Common Sense Note
Parents need to know this action game is not for kids or tweens -- it's an "M"-rated military shooter that, while against aliens, is realistically violent and gory. Need an example? You can use a chainsaw to rip apart enemies or use machine guns to spray them down.
Parents can talk with their older teenage kids about what makes them attracted to this game. Is it the story? Graphics? Violence? Online play? Since the enemies are Extra Terrestrials -- essentially already de-humanized for you -- does that make it easier to get into the violence of the game? What if the characters were human instead? Would it make a difference to you?
Common Sense Review
Despite all the media attention surrounding the two new gaming consoles –- Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii –- the hottest action game to come out in time for the 2006 holidays is an Xbox 360 exclusive.
Microsoft Game Studios' GEARS OF WAR is an action-heavy sci-fi shooter that delivers an exhilarating and creepy experience for mature players.
Unlike most other shooters, Gears of War cannot be won by aimlessly running through environments and unleashing firepower on the baddies. Instead, this slower-paced thriller places a heavy emphasis on using items for cover and exchanging blows with the vicious E.T. race known as the Locust Horde.
While the story and dialogue aren't going to win any awards, the game's strengths lie in the tense action, incredibly smart artificial intelligence (A.I.), and multiplayer modes on the same television or via the Xbox Live pay-for-play online service ($50 a year).
In Gears of War players assume the role of a beefy futuristic soldier for the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), who joins fellow teammates to rid the world of nightmarish alien creatures through tactical warfare. Played from a third-person "over the shoulder" camera perspective, players must carefully assess the indoor or outdoor areas for cover, find ammo, and then take on the enemies until the coast is clear to continue to the next area.
High-tech weapons range from pistols and shotguns to grenades and assault rifles (complete with a chainsaw bayonet for a gory close encounter with the Locus Horde) to the Hammer of Dawn, a weapon that communicates with a satellite hovering above the earth and beams down a deadly laser strike that can level buildings.
Taking cover is as easy as pressing the A button on the controller when near a solid object; your soldier will crouch and press his body up against the car or stone wall (causing a plume of dust to arise). Press the analog stick to the left or right and you'll peek around to assess the threat. Press A again to re-enter the freeform mode to walk, roll, and find another hiding place.
With dark levels and realistic weather effects, the game offers plenty of atmosphere, adding to the wonderful sense of anxiety and excitement -- especially while playing the game alone and with the lights dimmed. In fact, Gears of War is easily the best-looking Xbox 360 game to date thanks to its photorealistic characters, detailed environments, and special effects.
Gamers who prefer to play with others rather than against computer-controlled components won't be disappointed with Gears of War. Two friends can play the single-player game cooperatively on the same television (split-screen view) or via the Xbox Live service. A handful of head-to-head battle modes are also included in the game, including Warzone, pitting humans versus the Locusts, and Assassination, where the goal is to kill the leader of the opposing team.
Xbox 360 fans in search of a gorgeous but gory game, and one that combines tactical action with horror elements, will love fighting though this challenging adventure. Play through the game once and it unlocks an incredibly difficult mode, with even meaner enemies.
While Gears of War costs $59.99, a limited Collector's Edition version can be found for $69.99, which includes: an embossed metal box; a hard-bound art book; and a bonus DVD featuring a "Making of War" documentary, an "Art of Gears of War" trailer and the MTV program, Gears of War: The Race to E3.
For a shooter with less gore, try Call of Duty: Finest Hour. For a more kid-appropriate sci-fi title choose Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth.
Reviewed: 12/12/2006
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ViolencePlenty of violence, blood, and gore. The worst it gets: you can use a chainsaw to rip apart enemies or machine guns to spray them down. A deadly laser strike can level buildings. Characters and world are photorealistic, making bloody battles seem even gorier. |
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LanguageFoul language spoken by marines, including the odd F-word. |
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