Halo: Combat Evolved was Microsoft’s killer app for the original Xbox. It somehow became the magical, revolutionary piece of software that justified the entire existence of an otherwise questionable platform. Microsoft would later make another dubious choice by jumping into the seventh console generation almost exactly one full year before its competitors, and, personally, I’d argue that this decision didn’t pay off until the launch of Epic’s Gears of War. In fact, from a purely anecdotal standpoint, I can’t recall hearing of a single prior 360 title that really wowed audiences. Halo and Gears: both will forever be linked by their astonishing success as exclusives on unproved systems.
What I’m trying to say is, Gears of War‘s an important game. The strength of its cover implementation practically birthed a new genre. Not unlike the way Halo: Combat Evolved managed to port something new and different from the PC to the TV.
Of course, otherwise, the two series are pretty different; while the Halo titles represent the seminal console first-person shooters, the Gears games are known for popularizing third-person shooting. Rather than seeing through the eyes of the avatar, players view the action from an over-the-shoulder perspective. This encourages a more protective style of play in keeping with the emphasis on cover and strategic movement.
Come to think of it, ALL Gears of War verbage serves to remind players that cover is the core idea. This extends right down to the way you ambulate — protagonist Marcus Fenix is a lumbering behemoth of a man in part because Gears‘ designers want you to rely on getting him behind cover rather than gracefully strafing your way between bullets. Even that terrible grenade mechanic, which has you stand up to swing the explosive like a ball and chain, is meant to highlight your relative safety in cover. It’s a lousy conceit (how fucking heavy could those things possibly be?), but, at the same time, the developers do a great job of keeping your mind on what makes their game unique. By having Fenix pop over or lean out, exposed to gunfire and torque bow bolts, you’re forced to appreciate his freedom of movement and resultant options.
Marching Marcus Fenix straight to the enemy never works in the Gears universe…it’s much smarter to “roadie run” from one location to another until you’re in range or there’s a superior angle. And all this comparatively methodical movement only serves to underscore the game’s aforementioned brilliant avoidance system. So here’s one to try…if you can drag it into the open long enough to take it for a ride.
Tags: Bungie, Cliff Bleszinski, Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Halo, Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft Game Studios
