Has Gears of War killed reviewing 360 games?

[HotFish]

To be honest I only think GoW is okay. Yes it looks nice and has some nice touches, but a the bottom of it all it's just an open the door, clear the room, save the world typical run of the mill game. It reminds me a bit of (style wise) Resident Evil on the GameCube. Lovely backdrops, only the overall game was spolied by the linear gameplay. But GoW scored great reviews, best game ever stamp of approval etc etc

I was looking at reviews around the time of it's release and after and i noticed that games really got low scores. I mean i never take an intrest myself and buy games that i want to play, but to those that do it has runied some sales. For example - i bought Eragon having watched and liked the film. The game was given scores as low as 3/10. Personally, i dont think it was that bad, yes it wasnt the greatest of looking games (bar the backgrounds which looked like painting's really nice aswell) but it wasnt bad to play..ie go into a room, kill a few people, open a door.

Then i go out an get Bionicle Heroes (traded in Eragon as i clocked it - twice!). Not a bad game. This is a go into a room, kill a few people, open a door game - which got low scores aswell 4/10 -2/5's etc. To be honest it's like a kids version of GoW meets old skool shooter in my eyes.

Phantasy Star Universe was given terrible scores, this game is great. Yes it isnt a looker in such (it isnt bad) but it's got a great story, brilliant music and decent gameplay - gameplay that last's 30hrs plus story, again plus more in extra mode and as longer as the server goes in multiplayer.

Is this just me or does anyone else agree? Is it the case magazines and lot of people comparing every game to GoW from now on? People are starting to hate it as the update has addressed the issues they loved. I havent put a poll in as i kind of alreadly know the answer - well it is a game for the masses. Speaking of masses - let's see what they say about Mass Effect - which in my opinion will blow everything away.

cya's
:)

[damien©]

I never comapre games to Gears of War, to me Gears of War was a good game but instead of building a great game there building a great sequel or trilogy.

So althought Gears is good, in my mind it's just no good enough compared to all the attention it gets and I never look at a game and go "Yea but whats it like compared to Gears..."

Gears of War lacks in the Mulitplayer area, the Max Numbers is not enough, the game modes are to simplistic, there's not enough games modes. So all in all forget Gears there is other good games out there...like Rainbow Six Vegas

[Truplaya83]

im in the the mind that GoW is the best game ever. And it is hard for other games to compare, coz they just arent as good, R6 included.

I think it is a good thing for gmes ingeneral, because it will push game makers to make their games better. I think Bugie will have to make Halo3 look close to GoW's graphics now, and i dont think it was gonna be close.

[Ryan]

I never comapre games to Gears of War, to me Gears of War was a good game but instead of building a great game there building a great sequel or trilogy.

So althought Gears is good, in my mind it's just no good enough compared to all the attention it gets and I never look at a game and go "Yea but whats it like compared to Gears..."

Gears of War lacks in the Mulitplayer area, the Max Numbers is not enough, the game modes are to simplistic, there's not enough games modes. So all in all forget Gears there is other good games out there...like Rainbow Six Vegas

Totally agree :)

[Shoitaan]

im in the the mind that GoW is the best game ever. And it is hard for other games to compare, coz they just arent as good, R6 included.

Totally Agree

@OP: And yeah GoW is gonna be brought for review comparisons for quite a few 360 games now but whats new about that? Every console fps before this got compared to Halo. All MMO's from its release and for a long time to come most like will get compared to World of Warcraft.
Every now and then a game comes by that sends the standard for the genre and then its up to the rest of the market to try and keep their standards up.
Just because you didn't find it as stunning as most people did doesn't take away any of GoW's achievement in terms of graphics, gameplay, atmosphere and of course.. sales :)
It set the bar, now people either jump higher or get injured.

As for the games you mentioned.. Eragon got trashed because frankly.. it deserves to be trashed. I've seen it played and I almost threw up. To say the graphics aren't great would be an understatement. As I said, the bar for graphics has been set and you now have to aim to be close to that bar, but Eragon wasn't anywhere near. The textures were worse than stuff I'd expect from the PS2 - maybe too harsh? The quality is certainly around there.

Haven't played or seen bionicle

I played the PSU online beta and I found it to be terrible. Its not about the graphics, its the gameplay. I was apalled and put little more than 2 hours into it. All mmo's have a dull start but good god.

Its a personal thing it seems, you can't click with GoW and I can't click with what you mentioned. But it seems most people have clicked with GoW and as I mentioned have noted the high standards of gameplay and graphics and so it rightly sets certain standards for the new generation of action/fps games. I'm hoping Mass Effect will set the bar for RPGs. Time will tell.

As for open door, clear room, move on... thats kind of the basics of FPS games.. not really an FPS shooter without that stuff. The only games that differed were Dues Ex, System Shock and the upcoming Bioshock.

Nearly all FPS games are like that.. that is an fps. Look at Half Life 2, the leader of PC FPS titles. The only difference is technically the gravity gun (environmental interactivity), apart from that its a standard fps game with fancy physics. Open door, kill mobs, move on... welcome to fps's!
The improvements in gameplay in GoW comes from the obscenely heavy need for cover and the active reload which makes a world of difference in combat if you get a perfect reload, and of course.. the brutal AI.




I'm a bit tired atm so that may have come off a bit rambly and nonsensical

[HotFish]

It's good that some have said it's the greatest or it's is good but there's better for x reason, but i asked the question not as if would you, i was/meant are magazines going to make GoW the bench mark on how games are set and if it doesnt look as good, or well you carn't run here or cover there then it aint GoW and we'll mark it down. Most magazines are poo anyway with their reviews, i was asking if they spend so many months comparing a game say like Lost Planet which was the bees knees only a few months back - only to be now or yeah just good but not as good as GoW. It's a case of they forget what they said or is it?

Having said that i havent played Lost Planet yet - it is due in the post in the next couple of days - so i carnt say yes it's better or worse.

I only used the previous examples as they were in the same edition of serveral magazines in one page reviews, whereas GoW had on average 5 pages but everyone knew what it was like - which what can you tell the reader in one page with pictures other than it's poor it looks worse and it's not good. I have had/played all 3 and only one in my opinion is better than GoW and that's Phantasy Star because im a fan - just like a lot of you's now are GoW fans.

[Tobes]

I tend to only review a game based on it's previous game. If its new IP game I will judge it based on the game. I will never review a game and say "It's not GoW".

Then again I don't think GoW is all that great. Looks awesome but single player story was like Halo 2 and the lobby is very very poor.

[Joe]

I rented gow, it's not that great. Graphics are good but online and the story is pants.

[Swifty]

The story is really quite immersive, at the end I was wanting more which the first game in the trilogy should do... and online is great fun Joe

but the patch is perfect... I hate having to be on the team of idiots who quit after 10 seconds cause they got tagged and the other team all have TRS or whatever at the start of there name...

[JoshD182]

Gears of War totally spoilt R6 Vegas for me, as i felt it just didn't match up with the standard GoW has set. the main two games in my drive now are either GoW or Viva Piniata, which is extremly fun and addictive IMO. totally overshadowed by many other games.
Bionicle looks like a good game, which was let down by poor reviews but after what has been said in above posts i might get it on friday when i get lost planet.
I hope GoW doesn't spoil anymore games for me!!

[Swifty]

pffffffffft R6:Vegas is better than GoW in my eyes without a shadow of a doubt, forget the graphics it is plain and simply a hell of a lot more fun

[Joe]

The story is really quite immersive, at the end I was wanting more which the first game in the trilogy should do... and online is great fun Joe

but the patch is perfect... I hate having to be on the team of idiots who quit after 10 seconds cause they got tagged and the other team all have TRS or whatever at the start of there name...
O well, I didn't like it.

[bingo83]

GoW was good but not great. I havent played it in months after seeing my brother complete it. However MS say that they have sold 2.7 million copies of it in 8 weeks.

Its a great Demo title to put on when showing off the power of the 360.

I will return to it when I can but there are a few games in line first. R6V being at the front of the queue.

[Raisedbyflames]

its good but its not the next half life

[JoshD182]

I think as a franchise, it may get bigger than half-life, does anyone agree?

[padds78]

The story is really quite immersive, at the end I was wanting more which the first game in the trilogy should do... and online is great fun

My sentiments exactly at the end i was left wanting more and the online for me is great fun. GOW is one of the best games ive got but not the best game ever.

[Tobes]

I think as a franchise, it may get bigger than half-life, does anyone agree?
No way, will never ever happen. Halo 3 will be bigger and better than GoW without a shadow of a doubt. Halo franchise is not as big as HL. What I am saying it HL owns.

[mitchw01]

Gears fo War is just like Halo was for the original xbox. Its what game will be remembered when people talk about the 360.
It is a good game no doubt but there will be many games out better but will not get the same recognition.
I buy games if they look good to play and are of any interesting(and if i have the moolah)
I dont buy because of reviews.
lokk at pd zero it got 9.2 i think.
I will never get this game ever as it doesnt look any fun a bit like timeshift.
The game i want is alan wake.

[Tobes]

Gears fo War is just like Halo was for the original xbox. Its what game will be remembered when people talk about the 360.
It is a good game no doubt but there will be many games out better but will not get the same recognition.
This is what I do not get. Do people forget Halo 3 is coming? I'm no Halo fanboy but GoW is not the 360s "killer game". IMO Xbox is Halo. Just like 360 is going to be Halo 3. Anyway this is all IMO :p

[Raide]

It is difficult to review a game and not look at Gears and moan about the graphics. I do find myself reviewing something and saying "Hrmm...not a good looking as gears" or "Gears did this better" I know it is bad to compare games to each other but in this Next-Gen age, it is difficult not to.

Think about it this way, every PC MMO game that comes out instantly gets viewed against WoW, it happens on non MMO games too. Some games have not sold as well because people are playing WoW so much! Gears is the same. When Lost Planet comes out I am sure people will look at it and compare it to Gears.

I try not to compare games too much but sometimes it is difficult not to. Most RPG's get the Final Fantasy Treatment, most car games get the GT4, etc etc. Halo 3 is so going to get Gears treatment as well. Hopefully that will make people work a bit harder to impress. Then we have the Gears sequels at some point *laughs*

I did the review for PSU and I am a PSO fanatic. Loved it on the DC but this version did not grab me as much. I know the game was huge, bigger and better than PSO but things have moved on so much since PSO came along. We expect more from our online games and also games on the 360. The game is not rubbish, just not great. It is average in my eyes, even me being a fan of the previous games. Sega could have done more to impress, but that does seem to be Sega currently.

[Truplaya83]

I think GoW is what the 360 will be remembered for. I might be the only person that doesnt think the Halo series is that hot, and im looking forward to HL2, Chapter 2 a lot more. Halo 3 wont look as good as GoW, and i dont think it will be as good, IMO.

Halo was only good online, the story mode was rubbish in my opinion. And even then it got ruined by cheaters, little kids shouting and contant trash talk.
(ok, GoW does have trash talk and the occasional little kid).

Anyway, there's many other games im looking forward too in 2007 over Halo3.

GTA4, HL2 chapter 2 and Unreal Tournament i want more than Halo3. Sorry Halo fanboys.

[HotFish]

It is difficult to review a game and not look at Gears and moan about the graphics. I do find myself reviewing something and saying "Hrmm...not a good looking as gears" or "Gears did this better" I know it is bad to compare games to each other but in this Next-Gen age, it is difficult not to.

Think about it this way, every PC MMO game that comes out instantly gets viewed against WoW, it happens on non MMO games too. Some games have not sold as well because people are playing WoW so much! Gears is the same. When Lost Planet comes out I am sure people will look at it and compare it to Gears.

Thanks- that is the answer i was looking for really

I think GoW is what the 360 will be remembered for. I might be the only person that doesnt think the Halo series is that hot, and im looking forward to HL2, Chapter 2 a lot more. Halo 3 wont look as good as GoW, and i dont think it will be as good, IMO.


Suprise suprise i'm not a massive Halo fan - yes i do enjoy them but i'm not waiting for it. And i have never played it across live - too many bad things said about it.

cya's

[Shoitaan]

Think about it this way, every PC MMO game that comes out instantly gets viewed against WoW, it happens on non MMO games too. Some games have not sold as well because people are playing WoW so much! Gears is the same. When Lost Planet comes out I am sure people will look at it and compare it to Gears.

I try not to compare games too much but sometimes it is difficult not to. Most RPG's get the Final Fantasy Treatment, most car games get the GT4, etc etc. Halo 3 is so going to get Gears treatment as well. Hopefully that will make people work a bit harder to impress. Then we have the Gears sequels at some point *laughs*


Very close to what I said in my first paragraph - although mine was propably more rambly.
There's some games that just set the bar for the rest of the genre... GoW isn't the first to do it and it certainly won't be the last.




I do think that the XBOX was about Halo with co-starring roles (minor parts) from Ninja gaiden and some games also available on PC (Fable, KOTOR) but I strongly disagree with any thought that Halo 3 will 'establish' the 360. I'm in the dark about what Halo 3 will be like - just like everyone else. But from what I've been hearing I don't think it'll be that much of a change gameplay wise from Halo 2. This is good for Halo fans and bad for some others who may expect improvements or innovations in gameplay (me). Add to that the superb range of games that are on the horizon for the XBOX360 and you have at least this person saying "no, Halo won't make the 360. There's about 10 games that will"