All Geared Up!

Tomorrow will mark the one week anniversary of the release of Gears of War 2. It's a hallmark event. I'm so in love with this freaking game I think I might pick up flowers on the way home tomorrow and give them to it. But before I get into the game and my ridiculous obsession with it, let me first back up by telling you about it.

Gears of War plays like a modified first person shooter. You spend most of the time running around in a third person perspective (camera behind the main character), but when you get into combat you can zoom into a first person perspective (camera inside the main character's head) for more accurate shooting. This whole process works very smoothly. This of this game like a brother to Halo 3. And if Halo 3 is the honor student of the family going to an Ivy League college, then Gears of War is the older badder brother who joined a motorcycle gang that runs guns to Mexico.

Make no mistake, this game is not for the kiddies. It's for all of the 30 year old kids out there who still get a kick out of ridiculous violence.

The story is basic, but it works well. There are a bunch of monsters called Locust that come from underground and are wiping out humanity. You play a bad ass named Marcus Fenix who is a cross between John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and The Rock. He fights in the army and is a one man wrecking crew. The story is about the humans taking the fight to the Locust and there are cool plot twists and enough story to keep you interested throughout the game.

But the true joy of the game is the combat itself. It plays almost exactly like the first game where you have to hide "in cover" behind walls and debris to protect yourself from enemy fire. And there will be plenty of enemy fire. There are a lot of enemies and they are all tougher and smarter than the first game. The weapons you get to defeat them vary from flamethrowers to grenades, and from bow and arrows to sniper rifles. Of course the star of the show is the main weapon which is called the Lancer. It's a heavy machine gun with a chainsaw for a bayonet. If an enemy gets too close then just rev that baby up and cut the guy in half.

I've played the game about half way through the story mode, and it's very well done. The game does a great job of pulling you in and out of the game and into cinematics very well. You feel from the very beginning that you are in for one hell of a highly produced ride, and it doesn't disappoint. The characters and voice acting is great. And the visuals of the game are of course some of the best on the system. But the bottom line is the game is just a ton of fun to play.

Oh and there's the online multiplayer, which is just as much fun if not more so than the story line. Playing online actually takes some real strategy. You just can't run around and shoot everything that moves or you will die a quick gruesome death. They've added plenty of new modes and each of them is excellent.

I actually picked up the Limited Edition version of the game. It's $10 more and comes with some fun features like a behind the scenes disk and picture book. But to be honest, I spent the extra ten bucks for the bigger box. This game is excellent and deserves the extra recognition on my shelf with my other games. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a great game, but it's no Gears of War 2, and no one walking into my house should ever confuse the two, and thanks to this box, no one ever will.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year-old Gamer

Politics and Video Games

Today is Election Day for this great country of ours and it's a day that I've always enjoyed. It's a day where as Americans we put our voices to work and we show the entire world it is possible for us to elect a leader without bloodshed. It's truly a time where we can be proud to be an American and I hope all of you out there do go out and vote today. Now, I'm not here to talk about politics, and that's a good thing. There are enough of those people out there. I'm here to talk about video games. However, it is possible to talk about both.

Now video games are not a major political issue, nor should they be. There are plenty of other issues that are facing the world that are just a bit more important. However, the major issues that are facing the world do affect the world of video game directly. Specifically, the economic crisis that is facing the nation.

Right now it can be said that we are in the middle of a recession. The only question is whether it will be a minor or major one. Regardless of the answer, the impacts will directly affect the video game world. It can be said that independent smaller companies have created some of the best original video games ever. Whether it was Goldeneye created by Rare, Half-Life created by Valve, or Grand Theft Auto created by Take Two, it is the independent creative smaller developers that have led to some of the most break through video games we enjoy.

However, in this current economic crisis, it's these companies that are most at risk. It costs a lot of money to develop a video game. There development and production costs, as well as marketing and distribution costs. If a game is not completely proven with an embedded customer fan base, it may have a hard time securing financing for development. That leaves these smaller companies out in the cold.

Looking toward next year specifically, I feel that we will see more and more big company video games. It will be more Electronic Arts and Activision. It will be more Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles and spin offs. It will be more Madden and NFL Head Coach. And if it doesn't turn around quickly expect to see titles like Halo: The Early Master Chief Years and Gears of War: The Cole Train Chronicles. It will be more retread of old games than anything you've ever seen.

So whoever gets elected today, listen closely to their policies to help the smaller and mid-size companies. If these companies don't receive some relief, the next 18 months could be some real bad times in the video game industry.

Until next time,

- The 30 Year Old Gamer