So Gears of War...
I could not resist the temptation to pick up a copy of Gears of War. Too many hugely positive reviews in a row broke my (already lacking) willpower down and I went and picked it up today.
First things first - out of the gates, the game looks absolutely amazing. The folks at EPIC weren't kidding around with Unreal Engine 3. The character models are the highlight of pretty much every scene - and they are astounding. Big, chunky armor with realistic faces full of life and character. Fucking brilliant.
Second, the action itself is well thought out and flows nicely. The one-button cover system is just spot-on and feels intuitive pretty much right away. You are able to lean around corners and aim at your enemy while staying largely behind cover. Nifty.
Third, the AI seems well thought out and implimented. The same opponents will behave differently in different areas depending on the availability of cover and flanking opportunities. AI often gets overlooked when it's done right but is the first thing to get slammed when it's done wrong. And, lets face it, it's often done wrong. But I have to give GoW high marks in this department.
Forth, the story itself seems decent if not somewhat derivative. Nothing to really write home about yet. Maybe that will change as I get further into it.
So, in short, the multiplicity of praise and glowing reviews all seem well founded and GoW stands to make its mark on the gaming industry this holiday season. I guess we'll wait and see what kind of long-term staying power it will have.