CliffyB's guided tour through Gears of War

by Christopher Grant { May 18th 2006 at 1:00AM }

You already know what we thought of CliffyB's space marine action shooter, Gears of War (in case you don't, it's awesome!). Now listen to what CliffyB has to say about it. Gears of War Realm (that's right, a GoW specific fansite is already up and running) has posted a video of CliffyB's part in an E3 panel with a troika of console-specific gaming luminaries including Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid 4 on PS3), Xavier Poixwho (Red Steel on Wii), and Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War on Xbox 360, duh).

Cliffy talks a bit about his design of the game -- "it's almost like a platform game but instead of jumping up, you're jumping forward and around the world" -- before walking us through the first level with running director's commentary. I always love the juxtaposition of thoughtful CliffyB (see Smartbomb) and pimp-suit CliffyB. Thoughtful CliffyB is on display here.

[Thanks, Luke]

(Update: I've embedded a higher-quality video after the break. Thanks for the link, James!)

Tags: Cliffy, CliffyB, E32006, Epic, Epic Games, EpicGames, Gears of War, GearsOfWar, Geoff Keighley, GeoffKeighley, Second Wave, SecondWave

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Timmi T @ May 18th 2006 1:36AM

I am super excited for Gears of War, total Footlong!

randal mcdaniel @ May 18th 2006 1:36AM

heard he's doing a show Friday night about Gears on MTV2. kind of a documentary on the making of the game...Cliffy meets Gates...wonder how that goes

neale @ May 18th 2006 1:47AM

i cant wait for it either. id have really liked to have seen hideo konami or watever his name is doin his presentation straight after that one. did he show yet another CGI?

aceattorney @ May 18th 2006 1:48AM

The Multiplayer demo of this game was simply incredible! I can't wait for this game...click on my name to check out my video blog and some impressions of the multi demo.

bounchfx @ May 18th 2006 2:40AM

lol I was there, I think I'm RIGHT under the camera because I remember cameras right behind me lol.

bv @ May 18th 2006 2:53AM

Ok, I think that vid clip has just earned cliffy B. my respect. I always assumed he was kind of a deusch bag with the died nappy hair and st. trope tan, but his gameplaying skills just solidified his status as a true gamer. (On a side note, i hate it when game industry big wigs suck at playing video games (i.e. adam sessler, reggie of noa)). Most importantly, that game looked freaking intense. It was certainly the best looking duck and cover method I've ever seen in a game, it looked easy to pull off and fun to boot. Overall I give cliff-master a thumbs up and will certainly be picking up an emergance day copy come october.

CUBS-BEARS-BULLS-RULE @ May 18th 2006 3:21AM

I WISH COULD GET THAT GEARS OF WAR FACEPLATE AT A WALMART BUT I ONLY CAN GET ON EBAY FOR $150 WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD I WISH COULD GET THAT GEARS OF WAR FACEPLATE I WISH COULD GET THAT GEARS OF WAR FACEPLATE
I WISH COULD GET THAT GEARS OF WAR FACEPLATE I WISH COULD GET THAT GEARS OF WAR FACEPLATE IF ANYONE FROM MICROSOFT READS THIS YOU GUYS WOULD MAKE SO MUCH MONEY IF U SOLD THOSE AT STORES LIKE WALMART I HOPE U DO SO SOON OR SELL IT WITH THE GAME FOR AN XTRA $10 WITH A LIMITED EDITION GAME

Jon @ May 18th 2006 4:11AM

If this game doesn't get the majority of Best of E3 awards I will crap my pants. Gears of War is clearly the best looking Real time gameplay at the show. If you haven't seen the video...you need to check it out.

It's titles like these that will keep the 360 ahead of the game for at least another year till we will actually see what the PS3 can offer in competition.

Don Jose @ May 18th 2006 5:05AM

Guns with chainsaws on them. Oooh, the warm, fuzzy feeling I'm getting. Give me GEARS!

James @ May 18th 2006 5:18AM

Just in case anyone is interested, there is a much better quality video of the same conference on google video...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6602108192661560420&q=gears+of+war

(thanks team xbox)

coalhalo @ May 18th 2006 7:51AM

#5...I agree. Like you I was far from being enamored with "Cliffy B", the cult of personality that has grown around him makes me very, very leery. Like alot of people I have been following GoW for awhile now, and I am drooling with anticipation. During E3 I paid close attention to Cliffy B and his GoW announcements. After watching his obvious love for gaming, his well deserved pride in Gow, and his overall laid-backedness, I have a new found admiration for the man. GoW could be Halo big for the 360 and gaming in general.

Ben Roe @ May 18th 2006 8:23AM

I just watched the gameplay video and I can't really see what's so exciting about this: it looks like a fairly standard FPS except third person, with some decent graphics. Why is everyone in the audience cheering and whooping so much?

oBLIQUE @ May 18th 2006 8:58AM

Wow kids say the darndest things "but his gameplaying skills just solidified his status as a true gamer."
Ah he basically made the game he should know how to manipulate it, Most Big wigs arent game developers as cliff so why would they really know how to play.
And I hear what your saying Ben Roe the gameplay good but why people act the way they do does it make that much sense, did people act the same way 2 years ago when that game that used the same blind fire mechanics was released (forgot the title), but sometimes its funny how peeps go gaga over games like halo when its just another FPS, I feel into the hype and bought halo2 when it was released and I think many others did too, and thats why they sold so many copies. but hey people like what they like

regula

Ben Roe @ May 18th 2006 9:06AM

I guess I could have phrased my point a little less flame-like. I kind of meant is there a gameplay innovation that marks this apart from other games in the genre that isn't apparent on the video?

I remember doing the whole squad-based combat with cover and leaning round corners thing back in 1998 with Rainbow six and Rogue Spear.

jaemz @ May 18th 2006 9:32AM

I remember when I first heard about Gears of War, and how it was supposed to be the next Halo... until Halo3 comes out.

This kind of analogy really turns me off, and I just assumed GoW would be another cheap copy missing the things that made Halo fun. I don't mind admitting when I am wrong, and after seeing the E3 clips and interviews... boy was I wrong. Other than being a FPS, GoW really seems to be heading in it's own direction.

This looks like a great game. Thanks for the vid, Christopher.

KilgoreTrout XL @ May 18th 2006 10:09AM

"Hey CliffyB- you're cramping my style. [compliments self & swears randomly.]"

-Andy Dick

calthaer @ May 18th 2006 10:22AM

I, for one, prefer neither pimp nor thoughtful CliffyB, but rather the "JEFFK" CliffyB when he was on "SMARTEY MAN GAEM DESIGNAR SURVIVAR."

http://www.somethingawful.com/jeffk/fpssurvivar/index.htm

Man, now THAT was a webcomic I well and truly adored.

Black Guy @ May 18th 2006 11:12AM

The game is not a FPS so stop comparing it to one. For the guys that can't understand what is so great about Gears, then u need to really consider retiring the controllers for good. Go watch TV or do something else. If every new release is just another shadow of another great game previously released, then u should find another medium for entertainment.

So many demand innovation, great gameplay, and fresh ideas, but when its right there in front of there face, they still have something to bitch about.

"Gears of War another just FPS?" FPS do not play that way. Like iSaid, put down the control or look the other way if u can't even understand what is playing.

Jcarpio @ May 18th 2006 11:29AM

In response to #14.

I think people are excited for Gears of War in the same way people are clamoring to see the latest and greatest action movie. We know it might not be the most innovative from a tech point of view, but what people want is a great ride. This looks to be a very fun ride to take.

It doesn't always have to be about innovation. Fun is playing a big factor in this case. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Ben Roe @ May 18th 2006 12:02PM

#18: I asked the question "what am I missing", which you answer with insults. Please tell me what I am missing and I will get as excited as the audience did.

CUBS-BEARS-BULLS-RULE @ May 18th 2006 12:16PM

#12 r u a retard this is tje best graphics for a console excluding the pc crysis

doom3 @ May 18th 2006 12:35PM

This is funny... I will bet know of you guys have had the balls to get good at a fps and play it online. Let me tell you it's hard cliffy would probably own you all...LOL But once you do get as good as him or better you will see why the way he was playing is going to open up some many game play doors for true FPS fans.

I'm in NC right now and if I was to go to a pc online arcade I would want cliffyb on my team...

You guys fail to see that when playing a fps shooter online you get some thing that you would never get from AI... Very intense game play... and vendettas against certain players. AI is going to follow the rules... Real players will rocket jump and switch to a rail gun just to take you out, then switch to a shot gun if they miss... You hate them and run for your life if your not good but just to show them your better you lob a rocket right into their face and then rail them...LOL These are the little things you don't get from regular single player games anymore. This is what truely brings you back. This game drips of FPS chess now. It scraps the surface enough to be call the next big thing game play mechinics wise.

Every online player has a personality when playing online. I'm not stroking CliffyB's Wii but he's a good player so if your going to play against or with him then your going to have a good game. Every thing I talked about above you could expect from an in counter with this guy... If your on his level skill wise.

It also pays to have a good gamer show off your game... It makes it look that much better... You wouldn't want a soccer mom showing off the next lambo would you?

Geist @ May 18th 2006 12:45PM

It looks nice, and I like how it plays different from a lot of the stuff out on the market. It's not an FPS, first of all, cause it's not FP. Second, the cover is built into the gameplay, you're not just poking your gun out from behind walls while strafing.

Looks like an interesting experience, though I'm not buying a console for it.

Meh. I'll play it at my friend's place.

doom3 @ May 18th 2006 12:58PM

That aside CliffyB gets my respect for mentioning Bionic commando... I've beat it many time and every time it was fun. It was so simple... so limiting when I first picked it up. Most people never made it past the first mission...LOL But once you got good you felt way more dangerous than spider man. You found new ways to do every thing with just your grapling hook.

I've alwasy wanted to put cover in maps but people would never use it... But the way he's explaining the cover system in this game is going to rock even the idea of smashing into a wall and diving out and into cover is going to be cool. It's funny but when you get good at any action game it quickly become a puzzle game...

This is true of all shoot or get shot games where you are able to dodge fire. It's like digital First person speed chess where you may be in position but only your aim and tactics will complete the kill or the taking of your rook.

So many times I've seen people pull off cool a$$ air moves that you would only see in a old kunfu moive to get a kill or even survive. This is a grunt combat setup... not too many cool air moves yet...

I guest what I trying to say to the non FPS haters is once you get good it's just like playing mario bros one on the nes... with out the warps... from stage 1-1 to the end almost with out dieing... in a really fun FPS you will have big air moments that are fast and not like halo...LOL you will have the skilled seperated and rewarded becuase of their unique skills in timing, game play tackics, quick aiming, and fear-lessness... and the abilty to fill in the needed areas on a team be it... sniper, flag runner or cover man...

Then you put the icing on top of the cake and that is always graphics and the speed of play. It's not as simple as wanting to ride a rollercoaster or see a big action movie full of effects... Thats what the spectators see... Eventually you get off a roller coaster but a good fps shooter always seems to have that great game where you feel like dayum this was like playing a basketball game with jordan from 96...LOL Man that was a trip...

Thats why people still play CS, quake3, Ut2003 and 4... They all offer a flavor to the FPS.. some are super fast some rely on sneaky snipers and other have team vechicle battle groud play... the list goes on.

doom3 @ May 18th 2006 1:06PM

I want to also comment on how well the games characters are put to gether... There is alot of personilty in this one and the voices are great. The back ground cinematic are great also... Man I hope this one comes to PC... I would love to give this one some levels.

Right now these guys are the normal mapping kings of the industry... MGS is close but they arn't messing with epic right now... This is the game that may make me buy an xbox360 ...

Great job guys... And it's good to hear you have a small team also... I'm really tired of the games that look like a commity made...LOL

Big shout out to the Air brush wizard and tools guy.. you know who you are... Epic has a ninja like team fo' realm....

Doom3 @ May 18th 2006 1:11PM

Your right Geist it's not FPS... it's more like a lix bag using different aspects of 3rd person first person.

It feel way more like a FPS to me... I tend to focus on what I'm killing rather than my character on screen. Thanks for bring that up though.... This brings up other interesting ideas... Hmmmmmmmmmmm

kay @ May 18th 2006 3:08PM

If you dont see whats to be excited about then . . . dont be excited. If you truly wonder why people are excited even though the game seems like something you've seen before, consider this:

In the days of the NES and even Super NES, most games were platformers. But was Mario the same as Metroid or Contra or Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden or all the other great "platformers"? No. They offered variations to the same basic premise. They were all fun and unique in their own way.

While gears may be another shooter with elements similar to a regular old FPS, it does have its unique variation to the formula. Nowadays, in a 3D gaming world, FPS or 3rd Person games are the equivalent of the 2D platformers of yesteryear.

In addition, consider how many FPS games DONT do well. Just like with the platformers of old, you cant just slap a character on the game and push it out. There must be quality, fine tuning, passion and execution. Gears of War oozes quality. You feel like this is going to be a polished game.

I leave you with this: Although they are both action movies with the same premise, "Terminator 3" does not compare to "Terminator 2". Why? The latter was just done better and more fun. I think a lot of us see Gears of War being well done War and are therefore excited.

sonny mcphee @ May 18th 2006 4:01PM

my friend at epic just told me there's ashow tomorrow on cliffy and Gears on MTV2. All hanging out with the developers and going to E3.

The camera guy for the crew took the E3 ticket I could have had. #*#&@(&@#!

He says the show is good though.

Mr. Spank @ May 19th 2006 1:41AM

Awsome vid from E3. The last console I owned was a Super NES and I have been a PC gamer since. Seeing this footage is really making me consider for the first time in years buying an Xbox360. I can't wait to watch the Gears documentary on MTV2 tomorrow night over at Cliffy's condo!! Peace!