I think a lot of this has to do with my relative inexperience with this kind of game. I'm struggling with cover, and getting blown away time after time. I don't find the controls all that intuitive.
I played it for about two hours, with the first hour on "Hardcore" setting. Well, it suggested this setting if I knew how to make a headshot, and I do! Just not well enough, it seems... I was getting nowhere! A quick switch to casual helped matters, and I was able to see more of the game... but not enough of it for my liking.
You can't even go sightseeing without getting into bother, these days.
Still, it's a big, bold bastard of a game, with some fantastic action setpieces. I like the team dynamic a lot, too. It's just a shame that my team mates aren't able to keep me alive a bit longer!
With 2010 fast approaching, this feels like one of my more rubbish write-ups. I haven't been concentrating on the game as much as I should, with everything else that's going on. 2009 saw the blog get off to a great start, only to die off partway through the year. It's been great to get back into it, especially with the added drain on my spare time that having a new baby involves. But I expect to go strong with this in the new year, and maybe even get back to my intentional aim of revisiting earlier games. But with so much still to play, and so much still to look forward to, this blog looks set to run and run.
Worry not, Paul - I didn't get along with Gears of War either. The over-abundance of cliched testosterone coursing through this game's veins was wearying, and the five billion shades of grey (whilst being painted on some pretty models) hardly makes a pleasant visual experience.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, suggest digging someone up to play through in a co-op situation; that provided pretty much my only enjoyment from this title, hammering through the game on the hardest difficulty setting (in Morgan's wake, I embarrassingly add).
In fact, Gears is paired with AstroPop as the biggest regret on my gamercard. Pretty damning, that.
Oooh, Astropop... I own that but have never played it...
ReplyDeleteYeah, multiplayer seems to be where it's at for Gears. I might give that a blast at some point. Otherwise... no big deal, plenty of other games out there!
Not multi-player - the Gears multiplayer scene is approaching Street Fighter-ish levels of ninja-dom. There's tons of glitches that guarantee insta-death should you wander into a knowledgeable match. Co-op, however, is the one shining light.
ReplyDeleteAstroPop is annoying shit, plain and simple. An awful, clunky Match-4 game. Don't let it taint your gamercard!
Ah, of course... I forget that there's a distinction between co-op and multiplayer...
ReplyDeleteAs for Astropop... I think it's on my card already. With 0 points, though... as it was a free game, maybe I should just delete it and pretend it never existed...