Gears of War 1 Review: The start of something unique

Being one of the main reasons for the Xbox 360 having 512Mb of RAM, as opposed to its originally planned 256Mb, Gears of War not only helped pave the way for other videogame developers with more powerful hardware to utilise, but it created a truly unique shooter with its cover-based mechanics and heavy focus on gore. While the first Gears of War was released on PC, it remained the only until Gears of War 4 with the release of Windows 10 and the not-so-great Windows Store.

With its campaign mode infamous for its self-described Insane difficulty, Gears of War prides itself in refining the player, preparing them for the strategic gameplay that awaits within the multiplayer. That said, Gears of War's campaign isn't just there for a bit of practice, it holds an incredibly unique, and purposely over-exaggerated set of characters and narrative, engrossing and lovable, and most importantly: highly memorable.

Its narrative follows Marcus Fenix, part of the Coalition of Ordered Governments set to attempt to destroy the Locus Horde, which are on the winning side of a massive world-wide war. Their numbers low, and their weapons seemingly inferior in comparison to the giant, armoured creatures, Marcus Fenix is one of many soldiers fighting with all that remains in order to save humanity from extinction.

Despite the characters being big, strong, and seemingly-invulnerable, they're very much emotional, which is evident in the character development and snippets of dialogue throughout. The game never forgets to remind you what these characters are fighting for, regardless of how tough their exteriors. They're each carrying their own weight; the weight of lost loved ones, or those who they hope to regain contact with once the war is won.

Gameplay consists mostly of adapting to the environments, using a wide variety of weapons depending on the circumstances and ensuring you have strategic cover over the enemies. Often enough, there's a plethora of enemies spawning, ensuring that you move frequently and are never under a situation in which the game is holding your hand. It's refreshing and has your feeling as if you're never really in control of the situation, and are quite literally the last remaining fight for humanity.