Gears of War for the Xbox360, is one of the first standout games in the Xbox360's library. In 2006 this game released to a huge reaction of positive reviews and was undoubtedly the the most played game on Xboxlive at the time. Before I start the review, I will point out this game was the reason I bought the Xbox360 and was my first game for the Console.

.doc/Story
Gears of War is set on the planet Sera, 14 years after the events of "E-Day" where the Locust emerged from under the planet and started a war, which just so happens was right after Sera ended their 79 year Pendulum War over disputes for the rights of Imulsion, a substance that could be turned into a cheap and efficient energy source. Still with me? This is just the back story from the games opening cutscene and the novel included in the special edition of the game. The game itself doesn't actually tell you any of that, actually their isn't much of a real 'story'. They just tell you 14 years ago shit happened and now some guy named Marcus Fenix, who is broken out of a prison by his best friend Dom, needs to break out, kill Locust, kill more Locust, kill General RAAM and after all that, detonate 'The Lightmass Bomb' and stop the Locust for the time being.
Whew!

The story you witness through the game feels very shallow, big guys with big guns killing aliens is what it comes down to. To get the most out of this game's story requires homework in the form of reading a book which, let's face it, majority of players won't do.

.doc//Graphics&Design
For 2006, the graphics in this game show off what the Xbox360 is capable of, even though the only colours you can see are red, black, grey, brown and blue. The design of the game is a war-torn world where nowhere is safe and the only thing that's scarier than the Locusts is not having light durring the Night. Not the most colourful game by far, but they do give the game it's feel and charm. No matter where you where in the game, it looks and feels as if you're in a hellhole of a planet.

.doc///Gameplay
Gears of War is a prime example of a duck-and-cover shooter done right. Everything feels as it should. The controls are perfect, taking cover and firing is what the firefights come down to, but it never gets boring, annoying or unnecessary throughout the game, infact it's vital to stay alive. What Epic Games (The studio which created the game) set out to do was to make a duck-and-cover third person shooter and they did an amazing job at it. Of course what may overshadow the great cover system the game has is it's signature weapon; The Chainsaw Lancer. While it may not be the most powerful or dynamic weapon in video game history, it is very efficient and nothing is more satisfying than sawing through your enemies. There isn't much to complain about in Gears of War.

The campaign and any major bugs in the game were patched before I played it. Not being able to kill enemies who are using the chainsaw on someone is irritating, but very rarely has there been something that has taken me out of the game or soiled the experience.

.doc////Online
If you're finished with the campaign or you're not a campaign kind of person, have no worries. Gears of War is one of the best online experiences on the Xbox360 to this day! There isn't much variety is the game types and there aren't many maps. But for what it is, it'sdone right. Though it's very difficult to 'review' a game's online, I find it fun, fast and exciting, but online experiences are different for everyone, so if anything, try it yourself.

.doc/////Final-Thoughts_Mustplay/Give-it-a-try/Save-your-time-and-money
Gears of War is a game comes down to either you like it, or you don't. For what it is, it does everything right. Controls are smooth, and it's not a chore to playthrough. In my opinion this game is a great edition to anyones library, as long as they enjoy it.

.doc//Virdict_:Mustplay



So? How was my first full review? Feedback please.