Gears of War still buggy, complain 'Chainsaw' event attendees
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Oct 5th 2006 at 2:57PM }
Microsoft and New Line Cinema teamed up last night to show off their upcoming projects, which both feature chainsaws forced upon the human (or humanoid) figure. A "Match Made in Hell" provided the first opportunity for the public to get hands-on time with Gears of War multiplayer, but attendees had to sit through a screening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning first.Two reports of the event (2old2play & Siliconera) have cited control issues, which affect the flow of gameplay. When asked if he thought Gears of War would be a hit, one attendee answered, "No not in this state. Not in its present form." With 'Emergence Day' just over a month away, should Microsoft be concerned? Our guess is that the event generated more than enough good PR to negate any complaints. The hype wave is gathering momentum. You gonna get swept up?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
LordMinogue @ Oct 5th 2006 3:04PM
I'm hoping Cliffy B takes these criticisms to heart and fixed these problems. I'm looking foreward to GoW and plan to play through the game Co-op with a friend over Xbox Live the weekend after release, but if GoW dissappoints like Brute Force I'm not gonna touch it.
superstewy @ Oct 5th 2006 3:05PM
Hopefully they were using a old build to demo since games should go Gold around a month before they release, not still have bugs in them.
Steve @ Oct 19th 2006 1:31AM
I just hope that was the 1 person who said they didn't like it. Considering I haven't heard anyone else who has played it complain. Is this game getting too much hype though; or maybe it isn't? I just hope it is a good game, since I have a xbox 360 and I like 3rd person shooters.
Methane47 @ Oct 5th 2006 3:10PM
Man even bad Xbox360 news is spun in a goodlight ....
Playstation3 seems to be riding the short bus alot here..
Anyways.. I hope they fix the crap that is up with Gears Of War.. THe cinematic feel of the game just seems to work... And while from my point of view it kind of looks more arcadey than anything else... It still looks like it's gonna be a great game... It just might change the definition of "3rd Person"
Tetranitrocubane @ Oct 5th 2006 3:07PM
Woah. This is a drastic change from comments I've been hearing about the game previously. Some folks who attended E3 and got into the hands-on preview were adament that GoW would be fantastic. I wonder if they were shills?
I really hope that this isn't a case of hype striking again. The last thing the 360 needs is another mediocre game squandering its own potential.
Erec @ Oct 5th 2006 3:08PM
My buddy played some Gears multiplayer at the GameStop conference last week, and he said it was very good. Thing is, he's not really a fan of shooters. So if he said he enjoyed playing it, I'm on board. From almost all accounts, the game sounds like it's going to be great fun. It won't be flawless, but it will be fun.
arghmatey @ Oct 5th 2006 3:10PM
the footage from x06 looked pretty bad. The level would freeze up in load in the middle of playing almost like stuttering. Similar to hald life 2 for pc.
KR @ Oct 5th 2006 3:11PM
At this point it's that guy's word against dozens of others that I've heard. I seriously doubt MS and Epic would let this, the biggest game of the year, be a disappointment.
But, I've been surprised before, someone else mentioned Brute Force, which was had near AAA-level hype, but was a C-level game at best.
Davinator @ Oct 5th 2006 3:12PM
I was at the event last night, and the game was awesome. I don't currently own an XBox 360, but after playing that game I want one. The graphics were incredible. The controls on the game will take some getting used to, but I was still able to play just fine and chop a few people in half using the chainsaw.
KVN @ Oct 5th 2006 3:13PM
They better be concerned for a game that's being hyped as this years halo for xbox360 they better get that stuff fixed.
SirPyros @ Oct 5th 2006 3:23PM
I was watching the X06 gameplay video and noticed that there were some slight hit detection issues with the chainsaw, it seemed like the player had to be almost directly in front to get the chainsaw to work. I really hope it was an older build and it works great in the game, I'm really looking forward to this game.
niindre @ Oct 5th 2006 3:14PM
Doesn't Halflife2 come out on 360 next month too? Man, for my dollars, that's the one MS should be hyping.
Thomas @ Oct 5th 2006 3:16PM
If GOW turns out to be a flop, then the 360 may be dead for a long time.. at least until Halo 3 comes out. All people can do, is play the game for themselves, or at least wait till it gets reviewed by the masses.
JR-W is the worst @ Oct 5th 2006 3:17PM
I don't get it. I read both articles fully. Both articles are overwhelmingly positive yet you chose to only point out the nit picks from both articles. You mention nowhere how most attendees thought the game was "awesome" and how people were cheering and having a good time. You also didn't mention that some of the glitches were most likely due to hardware setup and not the game.
Viridium @ Oct 5th 2006 3:22PM
Sighted? Cited?
As with others, I'm also surprised at the turnaround from showings at previous venues. Hopefully these guys are in the minority, or their controller preferences are different from mine and I won't have an issue with this. Despite the fact that we're supposed to have a baby in the next couple weeks, I'm still going to try and get some time in with GoW. Maybe start my kid early! :)
JPRacer @ Oct 5th 2006 3:25PM
Yeah, both articles are mostly positive and the only real negative is the learning curve and you must aim to shoot correctly. But for me this is positive.
striderhayasa @ Oct 5th 2006 3:25PM
@erec
A friend of mine was at that event too but you know what, in regards to 360, I'm taking his comments with a grain salt. I heard some fanboy nonsense come out of his mouth that I had to ignore because it was too stupid to comment on. He did say Gears was hot but he couldn't play it because the line was so long.
It looks good and shows the potential of the 360 but I'll pass. I'll wait for the hype to pass and see if some accurate reviews surface. I still remember Gamespot and few other outlets giving Perfect Dark Zero great reviews only to play it for myself see how overrated is really is.
Les Doodis @ Oct 5th 2006 3:28PM
I've read quite a few reviews from attendees online this morning, and all of them said the game ran smoothly. No screen tearing or drop in frame rate.
And I would expect the final product to be better than these multiplayer builds. These builds have probably been ready to go for a few weeks now, and Epic has undoubtedly tightened things up even more in this last crunch before release.
Tybo @ Oct 5th 2006 3:28PM
I was at the LA event last night and the chainsaw was find. I had no problem with the control at all, but it is a learning curve becasue it not like your regular shooter, but it easy to learn quick. Forget the chainsaw anyway it all about the crub stomp and sticking fag or smoke bombs on people.
Max Factor @ Oct 5th 2006 4:29PM
360 sux
tom @ Oct 5th 2006 4:34PM
the simple fact is that all preveiws of the game say its a hit. also in game development the last 80% of development is peformance and debugging so can they clear it up in the next month? even if there are bugs then this could be cleared through a patch eg. like far cry for the 360 where they took the framrate from 30 to 60 and eliminated network lag by just by a patch.
Phranctoast @ Oct 5th 2006 3:35PM
This game is going to be great.
Im just worried, MS will try and buy Epic because of this game. Try and make it another Halo and Bungie.
Then I wont be able to buy ut2007 or future versions for PC until its been on the 360 for 3 years or so. Complete BS.
Pauly D @ Oct 5th 2006 3:39PM
I was there last night as well, and although I didn't wait around to get to play the game, I have to say this game is moving silky smooth and is amazing to look at. There was a moment in multiplayer when two people on the same team did a double-chainsaw to a baddie, and it was just glorious to see.
Circ @ Oct 5th 2006 3:50PM
GoW? /shrug
As long as Rainbow 6 Vegas doesn't suck, I'll be happy.
deion @ Oct 5th 2006 4:19PM
theres always going to be whiners not matter how good something is....people will always look for something to cry about
NoWay @ Oct 5th 2006 3:50PM
I Call BULL****!! Everyone from Forums, to Sites have stated that the game ran smooth as butter last night... Now this... Has to be a Publicity stunt.
TANK @ Oct 5th 2006 3:57PM
Since i wrote one of the reviews, i thought I needed to comment. The Joystiq spins it as if I didn't like the game. I'm still buying the game and i'm still pumped about it. Visually the game is stunning and runs smooth in multiplayer.
The controls will probably work fine once you've had some time to use them. I got to play for 20 minutes, there were a lot of people and you only got to play 1 game of 2 or 3 rounds depending on if you won 2 in a row or split wins and played a tie break. That amount of time wasn't sufficient to get the controls down. But i in no way think the controls aren't managable, there's just more to deal with than there was in say Ghost Recon AW which is also a 3rd person strategic shooter.
I don't feel like the game is pickup and play. If your buddy comes over and jacks in as player 2 and has never played before, he's not going to be very useful to you until he's probably played an hour or so on the game.
There are many aspects to the game that are awesome. It's very strategic, you will need to work as a team to be successful. People looking for a run and gun game probably should look elsewhere.
TANK @ Oct 5th 2006 3:57PM
On the frame rate issue I mentioned, it was during the single player demo. towards the end of it, there was very noticable frame rate drops. It coudl be because it's not final code, maybe the disc had a bad spot in it maybe there's a problem, i can't answer that. I can tell you that there was no flame rate issues in multiplayer at all, it ran fine. I watched it for 90 minutes on the big screen waiting for my turn to play, not once did i see frame rates drop.
heavyness @ Oct 5th 2006 4:01PM
seems like the guy over aeropause loved it...
http://www.aeropause.com/archives/2006/10/gears_of_war_ha.php
plus, both stories said they liked it eventually and commented on others saying they liked it. and the one article claims the controls are different and there is a learning curve. GRAW was the same way for me. i think the guy was hoping for generic FPS controls.
i'm still holding off until i get to play it myself.
steve @ Oct 5th 2006 4:04PM
Uh, I have to agree with a couple of previus posters, the linked articles really don't support the headline. Why? Well, for a start only one of the two articles reports actual bugs, and as the bugs reported would be pretty damn obvious to anyone playing the game and we've had no other reports of them I'd say it was a one off.
Secondly, the controller issues just sound like a learning curve attached to the game which, considering everyone there was playing something that was new to them, didn't seem to stop them from having a good time playing. Not exactly what I'd call a bug.
My own opinion after reading these articles is actually the opposite of Joystiq. A control scheme that needs a bit of learning is not necessarily a bad thing and having to actually think about when to zoom in and shoot versus staying in cover is far more my sort of game than a more simple run and gun. From what's been said I'd consider Gears is well on course to be a cracking game. Graphics and the gameplay experience seem to be well up to spec and the complaints are very minor (and may still be changed before launch, there is still time after all).
arronx @ Oct 5th 2006 4:08PM
#25, i was there at NY last night and i saw the random drop in the frame rate. It didnt happen a lot but i did noticed it a few times. Still looked amazing!
James @ Oct 5th 2006 4:07PM
We all know James Ransom-Wiley is a 360 hater. Why bother reading anything that guy writes anyways? He should go work for Fox News since he's the master of spin.
reguy @ Oct 5th 2006 4:09PM
only joystiq can take a good gaming session and say
omg this game will NOT be awesome!!!
but to be fair they do it to all three companies
but still, when everyone else says its great you still say 'nah, no good'
tsk tsk
chimp o death @ Oct 5th 2006 4:11PM
"All in all the game visually is very impressive and definitely one of the best looking titles for the Xbox 360. Pace wise it looks like it’ll be a ton of fun on Live especially if you get a good tight team of 4 together. Control wise, the game is a bit disappointing. There’s a definite learning curve, and it doesn’t control like a normal shooter so you will need to adjust to it. Until next month."
That's a qoute from one article. It seems to me that the complaint about the controls isn't about them being bad, just different than the standard Halo-style FPS, which makes sense.
Also, he says that the game isn't as sooth or intuitive for taking cover as GRAW. Anyone who's struggled throught the learning curve of the first few levels will find that rather amusing.
No real mention of the game being "buggy", if by which one means obvious flaws like clipping/targeting/pop-in and so forth.
"6. the footage from x06 looked pretty bad. The level would freeze up in load in the middle of playing almost like stuttering. Similar to hald life 2 for pc"
Arghmatey, if Gears looks "pretty bad", I only wish all games looked as bad. The in-game loads, similar to Halo, usualy work fine. If it's not hiccuping the heavy action sequences, no problem. You're comparing it to Half-Life 2 PC, which would excite more people than it would turn away. This sure points up a problem with talking one or two reports as gospel, if someone could see the x06 Gears of War footage and say it looks "pretty bad".
killploki @ Oct 5th 2006 4:11PM
haha, looks like that azn_1080p guy went to see chainsaw massacre then stick around to try and hurt microsoft.
or to use his logic, sony probably paid some people to show up and give negative opinions about the game.
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 4:16PM
wow all this tiem i been defending joystiq and on a slow news day they ahve to spin news like this. everyone who went last ngiht loved it. this game met and exceeded expectations. even with the hype. u should be ashamed of urselves joystiqs. specially since u give the sony fanboys hope lol
this game is not even gold and was stated by epic last night they are finishing polishing it off. and yet it ran so smooth and looked so good even in split screen. joystriq has hit the bottom
lefty
Dave @ Oct 5th 2006 4:19PM
"4. Woah. This is a drastic change from comments I've been hearing about the game previously. Some folks who attended E3 and got into the hands-on preview were adament that GoW would be fantastic. I wonder if they were shills?"
I love that. The hundreds of good comments were possibly shills, not the one or two negative from last night! Awesome!
reguy @ Oct 5th 2006 4:27PM
i hear you lefty!!!
thanks again for the link to the new gears of war multiplayer vid, it was awesome
leave it to joystiq to spin like this
greenbrick @ Oct 5th 2006 4:49PM
If you want to be safe, just rent before you buy... or only get referrals from trusted sources.
The only way gamers are going to help mitigate releases of games with control issues, bugs, or whatever is to not rush out and buy the game the second it comes on the shelves. If we can be patient in this regard, we'll have better luck in the long run.
Richard @ Oct 5th 2006 4:34PM
I was there, The chainsaw works effortlessly, anyone else who says different just didn't know how to use it. Good to see Joystiq disgracing itself again!
I like to comment @ Oct 5th 2006 4:36PM
OMG this game looks sooooooooooooooooooooo cool and mature! I'm glad we all have games like this and grand theft auto and whatever to compensate for our tiny brains and equally tiny penii
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 4:39PM
not one bad review from thos who went last night
http://forums.xbox.com/59/ShowForum.aspx
and here si the video again for those who haven;t seen it. judge for urself (sorry for the quality need to fidn the higher res version again. but u can geta feel for it)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2840865088389215979&q=gears+of+war
game speaks for itself. every one who played it was blown away. guess joystiq missed that part fropm all the reviews
deion @ Oct 5th 2006 4:41PM
taking some random guy's opinion for an entire state and posting it is one of the most stupidest things I have heard of...Daniel could be the ultimate PS3 fangirl..who knows ?? so that was worthless
nonpareil @ Oct 5th 2006 4:42PM
Strider, I hear ya on Perfect Dark Zero - what the hell was up with that? Easily one of the lamest games I ever played, and I have a generally high tolerance for garbage if there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. PDZ was fleaBayed as soon as I could get it out of my 360 - yet all the reviews were GLOWING.
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 4:49PM
nonpareil
this game hasnlt gotten good reviews, its won every awards at every game show ot has been 2. go read some hands on from gamers from last night on either the gears of war forum or on xbox.com. next actually read the articles joystiq claims it got this info from. u will see thjey clearly left quite a bit out fo it to make it seem like this game sucks to get hits. not once did they mention all the good things people said. even one of the article authors had to come in here and set things straight.
but its obvoius fanboys do not read much, either the souce material or the other posts on this blog. as manyu who played it last night have stated its that good.
PZ @ Oct 5th 2006 4:53PM
Okay, I feel like I'm being called a liar. I was at the Chicago event last night for the Match made in hell, and I was very impressed with the game.
I do agree, it is not a pick up and go shooter. But be honest besides Contra, what game is? The only time I saw anything close to frame rate issues was during the SP mode, when they would switch from gameplay to movie - which was all ingame engine as qouted by the President of Epic games who was on hand, "None of the pre-rendered stuff here."
The game didn't even look to downplay the graphics in MP mode like other games seem to do.
You will all love the Bow... Trust me.
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 4:54PM
no vbetter source than other gamers right heres som reviews from last night
"Overall I liked the game enough to purchase I was on the fence about it but now I'm sure
I give this game a 4 out of 5
a must have!"
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 5:01PM
more reviews
"I loved playing GoW because it felt like a gaming work of art, the detail of everything is beautiful. It really looked smooth and crisp even on split screen.
This game just feels right, the controls, the movement, the environment, the gameplay and teamwork that you'll need when playing this. When playing multiplayer games you'll quickly discover that teamwork is a requirement in this game, you can't just charge in and expect to win. It was cool seeing a lot of sneaky killing going when they were able to flank and than sneak up behind the enemy. Since we were only able to play this game 4 on 4 deathmatch and only one map my review isn't complete. The map we played in was a shallow canal with bridges and side passages to flank your enemy, really beautiful.
Our setup was 8 monitors all in one row side by side. We had 2 sets of 4 on 4 going on with one player playing on the bigscreen. It was a best out of 3 match but I played 3 times so it was really cool. I really like the curb stomp, I got quite few of those ills, I also was able to use the bow and arrow with exploding tips, one shot death. When you chainsaw someone the blood splatters on your camera which is really cool. The audience really was into it and it was fun just watching people play.
I overheard a few people saying they were gonna buy a 360 now after playing GoW. I can't wait for the release
"
Lefty @ Oct 5th 2006 5:04PM
so joystiq fiund one negative review among thousnds of positives and never mentions them. even use on glaringly positive review and used it to make it look negative. no response joystiq? its not like thousands didnlt play this game last night and everywhere u look u see positives and people claiming its a must have. Guess every one is and idiot excpet the daniel guy u chose to quote. lol joystiq u have hit rock bottome and are sucking the mold. i now see how thye worlk
and to those who had bashed joystiq and i said things about i am sorry. u were all right. joystiq does not care to post about the truth just soin thigns to get them hits. thats whats wrong with the world today. good job Suckstiq.com
David @ Oct 5th 2006 5:14PM
I know what's going to ruin Gears of War for me. It will not be the gameplay, the graphics or anything like that, it will be... THE VOICEACTING. There you go. Didn't anyone else notice? When games get past this generetic american macho bullshit, I'll be able to enjoy games again. I want mute avatars. Please?