wait for this game, it will be so sick. i remebr this trailer from e3 05 had me like damn canlt wait for a 360.

Wild Homes @ May 11th 2006 8:49PM

Duaragon, nice try, troll. thanks to nearly omnipresent media coverage, the whole world knows GoW isn't even a first-person game. shouldn't you be, like, focusing on commenting about things you _are_ interested in? it's not like there's a shortage of news for fans of every console and genre this week.

Geoff @ May 11th 2006 9:01PM

"Sounds like another FPS....*yawn*"

Whenever I read comments like this I always imagine some guy looking at a Van Gogh painting and going, "Looks like a field....*yawn*".

There are a lot of FPS, sure. But there are ones that come out that really improve the game-play in a big way. A good game doesn't have to be totally revolutionary, sometimes the perfection of an established genre is really nice to play.

Bill Baker @ May 11th 2006 9:18PM

#10 couldn't even be bothered by those annoying little things known as "facts"- otherwise he'd know he was actually yawning over a third person shooter, not a first person shooter. I salute you, god of slack.

Gears sounds like some slick and fabulous stuff, I can't wait to get pulped online.

Dauragon @ May 11th 2006 9:20PM

Oh yeah like games like Quake 4, gag...talk about the worst FPS ever. I see buffed up guys with guns, what am I to expect from this game, wrestling? Because that's what it would be without the guns. A bunch of muscular guys standing way to close to one another, it keeps talking about cover and strategy, yeah good luck with that, with the way all Shooter games, there will be those people who just play the game nonstop, know everything, and prevent any strategy from being developed. Doesn't sound like any casual gamer could pick up this game and have fun. Seems like another Planetside.

Bill Baker @ May 11th 2006 9:20PM

oops, I meant #11, #10 is a different critter altogether. now who let the facts get in the way?

Dauragon @ May 11th 2006 9:25PM

Excuse me for not reading the whole thing, and excuse me for being prejudice againest new "Shooter" games...I've been failed so many times. *cough* Redneck Rampage, *cough* PDZ, *cough* COUNTER STRIKE

embassy @ May 11th 2006 9:26PM

dauragon,

go play nintendogs...

Gianni Gotti @ May 11th 2006 9:37PM

Funny how the choppy animation is being underplayed. I was pretty excited about the game until I saw it in motion....

Darth Pixel @ May 11th 2006 9:52PM

Did you ever play kill.switch?
It was all about taking cover too. kill.switch got very mechanical and repetitive after 4 hours or so.

>_> @ May 11th 2006 9:53PM

This game is a squad-based 3rd person shooter. FPS???

Darth Pixel @ May 11th 2006 9:58PM

That's the kill.switch I was talking about:
http://killswitch.com/video/index.cfm?tn=03&t=1&s=1

James @ May 11th 2006 10:13PM

Did kill.switch have online multiplayer aspects? After a while of course it gets very mechancial. That is why any shooters that can be played online with a bunch of different people can turn the monotony of the shallow game into something more tolerable or more enjoyable.

Trauts @ May 11th 2006 10:14PM

Any chance we'll be able to key down the blood a bit? It looks like they increased it since the first wave of trailers last year.

I'm not suggesting they take it out - merely an option to tone it down / remove it for people who don't want it.

MosquitoControl @ May 11th 2006 10:44PM

I pretty much have no respect for CliffyB. He's done one game I enjoyed, and usually comes across as a dorky little douche.

But, with this, he's created a masterpiece.
Cliffy, I know it matters to you like crazy, so I'll let you know you're earning my respect.

DARUK @ May 11th 2006 10:56PM

BIASED CRAP

JOYSTIQ = 360 RULEZ!!! Wii SUCKZ!!

M$ $$$ must be nice.

Logan T. @ May 11th 2006 11:03PM

I have to say, for me this game really foreshadowed Halo 3 at E3. Finally something new is coming along that will present a challenge to the current "norms" in shooters. Of course, I haven't actually had a chance to test the gameplay mechanic for myself, but from what I've seen and heard it looks to be a blast.

Brad Lee @ May 12th 2006 1:55AM

I always wonder about posts like #27. Do they really have brains? Or are they just meatbags with finger? I mean seriously, there wasn't even a sentence in that post.

That aside, I'm glad to hear Gears of War is actually turning out to meet the hype. I originally bought a 360 just to keep me busy until Wii comes out (because neither my XBox or GC would have done that), but it is good to see there are some great looking games coming out on 360. Games like Gears of War, Brothers in Arms, and Bioshock look undeniably awesome and will keep me playing 360 even after Wii is released.

peeweejd @ May 12th 2006 8:19AM

"Down an enemy, and reach him before his teammate can revive him, and you can stomp his face in the ground. Or better, plant your chainsaw into his chest."

I think I just came in my pants. Let's hope when you get up close to a dude, you can talk to him before you plant your timberlands in his noggin.

Cliffy! If you're reading this, please add this special voice feature in. Just copy it from Pandora Tomorrow, no one will care!

jabbertrack @ May 12th 2006 11:55AM

my wife is going to kill me with all these games :(

Kevin D @ May 12th 2006 1:15PM

#16 Dauragon,

Sounds like you got beat up by some 'muscular' guy and have issues.....LOL...

You sound like one of the little turds who come into our MMA club and then cant handle being thrown around for a while (egos are so fragile...LOL - humility my friend), storm out and never come back and then bitch how everyones a d.ck etc etc...

Grow up and get over yourself....

LOL...