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Gears of War for Xbox 360 stormed the console market in Nov 2006 and for the
very first time we saw a gaming software title competing against an enormous
console launch. Gears took the top spot and became the epitome of addiction and
brutal killing. All the hype and accolades were not being thrown without any
reasons too, they were totally justified. Gears managed to redefine co-op combat
mechanism and gave us a glimpse of what Unreal Engine 3 was all about. It
featured superb facial animations, top notch cut scene quality, legendary
weapons, innovative cover system, precise controls and a fantastic play style to
boot. It was only a matter of time before Epic finally decided to port the
experience as a GFW title in the form of a gift to the PC gaming public.
So, will it really pay to go out and just buy the PC version? Not really, as
there is little difference in the two versions, barring a few. The visuals
department is of course one of the major areas that does get a lot of boost on
PC (You would need a fairly powerful DX10 rig at your disposal to experience the
true might of the visuals). A few additions have been made to the story as well
with a bonus two hours of extra content to lend some depth to the single player
campaign. The only exciting thing that you'll experience in these two hours will
most likely be the boss fight against the Brumak. Everything apart from that
just seems rather unnecessary or more of the same. As far as the controls are
concerned, you'll feel much more comfortable using a gamepad rather than the
unusual keyboard/mouse combo. Hard to believe, I know, but there you have it.
The good news for XP lovers is that unlike Halo 2 for Vista, Gears is also
compatible with XP.
Gears of War is a decent port, but it will appeal more to players who didn't
really get the chance to experience its might on the 360 last year. But for the
players who have tasted blood already, save yours bucks for something new to
grab onto as there will be a plenty to choose from.
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