Gears of War

Pro-G (10 out of 10)

We had a bit of a discussion here in the office about whether Gears on PC deserves a 10 like the 360 version. We thought about dropping it down to a nine because the wow factor is somewhat reduced. But we thought better of it - the 360 game's soul shines just as bright now as it did a year ago, and so the PC version, with its improved visuals, lengthened campaign, more multiplayer maps and a game editor at least matches it, and perhaps even exceeds it. 360 owners might not be as interested as PC-only gamers will be, but that doesn't stop Gears from being one of the best games ever made. Buy the game and experience it for yourself, if for nothing more than to see why 360-owners say the Lancer/chainsaw is one of the best videogame weapons ever.

YouGamers (95 out of 100)

If you missed the phenomenon on the Xbox 360 last year (or even if you didn't), you owe it to yourself to give Gears of War a run-through on the PC. It's the same great-looking, fast-paced, fun-to-play game, only with an extended story and higher-resolution visuals. That the experience is better on a PC is only natural, given that mouse-and-keyboard controls are the heart of any honest shooter. What are you waiting for, Epic? Give us Gears of War 2. Now.

Game Freaks 365 (9.5 out of 10)

Overall, Gears of War for the PC is one heck of a value on one heck of a game. You get more single-player, more multi-player, and the power to create your own, all for less than the current price of the 360 version. It has some slight flaws, but at the end of the day, this is one of the best packages you can buy for your PC, and still looks like brand new even a year after its original release. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Gears of War for the PC.

Worth Playing (9.4 out of 10)

Ultimately, Gears of War does well to overcome its status as a console port. The title adapts to mouse and keyboard controls flawlessly, handles multiplayer better than the original, and it retains the same level of quality that made the game such a smash hit with its initial release on the Xbox 360. The new content, such as additional levels, help extend the campaign experience, but one of the biggest strengths of the PC as a platform is that of the customization options that stem from the bundled editor. Assuming you have a PC that meets the recommended requirements, Gears of War is simply as stellar a title as it ever was, only now it makes nearly full use of the strengths that only the PC platform can provide.

GameZone (9.3 out of 10)

Gears of War on the PC is still the same ground breaking game it was a year ago just now on the PC. The same innovative gameplay and breathtaking events are included along with five new campaign levels exclusive to the PC. Online multiplayer is a treat with all of the online co-op for the campaign mode plus all of the maps from the 360 version plus three new maps. If you’ve never played Gears of War before then you owe it to yourself to play the game.

Atomic Gamer (91 out of 100)

Despite some complaints with the multiplayer mode and Windows Live quibbles, Gears of War is still a damn fine PC port of an excellent action game. It even includes a level editor so aspiring mod-makers can start fiddling with all kinds of custom content, and with all of the multiplayer maps and an extended campaign, it's hard to go wrong here. Sure, many of the problems of the original game are still here, like the strangely incomplete narrative and satisfying but confusing ending, but you will have a hard time caring when your assault rifle's attached chainsaw is ripping a Locust soldier into several pieces.

Fragland.net (90.5 out of 100)

In short, this game is just simply a must-have for anyone who hasn't played this game before. I even think that some hardcore fans of the series will buy this one, just for that one fight with the Brumak. So did it lose it's edge? Well, the answer to that is no, which really says it all.

GameSpy ( )

In fact, everything about the game's presentation is top-notch, from the washed-out stylized art design to the feature-film level soundtrack that pounds away from start to finish. And that's really what Gears is all about: it's a slick, polished action film that you happen to play on your PC. If you're looking for a shooter with a smart take on combat, Gears will get your wheels turning.

Game Chronicles (9 out of 10)

Gears of War is an awesome science fiction themed first person shooter from the great game making team of Epic games and Microsoft Game Studios. The fact that it takes place in the future I guess makes it a Sci-Fi themed shooter but you will not be seeing all kinds of futuristic weaponry of alien origin here, just lots of ugly aliens.

GameSpot (9 out of 10)

With a great loadout of weapons, a healthy multiplayer package, and an action-packed story mode, Gears of War is a terrific action game that, even after a full year, still stands apart from the pack. Whether you're a superfan of the first game who is looking for some additional content, or a PC buff who's been wondering what the console kids have been up to, Gears of War on the PC is most definitely worth your time and money.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (9 out of 10)

With all that said, Gears of War remains a triumph. It is an almost relentless march of unpretentious, cartoon violence that serves as a satisfyingly brainless alternative to the complexity of its contemporaries. Whether played alone or with a friend, it's essential gaming - different enough to defy direct comparison, and versatile enough in what it attempts to sustain an otherwise predictable campaign. While other games lurk unconvincingly in the shadows of action cinema, desperate to be counted alongside the films they pillage, Gears achieves all their strengths - gratifying spectacle, comic violence and rugged activity - by concentrating on what makes the best games work: simplicity, skill, and more than a little bit of absurdity.

Maximum PC (9 out of 10)

Ultimately, the PC extras aren’t enticing enough for someone who’s played the Xbox version to rebuy the game. But for those who’ve held out on selling out, Gears of War on the PC is an astounding action game that shouldn’t be missed.

GameSpot (Belgium/Netherlands) (90 out of 100)

Met geweldige wapens, een stevig multiplayerpakket en een intense story mode is Gears of War ook op deze late pc versie nog een actiegame dat tot te top van het schootergenre gerekend mag worden. Voor fans van het origineel die het voor die extra inhoud doen, maar meer nog voor pc gamers die eindelijk willen weten waar hun consoletegenhangers destijds zo gek over deden.

UOL Jogos ( )

"Gears of War" chega com atraso no PC, mas ainda se mantém relevante com sua ação intensa, gráficos de primeira e um herói que definitivamente tem carisma. Com algumas adições interessantes, esta é a versão definitiva do novo clássico, ainda que elas não sejam assim tão revolucionárias a ponto de fazer com que aqueles que já têm a versão do 360 comprarem o jogo novamente. O modo multiplayer com integração com a rede Xbox Live tem seus inconvenientes mas, uma vez ultrapassados, proporciona incontáveis horas de diversão com qualidade.

Meristation (9 out of 10)

Su jugabilidad rabiosamente divertida y su acabado técnico sobresaliente le hicieron uno de los primeros juegos en ser llamado verdaderamente de nueva generación.

Gamereactor (Denmark) (9 out of 10)

Dem af jer, der savlede over konsolversionen, vil nok blive en smule misundelige, når jeg nu siger, at PC-ejerne får en hel del mere indhold til knapt så mange penge. Akt 5 er blevet udvidet med godt og vel fem nye kapitler, så du starter ikke direkte på togstationen og kæmper dig frem mod RAAM, nej, du får hele historien og eventyret bag. Dette betyder blandt andet, at du får lov til at kæmpe mod den store, grumme brumak, som du aldrig fik lov til i konsolversionen. Og uden at afsløre for meget, kan jeg vel godt lige sige, at du sent kommer til at glemme dette møde. Glæd dig, ville vel næppe være passende at sige. Pas på - ja, det er straks mere fyldestgørende.

ActionTrip (89 out of 100)

In closing, I have to say I quite enjoyed replaying Gears of War on the PC. The performance is excellent, the crispy-clean 1600x1200 resolution certainly helped and the controls feel a lot more natural on the PC. (I know, an unusual thing to say about a port, but there you have it.) For the people who have already finished the 360 version, however, I don't quite think the added content should be reason enough to buy the game, but, certainly, if you are yet to play Gears of War, you can't go wrong by picking up the PC game. In fact, I recommend it over the 360 version.

Game Informer Magazine (8.75 out of 10)

Ultimately, it's pretty simple: you should play Gears of Wards, and if you can only do that on PC, go for it. Otherwise, go on with your gaming life and hope Microsoft releases the Brumak mission on Xbox Live.

GameStar (Italy) (87 out of 100)

Gears of War: quando la fama di un gioco lo precede di molto, come in questo caso, le aspettative non possono che essere elevate. Peccato che la nostra trepidazione si sia infranta contro l’ingordigia di un gioco che per permetterci di giocare degnamente ci obbliga a rivedere buona parte della nostra configurazione hardware. I requisiti minimi infatti sono piuttosto elevati, se consideriamo che Gears of War gira al minimo dei dettagli, maluccio perfino, su una configurazione che riesce a sostenere il peso della maggioranza di giochi anche recenti impostati su un buon livello qualitativo.

IGN (8.7 out of 10)

Epic's year-old action beast proves just as enjoyable on PC as it was on Xbox 360. The mouse and keyboard allow for more precise control, and the graphics have been improved as well. With the additional single-player content, King of the Hill multiplayer mode, extra maps, and a map editor, Gears offers an even more impressive feature set than before. Even with all its improvements, though, Gears suffers from an occasionally aggravating cover and sprint system, and sets its action atop a rickety narrative foundation with cookie-cutter action heroes. Still, it's an undeniably entertaining experience, and one you should definitely consider if you missed the Xbox 360 version.

V2.fi (87 out of 100)

Yksinpelinäkin GoW on kokeilemisen arvoinen, jos konsoliversio on jäänyt väliin. Tunnelisirkan vatsanpeitteitä kutkutteleva sahanterä on yksi tyydyttävimmistä aseista ikinä, ja Unreal Engine 3 tuottaa vaikuttavan näköisiä ympäristöjä. Kenttäsuunnittelu on tuttua kummitusjunaa, jossa pientä erikoisuutta tuovat suojan käyttö ja rajoitetut selustaan koukkaamiset. Tiukka skriptaus ja välinäytökset tuovat elokuvamaista eeppisyyttä taistoon. Yksinpeli-Gears on silti aika lailla yhden tempun poni, eikä jälleenpeluuarvo ole kovin korkealla. Moninpelinä X360-versio on ollut hyvin suosittu, mutta verkkopelaamisen maksullisuus ei PC:llä lupaa hyvää peliseuran löytämisen kannalta.

Bonusweb (87 out of 100)

Tak co, děti, líbí se vám to? Doufáme, že ano, ale na závěr si to pro jistotu trochu shrňme. Gears of War je skvěle hratelnou akční střílečkou z pohledu třetí osoby postavenou na posední generaci Unreal enginu, díky čemuž je garantovaná fascinující audiovizuální stránka s parádním designem. Už se nedivíme, že to byl na Xboxu 360 před rokem takový hit, na PC to zcela jistě nedopadne jinak.

Gameplay (Benelux) (86 out of 100)

Enkele minpuntjes ten spijt is Gears of War een regelrechte must-have voor liefhebbers van third person knalplezier.

GameStar (Germany) (86 out of 100)

Gears of War ist einfach verdammt cool. Die Kameraführung, die düstere Atmosphäre, die lässigen Charaktere und die neuartige Spielmechanik verdichten sich zu einem einzigartigem Erlebnis, wie ich es selten erlebt habe. Bei der Umsetzung von der Xbox haben die Entwickler zudem alles richtig gemacht. Die Steuerung mit Tastatur und Maus funktioniert tadellos und die Grafik sieht schöner aus als je zuvor. Durch die zusätzlichen Inhalte wie die neuen Missionen und den Level-Editor gefällt mir das Spiel auf dem PC sogar noch besser. Action-Freunde die sich nicht an der blutigen Inszenierung stören, sollten auf jeden Fall zugreifen. Wenn Sie zudem einen Gleichgesinnten für den genialen Koop-Modus auftreiben können ist Gears of War sowieso ein Pflichtkauf.

Vgames (85 out of 100)

בסוף היום, גירס אוף וור הוא עדיין אחד ממשחקי הפעולה הטובים שתוכלו למצוא על המדף, ולמרות שההמרה למחשב לא מוסיפה לו הרבה, היא גם לא גורעת מהחוויה - וכשמדובר במשחק כל כך משובח זה מספיק. אמנם ריבוי המשתתפים שלו לא עומד בתחרות של קול אוף דיוטי 4 או אנריל טורנמט 3, אך המערכה לשחקן יחיד מפצה, ואפשר לשחק אותה גם פעמיים או שלוש עם חברים ברמות הקושי הגבוהות לפני שהחוויה תמצה את עצמה. מומלץ בחם לכל מי שלא יצא לו לשחק בגרסה המקורית.

Mundo Gamers (8.5 out of 10)

Gears of War vuelve a romper con fuerza pero esta vez en el mundo del PC. Gráficos de espanto, novedades interesantes que no aportan demasiado a lo que ya hemos visto, nuevos niveles y un modo multijugador bastante refinado son en general las nuevas opciones que nos ofrece esta versión para ordenadores. El control nos proporciona una mayor precisión pero también hace que la dificultad se desajuste. Si dispones de un PC a la altura, podrás disfrutar de unos gráficos mejores incluso que los del original aunque la optimización deja bastante que desear y no todo el mundo podrá soportarlo. En definitiva, una hora más de juego que los fans del juego sabrán apreciar y también aquellos que no hayan tenido la oportunidad de jugarlo todavía.

GamesFire (84 out of 100)

Gears of War besitzt durchaus seine Stärken, zeigt aber genauso Schwächen auf. Die Steuerung hätte deutlich besser an die Möglichkeiten des PCs angepasst werden können, da sie wirklich sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig ist. Auch wäre eine manuelle Speichermöglichkeit sicherlich kein falscher Zug der Entwickler gewesen, müsste man so doch nicht öfters einen gleichen Abschnitt mehrmals durchspielen und sich die Zwischensequenzen – die sich nicht alle abbrechen lassen – antun. Dennoch versprüht der Ego-Shooter seinen Reiz, denn schliesslich will man als Spieler wissen, wie der Kampf zwischen den Menschen und den Locust ausgehen. Wird der Einzelspieler-Modus zu langweilig, geht's einfach online oder übers Netzwerk mit den Kämpfen weiter. Wer auf Ego-Shooter steht, die mehr Wert auf Balleraction legen, der kann bei Gears of War ohne schlechtes Gewissen zugreifen.

PC Arena - Game Arena (8.33 out of 10)

Gears of War nie jest już taką rewolucją, jaką był podczas premiery na Xbox 360. Grafika nieco się zestarzała, a prosta rozgrywka może odrzucić niektórych bardziej wymagających graczy. Jednak ten właśnie prosty schemat rozgrywki, ubarwiony nieco przez możliwości wydawania rozkazów, oprawiony poprawioną na rzecz PC grafiką i doskonałą muzyką, sprawia niezwykle sporo zabawy i nie pozwala oderwać się od monitora. Gra w wersji na komputery osobiste nie straciła swojego uroku, ba, zyskała nawet dzięki kilku poprawkom technicznym, dodatkowym poziomom i doskonale zaprojektowanym, intuicyjnym sterowaniem. Szkoda tylko, że nie zostaliśmy uraczeni działającym w Polsce trybem wieloosobowym, ale cóż, może w przyszłości się to zmieni. Tymczasem kampania bawi nas niezwykle długo i nawet po jej zakończeniu, mamy ochotę na powrót do Trybów Wojny.

Gaming Target (8.2 out of 10)

While Gears of War for the PC is a good game, worth playing if only for the collective experience, it will make you angry more than once during your fight to save the world. If you play Gears of War, I promise that 1)You'll die more than once due to the cover system controls. 2) You'll repeat extended segments due to the checkpoint save system. 3) You'll follow basically one path through the game. (A-B choices don't count as freedom.) 4) You'll finish the game for the overwhelming ride and sensory experience. 5) You'll enjoy the multiplayer if you can find a game.

TotalVideoGames (TVG) (8 out of 10)

It's certainly refreshing that the PC port's single-player game has additional content, as many similar delayed ports get away with very little additionally content whatsoever apart from perhaps the odd multiplayer map. We're slightly suspicious, however, that this additional act may have originally been designed for the Xbox 360 game. It seems possible that Epic held it back due to time constraints or the need for additional content further down the line. Nevertheless, Epic is retaining the line that this act has been specifically designed for the PC and won't be available as downloadable content for Xbox 360 users on Live at a later date.

Game Informer Magazine (8 out of 10)

Unless you feel that the somewhat disappointing fight against the Brumak or a minor splash of new single-player content is worth $50, the only gamers that should be thinking about purchasing this are 360-impaired PC owners that never got into the fun last year - especially considering the multitude of superior multiplayer options in the PC action sector.

Gaming since 198x (4 out of 5)

Pour peu qu'on ne soit pas allergique aux gros bourrins testosteronés, Gears of War est une ode à la violence la plus brutale, un hurlement primaire de bonheur, une sorte de film de la Cannon des années 1980 où les héros sont des fascistes encore plus pourris que les méchants, mais un formidable défouloir.

Absolute Games (AG.ru) (75 out of 100)

Не считая проблем с GfW Live, Gears of War — на редкость приличный порт. Причесанный движок, нормальное "мышиное" управление, достойный визуальный ряд. Только процесс подкачал. Правда, если растянуть общение с "Шестеренками" дней этак на десять, проходя по половине акта за присест, вы точно не заснете перед монитором.

1UP (7 out of 10)

It's mostly a one-trick pony, and on the Xbox 360, it was a fun trick. But on the PC, the control scheme's a very central obstacle: One key press (defaulted to the spacebar, but remappable) is used for running and taking cover, which may not sound like a big deal...until you find yourself accidentally sticking to cover at just the wrong moment or running in a direction you didn't intend because the game aimed you toward cover. What made intuitive sense with the 360 controller is much harder to compute with a keyboard and mouse in hand, where it just seems limiting and wrong for those of us used to complete freedom of movement. It's a mechanic that I suspect will just fundamentally turn off many PC gamers.

Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault) ( )

The acclaim that Gears of War for the Xbox 360 garnered is tough to ignore, and the combination of a superior visual presentation and an excellent multiplayer component shows that much that made the console version great has made it to the PC iteration. But there’s plenty wrong with this game, including sometimes disappointing AI, lack of attention to ambient details such as music and sound, and dodgy Games for Windows Live connectivity that still hasn’t delivered on its promise to provide PC gamers with the many advantages of its console cousin. Devoted shooter fans who waited a full year for a PC version of Gears will be pleased and disappointed in equal parts, and so was I.