I haven't played Gears of War since it came out in 2006, but it's a game I remembered loving at the time, and a game I would probably consider one of the best Xbox 360 exclusives. But looking back at the beginning of this franchise, my opinions seem to have been based on not only what would come in the next two games, but my the beautiful trailer for the game, set to Gary Jules' "Mad World."
I've always considered this series to be more emotionally substantive than other franchises, a shooter with distinct and powerful character motivations. Some are driven by love, some are simply driven by anger at what their world has become. Yet even though that trailer hints that this is what this game is, I had completely forgotten than Gears of War doesn't start at that point, but rather builds up to that through the rest of the original trilogy.
When I played Gears of War: Judgment, I was disappointed at the run-and-gun, fly through each level style that the game pushed, but now that I've replayed Gears of War, I now realize that was more of a return to the series' origins. For years, I've lifted this first title up because of its strong narrative, when it actuality, there's not much to this story yet. There are giant monsters and the humans have to fight those monsters. Nothing emotional, nothing moving, just aim and shoot.
And there's nothing wrong with Gears of War doing just that when it does that so well. I never quite got into Halo because the characters and their weaponry always felt too light for my taste, but Gears of War is the exact opposite. Every character has weight to them. When you run, you can feel how hard it is to move a huge character when they're running at full speed.
It's these game mechanics that really impressed me this time around. Simple actions like reloading, again, are given a weight and importance that I still don't see often in games, and waiting too long can mean life or death. I always forget how Gears of War plays differently than other shooter franchises, and I learn by frequent deaths early on. I can't just get close to an enemy and blow them away, I have to be careful and stealthy. I have to hide in cover - a massive revelation for a shooter back in 2006 - and find the right moment to attack. I've also always held this franchise up because at times, this feels like the thinking man's shooter. Especially the few times when I've played this in multiplayer, I loved the feeling that I could just hide for minutes at a time and wait for my opportunity. This game allows you to take your time and plan your attack in a way I don't feel with most shooters.
I'm also impressed with how well this game still plays fourteen years later, and it still looks relatively decent. But still, it's those revolutionary mechanics that haven't dated themselves in the slightest which still makes this an extremely playable game.
I am slightly disappointed that this isn't the game I've held to such high standards for years, but at the same time, I didn't mind that there's not a strong narrative, because I know that's coming in the near future. Instead, Gears of War presents itself with confidence and groundbreaking action that still stands out today. The mad world is already in place, now all this needs to become great is the narrative to back that up.
