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Gamasutra's Quantum Leap Awards: Most Important Games, 2006 3. Epic's Gears of War (Xbox 360)
By deriving from the classical first-person shooter into a new sub-genre, by virtue of its excellent art direction and execution, and by first showing what the next-gen is really about, I think Gears of War deserves the GOTY title for 2006. An Anonymous Reader
Epic’s manly muscle-fest is a solid first step into next-gen gameplay, and as such, warrants a spot on the top of the heap this year. The visuals can’t be denied, as the game has the best graphics, from a detail standpoint, of any released so far. Many laud the game’s cover-based gameplay as indicative of next-gen sensibilities, and indeed it adds a nice element of depth to the experience. It does, however, also make the game difficult to pick up and play for casual users, so unlike the Halos of our era, Gears of War focuses on the hardcore players. I’m personally most fond of the game’s cooperative play – the most fully-realized truly cooperative action experience in games since the days of 2D beat ‘em ups – Double Dragon and their ilk. The game was heavily inspired by Resident Evil 4, so it’s tough to call the game a quantum leap by its own merits, but it does a good job of moving the horror-action genre further into the action camp, with some frantic gun battles, and a sense of real collaboration with your partner, especially in the higher difficulty settings. Ultimately Gears of War is a satisfying experience, and it may take some time before the game’s graphical detail and complexity is bested on any platform. Brandon Sheffield, Features Editor, Game Developer magazine |
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