A question; what makes a particular game's pre-release hype strike just the right chords to have us all quivering in anticipation? Yeah sure... so you've been there and done that - waited for a game with much impatience but invariably ending up disappointed with the final product – unfortunately, an all-too familiar experience these days. The more cynically-minded gamer would suggest the best approach is leave the excitement for the kiddies and take anything that bears the faintest touch of marketing hype or spin and play the waiting game.

such beauty unfolding...or dripping

Bugger that crap, I say. If the marketing types do their jobs right, I'm sold. Call me a creature of habit, but I know what I like and more often than not, I'm not too disappointed with the end result. So by all means, load me up with the hype and put in as much effort as possible in the sales pitch, because I know you want me, badly. By now, we've all been thoroughly saturated with Gears of War's cool TV, print or online ads, but still the same bloody question needs to be asked; does it live up to the hype or more importantly, is it worth maxing out the credit card again to get this sucker?

To help answer the question, let me re-enact Meg Ryan's famous 'When Harry Met Sally' orgasm in the café scene to help answer that question... yes, yes!, oooooh yes!! Okay, I'm done. That felt mighty fine. In case that still didn't answer the question, here's another attempt: buy the Xbox 360 if you haven't done so already, just for this game. Impressed? You're not alone. Apparently 2 million gamers worldwide are smiling and agreeing. That's some serious sales figures, in anyone's book.

The game is set on Sierra, a resource hungry world that's suddenly torn apart by the mysterious but deadly Locust Hordes. Erupting out of the ground, these creatures end up pushing humanity to the very brink of extinction. You play as a disgruntled, thick-necked fighting veteran by the name of Marcus Fenix. Unjustly incarcerated for being a coward in a previous war, you suddenly find yourself freed by an old mate and flung headlong into a world savaged by a relentless enemy. You'd be forgiven in thinking the barest effort was put into the plot, and that kind of continues throughout the game, right up until the end, where a few tasty story morsels are dropped. That said, it's the gameplay that makes this game worth its weight in gold.

Continuing with my inadvertent (orgasmic) attempt at movie referencing, think of the film 'Predator' and you'll get a fair estimation of Gears of War's aggressiveness, relentless pace and a cast of likable characters. By no means should that be taken as a negative, unless you hate the film, in which case you and I shall never be friends. In respects to the major differences within in this game compared to other shooters, the constant need for cover plus the varying attack options and camera style makes for an invigorating and fresh approach to the genre.

spot the meatheads

Firstly, there's the squad-based action, where in the later stages of the game you have the ability to hand out specific commands to the squad members. Apart from the odd pathing problem, which occasionally finds you down one member for a short time, the extra fire-power certainly becomes helpful in many situations, as are the characterisations of the brawny but brain-less crew, helping to flesh out the somewhat meagre plot (also helped along by the numerous in-game cinematics). In terms of usefulness (game progression) however, the squad-type gameplay serves up some tasty treats, in particular a section where stepping onto unlit patches of ground results in a nasty mess. Only by continuously aiming an available spotlight onto another member as they weave their way across a street can the game continue.

The control system is a breeze. Moving Marcus quickly from various forms of cover looks a treat as you run, semi-crouched, with the camera taking position from behind, shaking with his every step. It's a visual trick straight out of some war documentary and it meshes perfectly with the furious pace of the game. Once in cover, you can either aim for a better shot, fire blindly or jump out and go for the one-on-one shootout. The later option is so much less forgiving than in most other shooters, so be prepared to drop into cover at the merest hint of enemy. Changing cover spots can become tricky though, as you tend to stay glued to walls when you actually want to run or roll, commando style, to another spot close by. Swapping weapons is achieved easily enough via the directional pad – no problems there.

One of the features that stands to make this game a true classic (something that will no doubt be copied by every other shooter to come) is active reload. Hitting the reload key again, at just the right moment (taking more reflexes than I could sometimes muster) results in the fastest reload system you've ever seen as well as a decent damage boost if done correctly.

awesome looking enemies

The types of weapons available are the stock standard accompaniment of grenade launchers, sniper rifles, pistols and machine guns are available, as well as some unique weapons such as the Hammer of Dawn and the bow-like Torque Bow. Only available to use outdoors, the Hammer of Dawn works by directing a targeting laser onto an enemy, which allows a system of satellites to push down some harsh laser punishment, particularly suitable on the bigger foes. My favourite though was the assault gun with the chainsaw attachment. If an enemy happens to be close enough, let the chainsaw loose and the end result? Mere words cannot begin to describe the beauty seen on the screen. I realise the following (long) sentence might brand me as a sick bastard, but it's seriously impressive watching a Locust body being torn in two, with shreds of meat and fountains of blood flying in every direction - easily the most memorable and enjoyable melee action I've had in years.

Visually, this game is delicious. It's like nothing I've ever seen on the Xbox 360 before. Those fortunate enough to have a HD-capable setup (3-metre HD 1080i widescreen projection... sorry, had to gloat) will be lost in a breathtakingly beautiful visage of rampant destruction filled with hordes of terrifying enemies all hell-bent on your destruction. If you've been waiting for just the right moment to purchase the Xbox 360, now's the time. For the most substantial visual experience there is for the console, this is the pièce de résistance; the best of the best.

The dialogue voiced by the squad members is good the first few times heard, but shortly after becomes bloody tiresome. It won't impact on the likeability stakes of the characters, but some variation to the lines would have been a beautiful thing as the game has only a small amount of quick and incessant one-liners to draw upon. Equally annoying is the mood-breaking musical score. Sounding totally out of place, it's best to turn this sucker down or (preferably) off completely. The sound effects luckily come close behind the visuals as something stupendously beautiful. Fat, punchy explosions mixed with the roar of dying Locusts and the over-the-top grinding sound of the chainsaw chomping away on flesh will make your ears bleed. This game will beg for a decent sound setup, as you need to turn this baby up to fully appreciate it.

just another day at the job

And so we come to the multiplayer component of the game. Even though Epic has stated that Gears of Wars is primarily a single-player experience, the multiplayer side of the game by no means falls short. Via the game's very simple Xbox Live interface, players have available three unique spins on the traditional multiplayer options - Assassination, Execution and my favourite, Warzone. While the single-player experience more than alone justifies purchasing this title, it only gets better when played co-operatively with a mate. As a display of Epic's masterful expertise in all things multiplayer, co-op allows two players to play the entire campaign again but this time with the added human element. Of course, enjoying co-op mode is solely reliant on teaming up with a decent partner whose love of recklessness and stupidity in real-life doesn't carry over into the co-op mode (sigh).

At the end of the day, Gears of War is, quite literally, a line in the sand by which other 'next-gen' games should be judged by. Even though it's a tad short in the single player department, running for about 8 to 10 hours (depending on the difficulty played) this new intellectual property (always a good thing) drips testosterone in vast quantities. Cast with an engaging and likable group of meat-heads carrying big guns and bigger chips on their broad shoulders, Gears of War is a fun barrage to the senses, packing as much intense fast-paced action as you'll ever likely to need for the next several months of gaming, single player or online. It's got buckets of replay value, a host of multiplayer options that's seen it become the most popular game on Xbox Live and more importantly, it's got a massive amount of sequel potential.

If I was allowed, I'd happily give the game a 9.6. As it stands though, it's a shining 9 out of 10. In one of the best ways to close off the gaming year, I have no problems awarding Gears of War my 'Game of the Year' award