Gears of War Review

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(More customer reviews)Gears of War is a high energy, well detailed sci fi shooter set in a dismal future. You are a muscular, well trained soldier wearing pounds of gear, armor and weapons - and it'll barely be enough to keep you alive.

This game is compared frequently to Halo, but if Halo is the lighthearted ease of Star Wars, Gears of War is the non-stop assault and clinging to life of Alien. You're not jumping around like a kangaroo here, blasting at foes. You are heavily laden, crouching behind anything you can find to shield you, trying your best to stay alive for five more minutes. You have to work strategically with your fellow soldiers to climb forward every inch.

The graphics in Gears of War are very impressive. The game is done in a palatte of browns, greys and reds. The dismal skies above, the swarms of black birds, the dented and dingy equipment - this is a world on the verge of despair. Enemies don't stand out with brightly colored costumes. You have to really pay attention to know where they are and to take them out.

The sounds really help drive home the urgency of your mission. Voices cry out on all sides for help. The hammering of the machine guns and rapid fire weapons ring in your ears. The soundtrack is pounding and epic. If anything this is all TOO pounding - after playing this for weeks, I really can get a headache :) I'd turn it down, but then I wouldn't be able to tell where the enemies were sniping me from sometimes.

The storyline really helps involve you in what is going on. It's like being at the center of a high power action movie. There are decisions you can make along the way to help guide the story. I really enjoy the "fight for every inch of soil" way it has you feel like you are involved in a real challenge. It might seem TOO challenging for some new gamers. Stick with it - it's well worth it.

I do wish, with all of their emphasis on taking cover and being cautious - that you could CROUCH. I understand not being able to jump - you're wearing hundreds of pounds of gear! However, you can crouch behind cover. Why can't you crouch when you're not near cover, to lower your profile a bit? I think that would help out in some situations.

Still, that's a minor complaint for a fantastic game. If you're a mature gamer (there's a fair amount of blood here) that enjoys shooters, definitely pick this one up!

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Product Description:
Gears of War, an Xbox 360 exclusive game that blends tactical action with survival horror, thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing tale of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. The storyline plays out like a Hollywood blockbuster -- lead character Marcus Fenix pits advanced human technology against the overwhelming Locust Horde. Built around a revolutionary third-person tactical combat system and breathtaking, high-definition visuals from the Unreal Engine 3, Gears of War immerses you in a horrifying tale of war and survival.


Gears of War is harrowing tale that pits humankind against the Locust Horde.

Marcus Fenix and his team battle nightmarish creatures. View larger.

In Gears of War, you must take cover to survive. View larger.

Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience. View larger. The gameplay is focused on a fire team co-op so advanced that your A.I. teammates are indiscernible from human players. Voice recognition and real-time lip synching heighten the absorbing experience. The Unreal Engine 3 technology brings out the smallest details in the largest of battles. With GOW you're sure to experience a rich, dynamic world where characters spring to life. Speaking of life, the battlefield is a lethal place. To survive, you must suppress your enemy with blindfire, take cover in interactive environments, and use weapons and teammates to outwit your dreaded, inhuman foes. And with a title like GOW, it would be shame if you couldn't get online and challenge live gamers. With the next-generation of Xbox Live, you'll be able to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player achievements, customize games, and build personalized gamer profiles.
Gears of War shined bright at Microsoft's pre-E3 press briefing, but a deeper demo at Microsoft's E3 booth revealed many of the game's mechanics. GOW is built with both the hardcore and casual gamer in mind. But, instead of selecting a difficulty level at the start of the game, GOW offers a choice at the beginning of each level. In the vein of choose your own adventure, you can select between a difficult or easy path. And it's not just a simple choice of battling tougher enemies; each path (explained by a comrade) represents additional content that is crucial to the storyline. After easing your way into the experience of the gameplay with the simpler paths, you can go back and test your skills on the more difficult routes and never feel like you've played through the areas before.
Standing around in the open is likely to get you killed in GOW. You must use cover to survive. With a context sensitive A button function, you won't have to sweat memorizing cumbersome button combos. The A button will:

Slam you into cover. As you approach cover in GOW simply tap the A button to slide and make immediate use of cover.
Vault you over the cover. Once you're in cover, pressing up and A will vault you over your cover to engage the opponent or next cover opportunity.
Evade enemy fire. When you're forced to be out in the open, tapping the A button will engage a roll maneuver to evade enemy fire.
Activate a "Swat Turn." When taking cover on the side of a doorway, pressing the A button will spin your character from one side of the doorway to the other, helping avoid fire.

Ripping a magazine free and replacing it in the midst of bloody combat is no easy task. GOW simulates this difficult action by forcing you to perfect your reloading skills. To be effective in combat you'll need to allot for time to successfully reload your weapon. Do it well and the battle is yours; do it poorly and you may actually jam your gun. Time it perfectly and you'll earn a bonus with a temporary damage boost. Though GOW clearly showcases a sci-fi experience, its roots are in tactical, realistic combat scenarios. Therefore, running and gunning makes for seriously erratic shooting. Think about what you're doing. Unless wasting ammo is your goal, you better stop, aim, shoot, and then move on. Otherwise, the Locust Horde might swarm you and take your life.
Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience, and nothing ruins that faster than a time-consuming exploration of every switch or button to find the elusive trigger to open a door. This game introduces a "point of interest" button that comes up on the screen so you can immediately interact with the necessary item to move forward in your gameplay. GOW certainly offers drool-worthy graphics, but the mechanics have also received equal attention. Keep your eyes and ears on high alert for a release date, as Microsoft hasn't let the cat out of the bag on when gamers will be able to tackle this great-looking and great-playing title.

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MadWorld Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let's get this out of the way first: MadWorld is an adult game. It's the most violent game to date, and there are more content discriptors on the back of the box than for Grand Theft Auto. That being said, if you are an adult Wii gamer and have longed for something bloody, visceral, and mature for your little white box, then buy this game. MadWorld is a far cry from the standard casual family affairs that are currently clogging store shelves.

Madworld puts you in the shoes of Jack, a 40-something who has been thrown into the most horrific game show in America: DeathWatch. Jack must fight and kill to survive, for he's been poisoned, and every kill gives him longer to live. However, DeathWatch is all about entertainment. You see, you may have a chainsaw and fists, but the audience wants more than you to beat up some dudes. Your challenge is to create combos by performing multiple maneuvers on an enemy.

For instance, stab a couple of road signs into a goon, put a trash can over his head, then use a spiked baseball bat to launch him into a dumpster where he'll be sliced in half. The violence is so over the top, that as bad as it sounds, it's actually really hilarious. Don't take me for a psychopath, because when you begin to dig in, you'll laugh too. Of course, there may be instances where you'll wince, but it's all in good fun.

Without going into too much detail, here's what you can expect. Scattered throughout each level are minigames called "Bloodbath Challenges." You'll be given a new way to kill people in a certain number of time and rounds. Most are fun enough to warrant multiple plays to get higher scores. Also, you'll encounter some fantastically spectacular bosses, each escalating in difficulty, and each with some truly cinematic action.

The gameplay is well done with tight analog control over Jack, and button presses for actions such as jumping and punching. Certain things are mapped to motion swings such as chainsaw attacks, special moves, and boss fights. The motion controls are simple swipes rather than tired waggle, and you'll appreciate having it done that way.

You'll notice the stark black and white graphics as a departure from most games. This game is stylistic and gorgeous. Screenshots may make everything look confusing, but trust me, the game is very clean and easy to see in action. The only color you'll see in this game is red(and lots of it). This approach really stands out. It's like nothing else you've seen. FYI, this game comes from the folks who brought us Okami, Viewtiful Joe, and Resident Evil 4. This game was placed in good hands.

The audio is fantastic as well. The soundtrack is made up of 20 full hip-hop tracks from up and coming artists. I don't care for hip-hop at all, so I turned the music way down in the options, but that's my preference. What really creates the most audio pleasure is the commentary from two announcers that follows Jack play by play.The voice actors are Greg Proops(of "Whose Line is it Anyways?" fame)and Joe DiMaggio(the voice of Bender from "Futurama" and Marcus Fenix from the Xbox 360 smash franchise, "Gears of War"). The banter goes back and forth and contains some gut-busting humor. It's incredibly raunchy and laced with f-bombs(as well as mf-bombs), but it's sounds so natural and it always gives you something to laugh at-in game.

MadWorld is what hardcore gamers and adults want for the Wii. It's unforgiving in it's nature, but for those who are old enough, the time has come. If you want more hardcore games on the Wii(and less kiddie crap), then buy this title. I'm serious. Don't even hesitate. This belongs in every adult's Wii library.

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Product Description:
Sega's Madworld is an inventive third-person action game exclusively for Wii. Produced by Atsushi Inaba, MADWORLD has a unique black and white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MADWORLD will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.
Huge Bosses
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Unique Fighting System
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Exclusive to the Wii
View larger.The Story
Varrigan City has fallen under the control of a terrorist group known as the Organizers, and they have a rather twisted sense of fun. Under the Organizers' rule, all citizens are forced to participate in a game called "Death Watch," in which there's only one rule: Kill or be killed. Into the game steps Jack, a mysterious participant practiced at setting traps, engaging in hand-to-hand combat and other useful skills. But will Jack be able to survive Death Watch and ultimately beat the terrorists at their own brutal game?

Key Game Features:

Play as Jack, a mysterious participant in the Organizers' Death Watch game whose ultimate goal is to save the terrorized city
Explore six different areas of Varrigan City and interact with the environment, using anything in the environment, from sign posts to passing trains, to attack your enemies
Utilize your Wii Remote and Nunchuk to battle hand-to-hand with daggers, bats, chainsaws and other weapons while delivering brutal finishing moves
Watch this insane and innovative world come to life before you in a unique black-and-white graphic novel artwork style
Earn points in the Death Watch game for your bloodiest, most creative kills - the more points you earn, the better your chances of staying alive to save the city
Improve your skills and punish your opponents in a series of ultraviolent multiplayer mini games available in each level
Listen to humorous commentary from sports announcers who offer play-by-play on the spectacular mayhem

Exclusive to the Nintendo Wii
Play as the mysterious Jack, relying on your wits and your brawn to set ingenious traps, pummel opponents and fight hand-to-hand using your Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller to turn anything in the environment into a weapon, from daggers and chainsaws to sign posts and garbage cans. Hone your skills in exciting, ultraviolent multiplayer mini games, then launch yourself into the Death Watch game and attempt to rack up wildly creative and bloody kills that will earn you points and increase your chance of survival. And while you kill and maim, enthusiastic announcers offer entertaining sports-style commentary of the game highlights, heightening the surreal feeling of this undeniably MadWorld.

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