FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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Wed, 1st Nov 2006
FYI, this story is more than a year old

This is the first game developed by Epic Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 – and if this is a sign of things to come you can expect great things from Epic in the future. Gears of War thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Everything in Gears is a sight to behold, from the run-down post apocalyptic architecture of the world through to the detailed character renders and lighting effects. This is what next-gen gaming is all about.The game plays as a third-person tactical action/horror game where you take the role of Marcus Fenix. A disgraced former war hero, Marcus seeks personal redemption as he leads his fire team of “Gears” against an onslaught of merciless warriors from the depths. The experience is honestly so intensely emotional and gut-wrenching that you will be on the edge of your seat (and this is from a guy so manly that he fights pirates and lumberjacks in his spare-time).This is mainly due to the breathtaking Unreal Engine 3 that can create cinematic, high-definition visuals – like the beautifully rendered environments and characters so lifelike they appear to be made of flesh and bone. The next-generation visuals create a world in which the tiniest detail is vivid in the largest battle. Add to this a thought-compelling storyline and a revolutionary tactical combat system – you have one of the best games of the year.