Gears Of War

[revlob]

you'll have to forgive this question, but the Fenix voice - that is Optimus Prime isnt it?

'Fraid not, IMDB says it's John Di Maggio, who has done a lot of other voice work, but no Transformers. He was Wakka in FFX, most notably. Prime was orginally voiced by Peter Cullen.

EDIT: Actually Bender is probably most notable.

[Jebus]

Really struggling to get in a game though, always getting Connection to host lost message.

That's the prime example of why the achievements should be unlockable without being FORCED to play RANKED matches...

[ChrisF]

I did wonder if it was Bender after seeing the name in the credits, but thought Naaaahhh. Well bite my shiny metal ass!

[MattyD]

Just... the graphics!

I don't think I have any superlatives to pour on that haven't been used already but, just, wow. I can't wait to play Co-Op.

I also thought Marcus was voiced by Optimus Prime (the voice actor, not the Autobot) and spent hours trying to convince my GF I was right

Whilst I'm here, I've got a burning question that may decide the how I spend the rest of my evening:

On the second act I accidentally swapped the Lancer for the smaller auto (SMG?). Annoyingly enough I couldn't swap back for some reason, I think it might have been too close to the wall or something >_< Is there any way to get it back or am I going to have to restart the chapter? It's real slow going without it

[bignige]

Fenix is played by Bender

Just tried some multiplay, and managed to bump into bignige and ph0rce which was ace - I did chuckle when myself and Nige chainsawed a guy at the same time

Really struggling to get in a game though, always getting Connection to host lost message.

What're the odds eh? Totally random game as well. The world is defiantely getting smaller! I've been having trouble getting into ranked games, although choosing custom (as opposed to "quick") seems to give better resluts.

[PeteJ]

I'd just carry on, you get plenty of opportunities to swap weapons.

That's the prime example of why the achievements should be unlockable without being FORCED to play RANKED matches...

Totally agree, I hate the whole ranked concept.

[Simmy]

Really struggling to get in a game though, always getting Connection to host lost message.

That is deffinately to do with the room filling before you get in. Pick a room with 4/5 folks in and you will get in everytime !

[Silvergun X]

Yep, that's true.

Go custom match and pick a game with only one person in. It'll fill up immediately.

[Concept]

Played the first two acts in a four hour spell. John pretty much hit the nail on the head here - the ease, fluidity and quality of the control system makes it feel like a third-person linear shooter Miyamoto would have developed had he been an American first or third-person shoot-em-up developer. It's very instinctive and easy to adapt to in the sense that it quickly becomes second nature, and although I was hoping progression be a little less strict in its linearity, the action is incredibly compelling and immersive. It sounds naff, but just as the character design is gratifying chunky the action and the control too very much fit the same mould.

I won't deny the game's success is in large part to the graphics, but the control and the way the pad so easily melts in your hand, not to mention the careful chosen sound effects and the way the weapons feel and react, provides it that special quality I haven't felt with other (less arcade-based) additions to the genre I've played recently (GR:AW, R6V). Let's face it the core of the atmosphere is built on these pins - the impossibly high -tandard graphics and the conventional, but supremely thought out intuition of the control.

I know it's been said so many times before but this really has to be the most polished game I've played anywhere. Having said that (as with every game), there are two faults with the presentation... but they're nit-picky. One, as noticed before, self-shadowing on faces just doesn't look right. I'm assuming this isn't something Epic can easily turn off for specific areas of the character models as I can't imagine it's escaped their attention during development. Two, the game does occasionally suffer from LoD load-in of the PGR3 mould, though it's thankfully far less frequent and has only happened two or three times in the four hours I've played the game up to now.

Apart from those two things, the presentation is absolutely immaculate, the loading is short, the menus are well designed, the music is thankfully orchestric and non-guitar based (what was that BBC review on about?), the sound effects are pleasingly weighty, the action is fast, punchy and wholly satisfying and the visual draw is without a shadow of a doubt something which makes it the best game ever made in this area. Short and simple, it's a system seller... utilising breathtaking architecture, amazing lighting, gorgeous character models and all sorts of bells and whistles which clearly has Epic throwing the gauntlet down to everyone and using it as a flagship for Unreal 3.

I'm rarely awed these days due to the fact changes in technology are incremental, but this is a game which although derivative (and I mean that in the best possible way), is derivative in the sense that all its various components are honed, focused on and made of the the best possible quality. Well, apart from the some of the characters.

It's not trying to reinvent the wheel, so in particular when I read the EG review citing a lack of ambition as a key flaw in the game I personally think that's off the mark. Gears knows its aims are conventional, - it merely executes them extremely well within cutting edge skin.

Consider the credits list for recent games such as Call of Duty 3 and the 360 Fear port (going into the hundreds)... it's outstanding to think that a team of around 50 people have produced such intricacy, detail, artistry and sophistication of technology in a two year spell.

[PeteJ]

Nice write-up concept, agree with it.

Just completed it - best single player experience since Resi4, which this game is very similar to.

Regarding Multiplay - I can get into the games but keep getting the message during the lobby. Have only managed to play one mach

[GluedOnBeard]

Nice write-up concept, agree with it.

Just completed it - best single player experience since Resi4, which this game is very similar to.

Regarding Multiplay - I can get into the games but keep getting the message during the lobby. Have only managed to play one mach

What are your NAT settings? Open?

Its just i found when playing games such as mech assualt on the xbox and PGR3 and PDZ when people had their routers configured incorrectly they would be able to sit in the lobby but would then be kicked whe the game started.

[Crisp_Rapper]

this game (as with most) is right handed biased... as a lefty i'm using the right stick to move which makes moving in and out of cover a little bit more difficult as i have to use the 'crab claw' technique to do it.

that aside i'm enjoying what i've played so far, i find myself just standing around in awe of how gorgeous it all is (whilst getting shot to pieces).

[dazzx]

just got an update, anyone know what this is for??

[dvdmike]

It seems to have sorted out the chat issues

[stormbreak]

Has anyone who traditionally has motion sickness issues tried this out yet? It's really close to edging me into buying a 360 but from the footage I've seen I'm a bit worried that it'll affect me badly - it seems very 'shakey cam' (which looks incredibly cool but is one of the things I have major trouble with).

I thought this would trouble me too, but you don't even use the run feature much, and when you do it doesn't give you motion sickness.
Well atleast it didn't give me any