When it was released in November 2006, Gears of War was the ultimate non-Halo title for the Xbox 360. Halo 3 was only nearly a year out, and when gamers actually got their hands on Gears of War, they appeared to forget about Halo entirely. The stop-and-shoot gameplay, brutally detailed visuals, and memorable gameplay moments encouraged 360 owners to enthusiastically endorse a new shooter that wasn't named Halo. Everyone with a 360 appeared to have a copy of Gears of War, and they all liked it. After a year, the once-exclusive title for the 360 gives a strong appearance for PC gamers.
First and foremost, Gears of War is a third-person shooter rather than a first-person shooter. The game is also not a run-and-gun shooter. Using shelter, on the other hand, is critical to gameplay and life. The epic describes it as a tactical shooter in which you would consider before firing your shotgun shells at the enemy. You take shelter behind walls, desks, barrels, and so on, wait for the enemy to emerge from cover, and then shoot. With a fast button press, you can switch from cover point to cover point. Gears is indeed a magnificent depiction of heinousness. Cities are being devastated, and heads are being smashed with a fast curb stomp. Last but not least is the Chainsaw Bayonet, which is simply one of the most brutal weapons in the game.
Marcus Fenix and the Locust Horde are central to the storyline of Gears of War. One day, the Locust Horde began invading every large city on the planet, burning towns and murdering an untold number of people. This day was known as Emergence Day. The Humans fought back, annihilating some of the Horde and the Horde-taken cities. The bulk of the human survivors were held in a fortified core, which was immediately attacked by the Horde. Marcus Fenix defied orders to flee the facility in order to save his father. Marcus was too late and was sentenced to 40 years in jail for disobeying orders. However, Marcus's prison is now being ravaged by Locust, and he has been freed to join in the war against the Horde.
The buttons were one of the first major distinctions between the 360 and PC versions. The PC version of Gears includes the same keyboard and mouse controls used with any PC shooter. The keyboard and mouse controls feel fantastic to me and aided me during gunfighting. When playing Gears of War, the accuracy offered by a mouse and keyboard seemed ideal. Using the keyboard and mouse instead of the controller made it possible to hit targets that were peeking out or hidden behind a shelter. Yes, you can use the 360 controllers for Windows on the Gears PC edition. The same button interface as the 360 edition is present, and it works well.
The melee combat was one feature of the keyboard and mouse interface that I hated. Melee battle is assigned to the “F” key, which, as you might have noticed or would note if you look down at your keyboard as I write this, is right next to the D key. Since you monitor your action with the W, S, A, and D keys, you can encounter issues when attempting to launch a melee attack when you or the opponent has advanced as you continue to click the F key. Since you move with the analog stick, it felt better to move and begin melee action with the controller layout. Now, I may be nitpicking here, but I'd hate to see PC owners lose out on the satisfaction of executing a chainsaw attack during the game. To start the chainsaw, click the F key and keep it down until you make contact with the enemy's skin. Then marvel as blood actually drips from the computer. The chainsaw assault, yeah. It's bloody and violent, but it's also incredibly rewarding.
The rest of the PC edition is identical to the 360 version, with a few additional changes. The single-player game features five additional campaign chapters that take place after the game's original conclusion. Fortunately, the game allows you to skip forward to the fifth campaign episode, saving you from having to play through the whole game to access the new content. Three additional online maps and a new multiplayer game style are also included. Along with the three additional maps, the 360 edition has all of the multiplayer maps.
The new multiplayer game mode is King of the Hill, in which you must control and keep control of capture points on the map. The more points you gain, the longer you control the catch points. The game will be won by the team with the most points. Another significant feature that was not present in my version of the game is a Game Editor, which will enable you to tinker with the Unreal 3 engine to create your own custom maps for the game.
The game is heavy on giving you huge moments the game packed with cinematic moments and bosses that can render you speechless (and sometimes shouting at the console in frustration that you didn't let them out). Instead of running and gunning, the cover-and-shoot gameplay can allow you to think before you shoot. You can have to repeat certain pieces because the AI is clever enough to never play the same way twice. Gears of War was a groundbreaking title when it was released for the Xbox 360, and now PC owners will see what all the hype was about.
