Yes Virginia, there is a Gears of War for the PC

[Rob_Merritt]

It was on 1up network for a short time and now is gone. However some sites are reporting on it...

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/first-video-of-gears-of-war-for-pc-here-and-gone-in-10-minutes/

Its going to be another late as port of course but hopefully with Epic on board, it won't suck like Halo 2.

[Dave Long]

Nice! I would love to have mouse precision in Gears!

[tromik]

Nice! I would love to have mouse precision in Gears!
Why? Gears doesn't have little, tiny pinpoint reticles, it has giant box-shape reticles.

[Shadari]

Aiming is so 90s.

[Deadron]

Its going to be another late as port of course but hopefully with Epic on board, it won't suck like Halo 2.

I'm a PC-only player and would be happy to see what all the hype is about...but I have to say, after having been immersed in Halo hype for years, I excitedly bought the PC version and found myself completely mystified. Admittedly I wasn't playing online, apparently that being the strongest point, but the single player campaign was dull dull dull.

If I never saw another corridor that looked just like the last 5 corridors again, it would be too soon.

Also, the save point system was buggy...I could run over a save point area and not be saved and have to re-do some large area all over again. Over all, one of the least interesting FPS games I ever bothered to finish.

So, yeah, here's hoping Gears can survive the transition better...

[stusser]

Awesome!

I didn't expect to see this one, given how heavily MS financed production.

[spiffy]

From a PC player's perspective, playing at a buddies' house, Gears is some really intense, great looking action and art direction, wrapped up in a fairly standard linear shooter. The cover mechanic isn't all that revolutionary if you've played games like Brothers in Arms:EIB, Far Cry or Stalker, where standing in the open is a death sentence. I found it funny how you could sense a firefight was about to happen, because the enemy only likes to attack when you've walked into an area with ample cover .. :)

I'll pick it up when it the price drops, as pc titles do.

[Destarius]

The inevitable question is whether it will take 2 years to have it released.

[bigdruid]

Like Brothers in Arms:EIB, Far Cry or Stalker, where standing in the open is a death sentence.


Yeah, they are similar, but at least Stalker lets you jump - apparently people hate bunnyhopping in games, so devs should do what Stalker does, and have jumping fatigue you. So you can run, or jump, but if you try to do both you'll get tired and be able to do neither.

I'm still enjoying GoW though, and I'm splitting my gaming time between it and Stalker depending on my mood.

[Dave Long]

Gears is best played in multiplayer. The single-player portion is just average. Co-op is probably better, but even then I didn't think the campaign was anything more than average.

No, where it really gets it right is when you're shooting and chainsawing other folks online. That's what I want the mouse aiming for so that it's possible to be at least mildly aware of where your shots are going to land when you're not zoomed in and adjust faster if you miss.

I played a hell of a lot of Gears online. More than anyone on this board I think. It's a good game and well worth it for PC gamers who enjoy online shooting.

[BobJustBob]

As counterpoint, the Gears online was quite mediocre. It's fun to chainsaw people, sure, but the overall experience is exactly the same as every other online shooter, only with less people since 2v2 is the max.

Singleplayer though is great, although really unfair on any difficulty higher than the easiest one, and ignoring the completely shit "breaking boards" sequence about halfway through.

[forgeforsaken]

Umm, it's 4v4. I still play Gears all the time too. It's that and PGR or Forza now that are the games to play with coworkers.

[rossm]

You can't jump in Gears of War? I don't know how to respond to that. The last game I played where you should have been able to jump but couldn't was Guild Wars. The lack of jumping killed the fun in that game for me.

I'm the guy whose head you see repeatedly popping up above the rest during a wow raid, non-stop for hours. I like jumping.

I'm also curious what the hype is all about, not owning a 360. I don't have any expectations in either direction.

[Destarius]

I'm the guy whose head you see repeatedly popping up above the rest during a wow raid, non-stop for hours. I like jumping.

Oh, annoying.

[McBain]

You can't jump in Gears of War? I don't know how to respond to that. The last game I played where you should have been able to jump but couldn't was Guild Wars. The lack of jumping killed the fun in that game for me.

I'm the guy whose head you see repeatedly popping up above the rest during a wow raid, non-stop for hours. I like jumping.

I'm also curious what the hype is all about, not owning a 360. I don't have any expectations in either direction.

I enjoyed Gears, but it's not anywhere near as good as some would have you believe.

[Chris Nahr]

I am Peter Moore's complete lack of surprise. Thanks for confirming my conviction that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360.

I didn't expect to see this one, given how heavily MS financed production.

I'm pretty sure "PC" means Windows in this context, which is still a Microsoft platform...

[Brad Grenz]

I'm glad we can finally stop pretending we didn't know this would happen.

Thanks for confirming my conviction that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360.

Exactly. This is why I'm not that interested in an Xbox 360 and I'm hoping that the PS3 can pull things together. Every time I see a list of games that's supposed to get me excited about Microsoft's console all I see are games coming to the PC, already on the PC, secretly coming to the PC, or should have been on the PC. Pare all those out and what's left? Multiplatform console games, Japan's D list and Dead Rising. Well, that's one game that is actually interesting to me...

[rossm]

Oh, annoying.
If a guy jumping on your screen is annoying, you probably need less stress in your life!

[Daagar]

If a guy jumping on your screen is annoying, you probably need less stress in your life!

Probably, but it is also what leads to games being designed without a jumping mechanic. KINDA LIKE TYPING IN ALL CAPS - IF IT IS ANNOYING, YOU JUST NEED LESS STRESS, RIGHT?

[Zylon]

If a guy jumping on your screen is annoying, you probably need less stress in your life!
I've found an excellent source of stress-relief is to gank dorks who won't stop jumping.

[forgeforsaken]

There are a lot of good games that don't have jumping. Rainbow Six doesn't have jumping either and it's rather good. As long as the game includes something like vaulting, like Rainbow Six and Gears do. The problem with Guild Wars and the lack of jumping is you often feel trapped by a curb, but in Gears/Vegas this doesn't really happen as you can vault over stuff up to waste height pretty much. Jumping in a lot games is a ridiculous mechanic, especially FPS games.

[Brakara]

You can't jump in Gears of War? I don't know how to respond to that. The last game I played where you should have been able to jump but couldn't was Guild Wars. The lack of jumping killed the fun in that game for me.

Funny, for me it's the opposite. Jumping in games like these just kills the immersion. And I've always hated bunny hopping.

[forgeforsaken]

Yeah, it's baffling how common jumping is as a mechanic for something almost no one ever does in real life or even movies/tv shows. You watch a movie with a gun fight, and how often do you see them jump? Even John Woo movies don't have that much jumping as a single game of Counterstrike.

[Beach123456]

Jumping in gears=ruined, broken game. With how many people there are abusing the glitches, it should tell you that about everyone would abuse the bunnyhop, and that just ruins any sort of realism any game has going for it.

[Destarius]

If a guy jumping on your screen is annoying, you probably need less stress in your life!

A jumping mechanic to allow people to get over obstacles would be fine, but repeated jumping in games in order to make yourself a harder target, or simply in WoW because you can, just breaks immersion for me. Also, people who can't stop jumping remind of kids who just can't stand still.

[Beach123456]

Wouldnt you say sliding into cover and hopping over it is just as easy as the jump though? Theres no need to line anything up and you really cant miss.

[Destarius]

Wouldnt you say sliding into cover and hopping over it is just as easy as the jump though? Theres no need to line anything up and you really cant miss.

I can't recall the last time I even jumped over an obstacle. I remember vaulting over logs in the military, or jumping up to reach the ledge of a low wall to climb over it, but I never found the need to actually bunny-hop over something.

I would have thought the jump mechanic was first developed as a simple means to elevate a game character over obstacles, but as technology has progressed to allow for more realistic ways for traversing them, I think we can do away with it.

[Igor Muravyev]

I could've sworn I played 6v6 ranked matches.. I could be mistaken though.

Anyway, multiplayer is where its at. Unfortunately I always end up using the shotgun since its the only thing that seems to kill, the smg is just too weak if you can't aim at someone consistently (like with a mouse), and all the other guns seem to require precision aiming as well.

Of course precision aiming on a controller sucks, and then there's always the problem of the sensitivity being super low so people will just run circles around you and chainsaw you/shotgun you.

Oh I can't wait to have a mouse...

Props if I can school some 360 players online.

[Beach123456]

It is limited to 4v4, and the smg has been recently upgraded to the point where most people now complain that its too powerful. I like it, it puts a damper on people who think they can just run at you with a shotgun or pick up weapons and dive out whenever they feel the need.

[squaddie]

I am Peter Moore's complete lack of surprise. Thanks for confirming my conviction that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360.


But chances are a PC gamer will still need an Xbox 360 controller, like I did in order to play Star Trek:Legacy, due the poor keyboard and mouse support by Quicksilver.

Perhaps one will need a console to gain better enjoyment from some ported titles, such as Splinter Cell:Double Agent, which Ubisoft Shanghai screwed up. I'm not even going to consider SC:Conviction as a PC purchase whenever its ported, despite the fact Ubisoft:Montreal will work on it.

The only developer that managed great PC ports for me has been Rockstar, with their GTA3 titles, all of which ran perfectly on my PC with no controller issues. I read some people had technical issues with the game but that aside the ports from Rockstar seemed well done. Flying was tough with keyboard/mouse but using a gamepad took care of control issues for flying for me.

Based on Rockstar's example I don't see how makers of console-ports can screw up the work.

[Igor Muravyev]

By the way about jumping, Gears includes a system that allows your character to "hop" over an obstacle. So if you are standing behind a small rock you just run into it, tap A, and your guy will hop over it.. no jumping needed! And it's a lot more realistic because in real life I'd probably do the same thing to get over an obstacle rather than randomly jump up and about.

[shang]

I am Peter Moore's complete lack of surprise. Thanks for confirming my conviction that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360.

What PC gamer would buy a console to play standard FPS games anyway (well, technically third person in the case of GoW). The more interesting 360 exclusives like Viva Pinata, Dead Rising, Earth Defense Force and Senko no Ronde most likely won't see a PC release.

[Igor Muravyev]

No self-respecting PC gamer would. I have a modern PC, I have a 360 as well, and I only own console-only games on my 360 (which includes Gears of War, but hey.. it's console only for now). This is all amplified by the fact that modern ports cost cheaper ($50 vs $60) on the PC and they let you use your 360 controller anyways, so I would hardly bother buying a cross-platform game for the 360.

[shang]

By the way about jumping, Gears includes a system that allows your character to "hop" over an obstacle. So if you are standing behind a small rock you just run into it, tap A, and your guy will hop over it.. no jumping needed! And it's a lot more realistic because in real life I'd probably do the same thing to get over an obstacle rather than randomly jump up and about.

Is there a way to directly hop over obstacles? The way it seems to work is that when you first run into an obstacle and press A, the guy stops and takes cover behind it. Then you need to press A again to make him climb over it. Feels very clumsy in practice.

[Igor Muravyev]

Is there a way to directly hop over obstacles? The way it seems to work is that when you first run into an obstacle and press A, the guy stops and takes cover behind it. Then you need to press A again to make him climb over it. Feels very clumsy in practice.

Yes, you have to run into the obstacle and press it at the right time, make sure you are still pushing with your analog stick in that direction. If you play the game for a few hours you'll get the hang of it and he should not take cover behind it but just hop over the obstacle right away.

[Papageno]

Vista only, I presume? If so, I guess I won't be playing it for a while (probably will be playing it sooner on the 360, given that I'll most likely get that system for GTA IV).

[Beach123456]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXPZjHx0OAs

Heres the video, they havent taken it off youtube yet. Shows a new campaign level, as well as brumak fight.

[Ryan Markel]

What PC gamer would buy a console to play standard FPS games anyway (well, technically third person in the case of GoW). The more interesting 360 exclusives like Viva Pinata, Dead Rising, Earth Defense Force and Senko no Ronde most likely won't see a PC release.

It's a fixed-cost method for having hardware powerful enough to have a good experience with decent visuals.

And Achievements.

[Greatatlantic]

Vista only, I presume? If so, I guess I won't be playing it for a while (probably will be playing it sooner on the 360, given that I'll most likely get that system for GTA IV).

Thats a pretty big assumption, and one that I don't think is going to hold. The Vista exclusive games so far are a tiny subset of games both published and funded by Microsoft. Only two released so far, and not too many more scheduled (the only one I can think of is Alan Wake). Epic is a very well established company with a sizable PC fanbase, there is no incentive for them to make the game Vista exclusive. Not even bags of money by Microsoft thinking they have a OS seller (which they don't, a year old shooter and console port will never get PC gamers that excited) will changed that.

[forgeforsaken]

Except that Microsoft is the publisher.

[Greatatlantic]

Except that Microsoft is the publisher.

No, Microsoft published Gears for the 360, and I'd be shocked if Epic (once again, a development studio with leverage) signed over exclusitivity of the franchise to Microsoft. Meaning, Epic is free to shop around for a different publishers for their PC version. A similar situation was Bioware picking Take2 to publish their PC version of Jade Empire. If Microsoft does publish the PC version, it will be for XP because there is little chance of Epic voluntarily limiting their sales like that.

[stusser]

Do you actually know that, or are you just guessing? I'd assume that the contracts would include an exclusivity period for their console.

In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that when GoW for windows is announced, it's actually GoW for windows vista, fully supporting GFW live. They need a big name title to kickstart the initiative, and getting GoW to work on windows has got to be pretty trivial. We'll know soon enough.

[forgeforsaken]

Microsoft has first right of refusal on all Gears games I'm pretty sure.

[Thierry Nguyen]

Interestingly enough, at GDC, Mike Capps, president of Epic, had nothing but negative comments whenever the subject of Games For Windows came up.

[Greatatlantic]

Do you actually know that, or are you just guessing? I'd assume that the contracts would include an exclusivity period for their console.

In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that when GoW for windows is announced, it's actually GoW for windows vista, fully supporting GFW live. They need a big name title to kickstart the initiative, and getting GoW to work on windows has got to be pretty trivial. We'll know soon enough.

No, I'm guessing. I think my guesses are a lot more likely than Gears being a Vista exclusive.

Sure, Microsoft has a timed exclusive, and that time may very well have run out. Epic now gets to choose a publisher, so its their call, not Microsoft's. Is that so far fetched? And if Microsoft suggest Vista exclusitivity, Epic will say no and a dozen publisher will contact them offering a deal. If Epic was upset about being forced to charge for maps, I don't think they will take kindly to their game being used as a bullet point for Vista Exclusitivity.

That being said, Microsoft should be smart enough to realize a year old console port (and a shooter which the PC gets plenty of high quality ones) won't be a huge draw for Vista.

[forgeforsaken]

You really don't know anything about the deal Microsoft and Epic have for Gears do you?

[stusser]

I'm sure people reading this know about the deal, but of course they're not talking.

I'm fully aware of epic's feelings about GFW, I just don't think they'll have the option to go with a different publisher for GoW. Either it's a vista exclusive or it's not available for PC. Just my guess, and again, we'll see soon enough.

[Igor Muravyev]

Why would it need to be a Vista exclusive? You don't need Microsoft's blessing to release a PC game.

[stusser]

Because they financed the title as a 360 exclusive? Again, just a guess.

[Destarius]

That being said, Microsoft should be smart enough to realize a year old console port (and a shooter which the PC gets plenty of high quality ones) won't be a huge draw for Vista.

Greatatlantic, meet Halo 2.

[Prodigy]

Greatatlantic, meet Halo 2.

I think you proved his point.

[Destarius]

I think you proved his point.

If you're meaning they won't make the same mistake twice, I don't think that proved anything.

[Papageno]

Halo 2 was developed by Bungie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MS, so MS could dictate terms at any point. The Epic-developed GoW may be another story. Depends on how big the MS-furnished money hats were for GoW on the 360, I guess.

[forgeforsaken]

Yes, and Sony doesn't own Insomniac either, but I'm not holding my breath for a Ratchet or Resistance game on anything but a Sony console either.

I do think Sony may own those properties though, not sure, I know Epic owns Gears if MS ever decides to abandon the franchise, but like I said earlier MS has first right of refusal.

[Destarius]

Halo 2 was developed by Bungie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MS, so MS could dictate terms at any point. The Epic-developed GoW may be another story. Depends on how big the MS-furnished money hats were for GoW on the 360, I guess.

Crysis is due '07. That'll move some Vista. GoW is a waste of time unless they can bring it this year.

[JD]

Crysis is due '07. That'll move some Vista.
Crysis is not Vista-only though.

-Julian

[Dave Long]

Crysis might look a lot better on DirectX 10, but as JD notes, there's no guarantee it'll sell Vista given it's going to be running on XP too.

[sluggo]

No, Microsoft published Gears for the 360, and I'd be shocked if Epic (once again, a development studio with leverage) signed over exclusitivity of the franchise to Microsoft. Meaning, Epic is free to shop around for a different publishers for their PC version.
Considering the insane amount of support Microsoft put behind Gears of War, I can't believe there wasn't some deal in place to prevent Epic from freely shopping around a PC version to anyone they want. No one invests that much money establishing a new brand so someone else can reap all the profits.

I also agree with the sentiment that it needs to be this year or loses a lot of its impact.

In a similar vein, I'd really like to see a Halo 3 PC announcement this week. Of course, it would never be simultaneous with the x360 version, but having it come out a few months later in November or January with some actual DX10 eye candy and cross-platform multiplayer would help jumpstart this whole Vista / G4W thing.

[unbongwah]

Thanks for confirming my conviction that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360.
Sure, as long as you don't mind waiting for most ports, paying a couple times extra for HW, running Vista & GfW Live for MS-published titles, and don't want to be able to rent games. SCORE!

[MyNameIsWill]

In a similar vein, I'd really like to see a Halo 3 PC announcement this week. Of course, it would never be simultaneous with the x360 version, but having it come out a few months later in November or January with some actual DX10 eye candy and cross-platform multiplayer would help jumpstart this whole Vista / G4W thing.

But then people wouldn't buy Xbox 360s. I wouldn't expect a Halo 3 announcement until next summer, and release maybe Fall'08.... with Gears 2 for Xbox 360.

Yes, and Sony doesn't own Insomniac either, but I'm not holding my breath for a Ratchet or Resistance game on anything but a Sony console either.

I do think Sony may own those properties though, not sure.

Sony does in fact own the Ratchet and Clank trademark.

[Igor Muravyev]

This thread made me play Gears of War multiplayer yesterday... I got my ass kicked, so yeah I can't wait for the PC version when I can actually you know aim at people.

[Wheelkick]

This thread made me play Gears of War multiplayer yesterday... I got my ass kicked, so yeah I can't wait for the PC version when I can actually you know aim at people.

GoW mutiplayer is all about getting your ass kicked, while being called a fcking idiot. That is my experience, anyway.

Still love playing it though.

[Fuzzydevil]

Didn't like GoW multi much. The regenerating health almost completely removes the duck-and-cover gameplay, making it much more about running straight at people with shotguns and chainsaws, or hiding with sniper rifles and torque bows. Perhaps it changes with tactics in the high-end game, but this was my experience with playing it just a bit.

And before you ask, yes, we won quite frequently when doing this.

[MyNameIsWill]

This thread made me play Gears of War multiplayer yesterday... I got my ass kicked, so yeah I can't wait for the PC version when I can actually you know aim at people.
Is there anything you don't complain about?

[Dave Long]

Is there anything you don't complain about?
That's a valid complaint, though. Gears is not very forgiving when you aim over the shoulder. Zooming in all the time just isn't possible either. It takes a lot of practice to know exactly where the spray from your shotgun will land when you're firing from the hip. At least with the mouse you'll be able to adjust your next shot faster (if you get a next shot anyway...)

[MyNameIsWill]

Individually, his complaints, I guess, are valid. But there are so many of them.

[Beach123456]

That's a valid complaint, though. Gears is not very forgiving when you aim over the shoulder. Zooming in all the time just isn't possible either. It takes a lot of practice to know exactly where the spray from your shotgun will land when you're firing from the hip. At least with the mouse you'll be able to adjust your next shot faster (if you get a next shot anyway...)
Its really not as hard as your making it out to be. Ive never really gotten used to the mouse and keyboard setup though, so maybe its all in the switch of controls.

[Adam Altmann]

What PC gamer would buy a console to play standard FPS games anyway (well, technically third person in the case of GoW). The more interesting 360 exclusives like Viva Pinata, Dead Rising, Earth Defense Force and Senko no Ronde most likely won't see a PC release.

I certainly wouldn't. However, I'm seriously considering buying one just to play Forza 2, unless someone can point me to a popular PC racer where I can paint my own goddamn car. NASCAR 2002 from Papyrus was the last game I played that let me do that.

[jfletch]

In a similar vein, I'd really like to see a Halo 3 PC announcement this week. Of course, it would never be simultaneous with the x360 version, but having it come out a few months later in November or January with some actual DX10 eye candy and cross-platform multiplayer would help jumpstart this whole Vista / G4W thing.

LOL.

Microsoft doesn't care about G4W. It's a smoke screen.

Halo 3 PC will be announced late next year and come out a month before Halo 4 Xbox 360.

[Greatatlantic]

Sure, as long as you don't mind waiting for most ports, paying a couple times extra for HW, running Vista & GfW Live for MS-published titles, and don't want to be able to rent games. SCORE!

Do you really want to get into a PC vs 360 debate? I guess so since you posted that.

Waiting for ports? Heck, last generation these are the sort of games that never would have been ported in the first place. Now, they're on the PC for less money. Though it hasn't been in this generation so far, pretty soon superior PC hardware will take its course and games ported to the PC will have a leg up in performace and visuals.

As for GfW Live and Vista, as of yet only two game are like that, and they are both similar and inferior to games already on the PC. Either the service and software will get a lot better, or it will remain nothing worth mentioning when discussing PC gaming.

Meanwhile, the PC is the only platform with;

A) Multiple digital distribution services with games on release days.

B) Gametap, the hands down best value in gaming.

C) Cheaper games.

D) The Strategy and Adventure genres.

E) Hard drives standard and ones you don't need to buy expensive cars to compensate for.

F) Independent games and high quality user made mods (usually for free!).

G) Internet even if you don't have broadband.

H) World of Warcraft (or just Blizzard in general).

I) Superior controls for FPS, RTS, and any game involving precision movement. Just in case you'd rather use something else, the PC is compatible with hundreds of different types of controls.

J) Multiplayer is largely free.

H) Much preferred failure rate.

I'm not saying a PC is better for everybody or that it has the same games as the 360 (though for the time being its getting any of note), but it offers a ton of advantages over consoles.

Edit: If my skim through Microsoft Press confrence thread was right, Gears of War will be available on XP. So, I was right despite knowing nothing about the deal Microsoft and Epic made!

[unbongwah]

Do you really want to get into a PC vs 360 debate?
Not really: it was just a glib retort. :-) Chris stated - with what seemed like stereotypically smug PC elitist condescension - that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360. I was just pointing out there are a few flaws with that assertion. [I didn't even mention console-only titles, because I presume a "true" PC gamer like him isn't interested in froo-froo crap like Blue Dragon or Dead Rising.] If the conditions I mentioned don't matter to him, so be it; but that doesn't mean they don't matter to other gamers.

My PC and Xbox 360 happily co-exist side-by-side - literally, as I have them hooked up to the same monitor - but I'm not blind to their faults.

[Igor Muravyev]

I've been PC only for over a decade, my first console is the 360, and I only got that originally because of DDR, and that gave me the excuse to buy a few more 360-exclusive games ..

Also the PC is not locked down. So it cannot be flawed in the same way as the 360, only the companies that release games/software for it are generally flawed. Unless you mean the x86 architecture is inherently flawed, that I would agree with, but then again I'm just an ARM fan.

I still would like Gears of War on PC multiplayer better.

[Chris Nahr]

Chris stated - with what seemed like stereotypically smug PC elitist condescension - that no PC gamer needs an Xbox 360. I was just pointing out there are a few flaws with that assertion. [I didn't even mention console-only titles, because I presume a "true" PC gamer like him isn't interested in froo-froo crap like Blue Dragon or Dead Rising.] If the conditions I mentioned don't matter to him, so be it; but that doesn't mean they don't matter to other gamers.

Way to jump to conclusions. The stereotypical condescension is entirely on your side. It's not like I only post rarely here, so you just might have noticed that I own, or have owned, the following consoles: Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS, Sony Playstation 2, Playstation 3, and PSP.

The two consoles I did not and do not own are the Xbox and the Xbox 360 because I find that almost all interesting games that are published on these platforms are also available either on the PC or on one of my other consoles.

So it has really absolutely nothing to do with any console-vs-PC bullshit. I've said often enough that I can't stand that nonsense since I enjoy both kinds of games. And I actually like to play Xbox/360 ports with the 360 gamepad on my PC.

[unbongwah]

And I actually like to play Xbox/360 ports with the 360 gamepad on my PC.
You, sir, are the gaming equivalent of a platypus. :-)

Anyway, apologies for misreading your tone - my bad, dude. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong that there are still reasons for PC gamers to also own a 360: maybe not reasons you care about, but reasons nonetheless.

[Dave Long]

I finally got around to reading the Gears preview in the latest Games for Windows: TOM.

The ability to mod this game sounds fantastic. It sounds like maps will be relatively easy to construct and that should make it easy for Epic to release some cool usermade map packs down the road after release. Apparently single player mods are also doable so we could get some quality user-created stuff there. Maybe even better than the middling campaign in the original game?

I'm a little less excited about the wishy washy responses to questions on dedicated servers. It sounds like that's not 100% sure yet, but damn it, it better happen. That's my biggest gripe with the original game is just how much advantage the host gets, especially in a shotgun duel. I want a more level playing field with everyone getting at least a little lag.

They seem to be tweaking the game for mouse/keys control, adding things like camera shake when you get shot while attempting to snipe. That doesn't happen on the 360 because aiming with an controller is less precise and it would've been like a double penalty there.

Anyway, the preview could've been more about the game and less about equating Gears to a summer blockbuster film, but there was still plenty to get me interested in playing it on the PC all over again, especially in multiplayer. I'm very anxious to see how the over-the-shoulder aiming translates with mouse/keys. Will I still have to zoom in often for more precise aim or will I be able to more easily shoot from the hip and score kills? I got good at hip shots with the shotgun playing online on the 360, but the mouse can only make that better.

[Igor Muravyev]

Don't worry Dave, unless they keep the FOV shrunken so you can't see anything but straight ahead of you, I doubt people will be able to close in as often with the shotgun as often as they could in Xbox 360 version. In fact, the rifle will become much more popular as people will now actually be able to aim/shoot properly while following a moving target.

[Dave Long]

That's true regarding the rifle... same for the pistol which is damn deadly if you're a good shot in Gears 360.

I think this game is going to be about 10x more exciting on the PC. It's going to be even more visceral when you're in close proximity to a monitor, too.

The dedicated server thing is still a big deal, though.

[Lokust]

I'm personally a good deal more worried about the sniper rifle in the pc version, after having seen how much stronger it is in the PC version of halo.

[MyNameIsWill]

I had such a great time playing Gears of War last year.

What, did something already make that joke?

[unbongwah]

What, did something already make that joke?
Try this one: PC gamers are the new Mac gamers.

[Lokust]

Rise from the grave!

Anyone else snag this today? I have GOW for the 360 but the PC version has 5 more chapters, so I figure it's sorta like getting a sequel or expansion. Plus I had rewardzone cash to blow...

I'm installing now but I'll give my impressions a bit later.

[Machfive]

I'll be installing it soonish. Dunno if I'll be able to play at all today. I just wanna see how the game runs on my rig.

[stusser]

There's an interesting article on hardocp about GoW performance; apparently DX10 gives you nothing except lower framerates. It looks absolutely identical.

[Lokust]

That was my experience with hellgate as well. I don't know if I even plan on trying DX10.

[stusser]

In HGL dx10 at least looks different; it adds depth of field blurring, better rain, etc. GoW DX10 looks identical to DX9, it just runs slower.

[Lokust]

Well I can't get the DX9 version to run. For whatever reason I CTD after about 60 seconds in the game, whether I actually try to do anything or just sit in the menus doing nothing.

Running vista 32 with a dual core E6850, 4gb ram & an 8800GTX...

[Kunikos]

In HGL dx10 at least looks different; it adds depth of field blurring, better rain, etc. GoW DX10 looks identical to DX9, it just runs slower.

I'm assuming you mean that DX9 runs slower, otherwise that's quite useless.

Well I can't get the DX9 version to run. For whatever reason I CTD after about 60 seconds in the game, whether I actually try to do anything or just sit in the menus doing nothing.

Running vista 32 with a dual core E6850, 4gb ram & an 8800GTX...

You have a DX10 card under Vista and you want to run the DX 9 version? Buh??

[stusser]

No.

DX9= fast, looks good
DX10= slow, looks ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL TO DX9

In other words yes, you should run the DX9 version under vista with a DX10 card.

[sluggo]

I tried playing this online last night and the best game I could get going had 6 people in it. I'll be looking for more games today to wrap up my review.

Game looks gorgeous on my system, feels solid and plays great. I love the way the battles play out, but I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed as I've already finished CoD4.

[Lokust]

Got it working, but I have to force it to run as administrator for some silly reason or it crashes out after 60 seconds. Played through chapter 1 on hardcore and got some multiplayer in as well. The game is freakin gorgeous. It looked good on the 360 and looks even better with the horsepower of a PC. The big thing I notice is that single player seems much easier to me since I can aim better, and the lancer is now a devastating weapon in multi, where on the 360 it wasn't too useful. I don't know if they boosted the damage or if it's just because aiming with a mouse is easier, or both, but it seems that you drop people really fast with it now.

I love that achievements are tied to my gamertag though I feel kind of dirty getting effectively double credit for a lot of achievements since the PC and 360 version are considered different games.

[Thierry Nguyen]

The active reload is obscenely easy on PC; I got both active reload achievements just in Act One.

[Lokust]

So did I, but to be fair, i did the same thing when playing through on the 360 for the first time too.

[JetLagger]

The active reload is obscenely easy on PC; I got both active reload achievements just in Act One.

/agreed but i am having more difficulty timing my chainsaw attacks effectively with my mouse then with the 360 controller.

Got it working, but I have to force it to run as administrator for some silly reason or it crashes out after 60 seconds.

Yea that pretty much solved my friends crashing issue as well. We pretty much killed a case of beer between the two of us over the 2 VERY long re-installs and messing with settings and drivers to no avail until we tried the administrator solution.../facepalm should have tried that 1st.

Took a bit of .ini editing to figure how to enable my 5.1 EAX surround as well, which was kind of annoying. Odd that the game install sets the sound to Generic Software instead of grabbing the installing machines sound device.

This game does look fantastic though in both dx9 on my machine and dx10 on my friends Vista machine.

-Jet

[Machfive]

I hate this fucking control scheme. If I want to hug a wall, I'll fucking walk up to it and stop moving. If I want to jump over something, I'll press a jump button.

This control scheme is fucktarded.

[sluggo]

Really? I had no issues with the control setup. It took some getting used to for me (I kept hitting Shift to sprint, which is where I have it bound in most shooters), but halfway through Act I it became second nature to me.

Also, the new content at the start of Act V is (IMO) way better than most of the game. More memorable moments, more interesting locations and fights, and some actual humor.

[Lokust]

The controls seem tight to me, once I got used to spacebar for sprint. My issue is that it just seems really buggy overall. I get a lot of loading hitches that I never saw on the 360, and there are a lot of AI issues. Right now I'm at the 'look at all that juice' part and my entire squad will not leave the point where they spawn in. This happens a lot - your AI guys will not move, even if you order them to. They will defend themselves if you bring the fight to them, but often they won't move at all. I also had issues near the end of level 3 with getting stuck. Once on the run down to the Corpser area - was running and just got stuck and could not move and had to reload from checkpoint, then once during the corpser fight as it destroys part of the ground, I was standing where I should have got dumped in immulsion and I just disappeared from the screen without dying, and had to reload there as well. Looking forward to the new content, but the apparent lack of Q/A is disappointing.

[divorced]

I can't make it recognize my Xbox Live account. It keeps telling me I'm signed into a local account. Anyone else have this problem?

[wumpus]

I swear to God this game is taking the better part of 30 minutes to install on my (very fast) PC. I realize it's 12 GB of data, but damn.

[wumpus]

What's so great about this game, again? After hearing all the GOTY praise for Gears of War, I am sorely disappointed after an hour in.

Why is every individual firefight an endless World-War I battle of attrition, involving two full clips and lots of prairie dog head popping to take any single enemy down?

Why did the game allow me to proceed without the hammer of dawn, so I have no hope of killing the second seeder?

Why is my squad dead half the time, because they wander in front of a minigun for no apparent reason? And why do they all magically revive at the same time when I kill the enemies in the room? What's the point of reviving them, then?

Why does it take approximately 2.5 minutes and a dramatic baseball pitcher windeup to throw those damn bolo grenades? Why can't I just press the halo-style "grenade" key and pitch one faster?

I also think the graphics are kinda sub-par by today's PC standards. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Crysis and COD4.

I do like the principle of using cover in first person shooters, and the rolling/moving from cover to cover is nicely implemented and feels right when you pull it off.

Still, I dunno. I am really not feeling this one. I could barely put down COD4, but I had no problem quitting to the desktop from GOW. Console gamerz, you let me down. Again.

[Machfive]

I really WANTED to like this game. I think the graphics and art direction are pretty sweet, and the story is interesting enough. But I can't get past the gameplay problems. I can't stand the "cover" movement system.

I feel like an old dog, and I just can't learn any new tricks. I think I'm about ready to uninstall. Hopefully it won't take 30 minutes to remove like it did to install.

[RobotPants]

These are the strangest reactions to this game I've ever seen.

[bago]

Parents just don't understand.

[wumpus]

Fuck. I dropped the hammer of dawn thinking I was done with it after the first seeder. Now I'm trapped in an autosave with a locked door behind me. I tried killing the seeder with ~6 grenades, and unloading the entire clips of all my weapons, but nothing.

Looks like I have to restart from the beginning. Double fuck, because I'm not actually enjoying the game all that much.

Awesome game design, Epic.

[Wheelkick]

Looks like I have to restart from the beginning. Double fuck, because I'm not actually enjoying the game all that much.


Or you could just quit playing. Since, you know, you're not actually enjoying the game all that much.

[RobotPants]

How is the game supposed to keep you from dropping a weapon you *just* used?

[Coca Cola Zero]

In the 360 version there was always a Hammer of Dawn when you needed one. I distinctly remember getting rid of mine after the first use and then finding another one right when I needed it a little later in the level. Not sure how differences in the PC save game system might impact this, but are you *sure* there is no new Hammer around for you to grab?

[bago]

Yeah, I always remembered finding a new hammer after every unskippable cutscene. But perhaps that little voice in your head that said "hammer of dawn online for 4 more minutes" should have been a clue.

[Lizard_King]

What's so great about this game, again? After hearing all the GOTY praise for Gears of War, I am sorely disappointed after an hour in.

Why is every individual firefight an endless World-War I battle of attrition, involving two full clips and lots of prairie dog head popping to take any single enemy down?
Because it's the first game to attempt to simulate the real cost benefit analysis of a firefight? I know, there was that so so PS2 game about cover, it's not the same thing. I think you'll find your experience of the game will improve markedly as you get better at the mechanics of it. Give yourself some time, because it is a very different game than you are used to.

Why did the game allow me to proceed without the hammer of dawn, so I have no hope of killing the second seeder?
No such thing. It's there, or your copy is bugged. Anything that requires a HoD has one nearby. I can't imagine sko special PC save system breaking that, but it was always there leaning against a balcony or something when needed. I replayed Act I multiple times, and it's really not a long level at all once you know where you are going and what you need for it. Note: there are 3 seeders IIRC, so keep that in mind. Also, you're going to need the HoD for the berserker, but I know for a fact that's available at the start of the Berserker phase.

Why is my squad dead half the time, because they wander in front of a minigun for no apparent reason? And why do they all magically revive at the same time when I kill the enemies in the room? What's the point of reviving them, then?
That doesn't sound like my AI experience. I mean, they died a lot, but usually because shit was crazy, not because of some obviously retarded move. I'm not going to dispute your experience of it, but that certainly wasn't mine on two separate playthroughs. Are you playing on normal or hard?
On harder difficulty levels, it becomes crucial to keep your team members alive during the fight as opposed to simply allowing the game mechanic to keep them alive. You don't seem to find them that useful, but I found them invaluable in many firefights.
At any rate, I like the auto revive after a fight mechanic. The alternatives would be for people to remain dead, which would surely have you bitching as much as you did about being unable to find a hammer of dawn, or for you to have to go around reviving them after each fight. It just reflects Epic's commitment to streamlining gameplay rather than focusing on some bullshit realism, which I appreciate. Immersion doesn't have to include being a pain in my ass to be immersive. Add that to trivial tasks like the reloading mechanic, which adds a tiny element of skill to a routine task and turns it into a potentially great asset in a firefight.


Why does it take approximately 2.5 minutes and a dramatic baseball pitcher windeup to throw those damn bolo grenades? Why can't I just press the halo-style "grenade" key and pitch one faster?
I found GoW grenade arc mechanism to be worth the price of admission on its own. Also, they throw it pretty fast if you go straight from swinging to the fire button, it's just a question of how much you value accuracy. In any case, I appreciate that window when enemies have to go through it, and I don't mind it as a game mechanic since grenades are so powerful.

I also think the graphics are kinda sub-par by today's PC standards. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Crysis and COD4.
I still think the game looks amazing. I really like its art direction, and a single chainsawing is all it takes to make it my showcase of choice for my tv. Different strokes, I guess.

Still, I dunno. I am really not feeling this one. I could barely put down COD4, but I had no problem quitting to the desktop from GOW. Console gamerz, you let me down. Again.
Oh well. I'm ok with letting you down. I will note that my enjoyment of the game went up dramatically once I stopped sucking at it. And I didn't realize how much I sucked until I unlearned most everything from, say, Halo, or (god forbid) CoD, and started doing dramatically better. I'm not telling you you're playing the game wrong, but it sounds like the transition period between being awful at the game and good at it was very well cushioned by coop play on the 360, which sounds like something you're missing out on.

In any case, I think M5 is on to something with his old dog/new tricks. I would hope you can see past your own lack of interest in the game and at least appreciate what others see in it, but your probably more interested in being a one man backlash against a great game. I find it interesting that you cite CoD 4 as a clearly superior game, as in spite of all of its graphics and spiffy load sequences the thought running through my head at every stage so far "This game would have been a lot better if I hadn't played Gears first".

Quick comparison of GoW vs CoD4's next genness:
Spawn points that are integrated into storyline and can be dealt with in a reasonable tactical manner vs arab closets that don't run out of enemies until you hit a magical checkpoint

Enemy grenades are easy to perceive through sound and eyes and thus avoided on the basis of how well you are paying attention to the game vs creating a magical spider sense to tell you to run frantically from the invisible grenade which is the only sure way to die

As a corollary to the above, fire without movement is useless. Movement without (cover) fire is suicide. That's a standard maxim from the infantry, and GoW is the first major title I've played that implements it in an enjoyable manner. vs medal of honor runs from point a to point b to trigger checkpoints because fighting with any sort of regard for your own safety or that of your teammates is suicide. I can see how that's enjoyable for some people, but that plus old fashioned respawns makes it feel very dated.

I could go on, but the point isn't to hate on CoD4. I like that game and it does a lot of things well, and I'm not so much interested in attacking it. The purpose of that was just to illustrate that GoW is kind of a big deal in terms of the innovations and changes to the whatever person shooter it actually is (literally third, I know, but it's kind of in between), even a year or so after its release. It's far from perfect, but I have tough time imagining that the biggest problem PC gamers are facing isn't the fact that they can't go through the training wheels/fun as hell coop phase of two assholes in the same room yelling at each other when they need help. That's not your fault, but I think it lends a little perspective.

[Pumpkinhead]

Still, I dunno. I am really not feeling this one. I could barely put down COD4, but I had no problem quitting to the desktop from GOW. Console gamerz, you let me down. Again.

I get the feeling that your entire post was constructed so you could type that line.

Just pretend the game was never on a console and the PC version is a brand new experience.

Something tells me you'll enjoy the game better that way.

[wumpus]

Yeah, I always remembered finding a new hammer after every unskippable cutscene.
I spent about 10 minutes running around every possible area around the 2nd seeder, but it's all blocked off. The door to the outside is now closed so you can't backtrack. I found 2 bonus grenades, but that's it. I'm 99.9% sure I'm fucked, but feel free to try this in your version of the game and see what happens. If the hammer of dawn is required (I dropped it after killing the first seeder), why allow me to advance without it? Bad design, pure and simple.

Are you playing on normal or hard?
I'm playing on hard, one above "normal".

No such thing. It's there, or your copy is bugged. Anything that requires a HoD has one nearby. I can't imagine sko special PC save system breaking that, but it was always there leaning against a balcony or something when needed.
Try dropping the hammer of dawn after killing the first seeder, then advancing to the second seeder. I'm 99.9% sure I've searched every nook and cranny of the tiny bit of the level I'm allowed to wander around in. It ain't there.

GoW is the first major title I've played that implements it in an enjoyable manner
Have you not played Rainbow 6: Vegas? If so, you really, REALLY should. I like aspects of both games in terms of the way you can hug cover, but I slightly prefer the Vegas way because it feels less scripted. In defense of GOW, rolling from cover to cover is a great mechanic that Vegas doesn't implement at all.

On harder difficulty levels, it becomes crucial to keep your team members alive during the fight
They're only useful to draw fire when fighting the minigun guys. You realize this is the PC version, so I am basically headshotting every enemy I encounter, right? Well, within the accuracy of the guns. Anyway, my point is that I end up fighting alone about half the time, which is no problem. I can take 'em all, as long as I don't run out of ammo due to the obscene number of bullets it takes to kill anything.

I want to like the game. Part of the problem is that all the kudos and praise for this game has set EXTREMELY high expectations. It's almost better to go in knowing nothing.

[Fuzzydevil]

I want to like the game. Part of the problem is that all the kudos and praise for this game has set EXTREMELY high expectations. It's almost better to go in knowing nothing.

That was exactly how I felt, back on the 360. It was bundled with my 360 and I hadn't been paying much attention to releases for the system, so it was an extremely pleasant surprise for me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it would be like Halo - overhyped, and inevitably disappointing for latecomers.

[John E. Motion]

So, how do I skip the cut scenes? They're brutal
and very
very
very
very
very
very
very
long

[Igor Muravyev]

So how is this different from the 360 version, except for insanely better accuracy?

And I don't suppose there's a way to play against the 360 players online?

[Lizard_King]

So how is this different from the 360 version, except for insanely better accuracy?

And I don't suppose there's a way to play against the 360 players online?
That would be a very short game.

[Creole Ned]

So how is this different from the 360 version, except for insanely better accuracy?

And I don't suppose there's a way to play against the 360 players online?
- five new single player chapters
- three new multiplayer maps
- one new multiplayer gametype
- game editor
- a bunch of new achievements

PC players cannot play against 360 players. PC players get their own special buggy version of Live.

[nordhus]

This game arrived in the mail today. While I waited for the installer to finish I browsed the Epic Games forums and found this (http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=583531) thread. One of the special features of the PC version of Live is apparently that it occasionally eats all your saved games.

Are there any Qt3ers who have experienced this? Should I shelve the game until a patch comes out?

[Alistair]

Mixed feelings on this one so far. Not that far in. Just got past the first vehicle stage. I like the cover idea... but I kind of feel that I'm so BIG and the enemies are so BIG and the areas I'm in aren't all that huge, and then I ZOOM IN to aim... It gives it a kind clumsiness. I'm enjoying a lot of it, but I think this will be the last Epic game, or console shoooter I buy. Although R6 Vegas was an Xbox port wasn't it? And I liked that ok. Hmm.

[Chris Nahr]

While I waited for the installer to finish

Did it take a full hour to install on your system, too? They must have used the special Microsoft installer with idle wait loops after each copied byte.

[Fugitive]

The copying was quick on my system, but there was this "decrypting files" stage afterwards that took quite a while. I wandered away for a bit, came back, and the installer had vanished completely without even a "Finished!" screen, but it seems to be installed correctly anyway.

[unbongwah]

Although R6 Vegas was an Xbox port wasn't it?
Technically, it was a near-simultaneous release: PC version came out 3 weeks after the X360. To my mind, "port" implies it was released well after the console release and was just a straight conversion of the original game (see also: Fable, Jade Empire).

Whether you think R6V's design was impaired or dumbed down because it's a cross-platform game is up to you...

[Machfive]

FWIW, I gave this game a bit more time to grow on me, and once you get your mind wrapped around the fact that you can dance between cover points by simply clicking that cover button and some combination of movement keys it becomes almost a dance of sorts.

I'm enjoying it thus far.

[wumpus]

I tapped out when they sent me through the room with randomly breaking floorboards that drop you into a room full of enemies.

I am just not finding the game particularly fun.

I think the excessive overload of the space key is aggravating, too. Just because I'm sprinting doesn't mean I want to stick like glue to every surface I happen to bump into.

[rossm]

I played gow for pc a while, I think I gave it more than a fair shake. I quit after arriving at some large area underground where I was supposed to plant the resonator. I had just killed a huge bug thing. Several things made me angry.

The checkpoint placement seems to be intentionally in the worst spots possible. Every time I died (which was often several dozen times in succession) it drops me at a spot where I have to walk extremely slowly and speak over the headset and then wait for somebody to unlock a door or something. I had to sit through up to a minute of the same horrible dialogue before being allowed to die again.

Oh and then there was this super cool spot where they decided to do one of those "if you step on the wrong tile, you have to start over" puzzles. All while walking at some crippling pace. And those retarded loud guys underneath you are yelling incessantly.

Don't even get me started on the "avoid the dark area" section.

The only thing I liked about the game was the weapon variety. Unfortunately you can only carry 2, some of which are useless at range or up close. You can't know what type of area is coming, so you choose blindly or just always bring a shotgun and sniper or some similar combo. Ruins the whole thing.

I'd complain more about the graphics, but fortunately it let you disable the blur effect, increase the brightness, and generally just tweak the graphics so it doesn't look shitty anymore.

PS: I got viva pinata around the same time, and played it for 10 hours straight. It's super awesome. It reminds me a lot of startopia which has to be one of the best pc games ever. So the microsoft windows live games whatever things can't be all bad.

[Hugin]

Wumpus, Ross, about the breaking boards thing, which annoyed some folks who played the 360 version as well:

There should be a cracking noise before the floor breaks (No, unless they changed the PC version, it's not simultanious). If you reverse your direction or even just stand stock still when the cracking noise comes, you shouldn't fall. If you do fall, ignore the exploding dog things and just head for the ladder in the corner of the room and climb out. The floorboards do not reset, so even if you have to brute force and trigger all the trap floor panels, it really shouldn't take more than five or six minutes to get through the room, basically there won't be any "bad" floor panels left. At the very worst, you have to run through the dog room three times maybe (and the way they attack, so long as you keep moving it'll be very difficult for them to hit you). Don't waste bullets on them, they spawn infinitely so far as I can tell.


I understand why the room is annoying, but it just doesn't take enough time (and it's not deadly enough) to stop playing the game over, unless you really hate everything else already.

[rossm]

Thanks hugin! I did end up getting through it with the way you described (after 10 or so deaths), but I've already uninstalled the game now. I wasn't going to play it further, and I was uncomfortable with less than 5gb free.

I feel like I may have been too harsh on gow because of its blockbustery hype and success, despite trying to give it a fair shot. After a while though, it was just making me too angry to continue playing. I only fault the game partially for that.

[bago]

I'm guessing the cognitive dissonance where bunny hoppers can't adjust to stop and pop is that same kind leading to the criticism of the marionette control system in AC. You've been wanting innovation, and here it is. But that's the reason why sequelitis is so common.

[Derek French]

I have only played through the intro so far, but the 1/2 hour of getting Live up and running almost made me want to kill myself. It was just a horrible experience.

What really messed me up was going over to my father-in-law's last night and him showing me his new Media Center PC. After playing with that interface for a bit I was just astounded that it was a MS product because it was so easy to use. I wish the Live sign-up and login system were that easy.

[Naeblis]

I'm guessing the cognitive dissonance where bunny hoppers can't adjust to stop and pop is that same kind leading to the criticism of the marionette control system in AC. You've been wanting innovation, and here it is. But that's the reason why sequelitis is so common.

Today i began playing Gears of War, and while i can play the "stop and pop" thing... i also playing Timeshift, a much more old school fps, and it's being way more fun. So it's not like i can't adapt, it's that one way is better than the other.

It's like HL2. Everyone was praising the gravity gun in the day, and it was innovative, original, with multiple uses, etc, but in the end to search some debris of the scenario, take it and throw it at the enemy while it's blocking your view was less fun and less visceral than sprint in to the face of the enemy and blast it away with a shotgun, Doom style.

I am sure i could make a very original game about book accounting, but i don't know if it would be more fun than the established genres. Surely not.

[marxeil]

So, is there going to be a demo for this anytime soon?

[John Reynolds]

I am incredibly unimpressed with this game, and the fact that I had to go throught the BS of creating a Live account just to save my SP progress is annoying as hell. Sure am glad that GfW did a 120-page-OMG-thank you-for-porting-this-our-MS-overlords preview a month or two back.

[malkav11]

I can't even get it to work. It'll load, but I can't back out of video and audio settings once I've set them to something bearable, forcing me to force quit the game. I also can't create a profile - the profile creation button clicks, but doesn't do anything. And the control settings default to being completely empty - I can then set them, but then I can't exit the settings dialogue in a way that saves them. It's really bizarre.

[Papageno]

I am incredibly unimpressed with this game, and the fact that I had to go throught the BS of creating a Live account just to save my SP progress is annoying as hell.

WTF? You've got to be kidding--they make you create a Live account for Windows just to be able to save your SP game?

[Alistair]

Yeah.

[Chris Nahr]

Yeah, same as in any Live-enabled game. It's total bullshit, but apparently someone forgot to tell the Live team that Windows users already have an offline "account" by definition, with plenty of dedicated storage space right on the local hard disk.

So as a minimum, you have to create an offline Live account -- which effectively just doubles your Windows user account. Stupid.

[Lokust]

I finished this game this week. The new parts of Act 5 were very challenging but also very satisfying. I was expecting more new stuff so that was a bit of a let down, but it was still a fun ride, just as it was on the 360. Multiplayer feels a lot different then how I remember stuff going down on the 360, because the lancer is a much more solid weapon under mouse and keyboard control. The shotgun always seemed a lot better than it on the 360 but the reverse seems true on the PC.

[Derek French]

WTF? You've got to be kidding--they make you create a Live account for Windows just to be able to save your SP game?
Close, you have to make a Local Live account to save your game. To get Achievements, you have to go through a 5 page, IE signup page to create the Windows Live account. After that, you get to download an update for Live. The game then minimizes and a Live installer runs. Guess what it complains about that is running that will prevent installation? Gears. It is not elegant. My issue is also that the entire interface is a dupe of Xbox Live and it seems to all make sense to my 360 using friends. That is the entire problem. It makes no sense to PC gamers.
So as a minimum, you have to create an offline Live account -- which effectively just doubles your Windows user account.
That was my entire mental block on this issue.

[Papageno]

FWIW, this is on sale at CC this week ($39.99). I wonder if I should bother or wait till it drops further. I've got about 5 or 6 other unplayed shooters sitting around--including Riddick, Tron 2.0, Jedi Academy and Far Cry, and have to finish STALKER and a few other billion games. I just finished the SP version of CoD4.

Also, this Windows Live BS seems less than worth it. Is the added content over the 360 version worth it (I don't own nor have I played the 360 version, but I've been wanting to)?

[HRose]

I'm SO glad I didn't buy this game.

I got it from a friend and I'm too fed up to figure out once again technical problems.

No problems running Bioshock at full detail. With this one I can't select any texture mode above "low" or I get some heavy stutter.

The interesting aspect is that I have a 512Mb video card, that if I don't move, I get 40 FPS, and that as soon I move forward the heavy stutters begins, and it's not the kind of slow framerate, just heavy stutter here and there.

Next gen games, yeah.

[John Reynolds]

Close, you have to make a Local Live account to save your game. To get Achievements, you have to go through a 5 page, IE signup page to create the Windows Live account. After that, you get to download an update for Live. The game then minimizes and a Live installer runs. Guess what it complains about that is running that will prevent installation? Gears. It is not elegant.

Oh, Gears minimized for you? It didn't for me, which sent me into a loop for about 5 minutes until I finally just closed the game in frustration and then saw the window prompting me to retry after closing the app.

[rossm]

I had significantly better performance in GoW than Bioshock.

[HRose]

I had significantly better performance in GoW than Bioshock.
In fact it runs WELL, if it wasn't for the stutters. Those stutters aren't normal, it's not a FPS slowdown as usual. It's just heavy stutters that must be linked to some weird problem.

Anyway, I looked up on Epic forums and noticed that files are circulating to disable the Live account and simply save the game as all other games use to do.

I'm going to give it a try and say if it works.

[HRose]

Gotta love the forums.

- Edited WarEngineUserSettings.ini under the folder in My Documents. Changed OnlyStreamInTextures from FALSE to TRUE and the stutter problem I had is MUCH improved. I went from completely umplayable to playable. I hope Epic gets a clue and finished to solve the problem.

- http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=585332 There's an archive you can unzip in the game folder (could mess future patches, though). It basically disable the Live support and makes an automatic profile named "player1". So you can save without a Live account. People also reported that this fixes some crashes as well.

Once again a perfect example of PC gaming. The game out of the box didn't work. I had to edit .ini files to get playable performance.

[Igor Muravyev]

I tapped out when they sent me through the room with randomly breaking floorboards that drop you into a room full of enemies.
Ah, I fondly remember that one well since I was playing coop with my friend on the 360. It was kind of funny since we both fell down once, at which point we actually kept reviving each other and shooting the enemies, except that the gracious developers decided to put one infinite respawn closet and that was in the "randomly" breaking floorboards part (they are not random actually, its always the same boards), so eventually you had to run up to the ladder and try to get to the other side again.

It's too bad that the main characters didn't think of something obvious like testing the wooden boards in advance before stepping on them....

[bago]

That's what the cracking sound is for.

[HRose]

Yes, you have to run into the obstacle and press it at the right time, make sure you are still pushing with your analog stick in that direction. If you play the game for a few hours you'll get the hang of it and he should not take cover behind it but just hop over the obstacle right away.
I tried to do this multiple times and always failed.

I can only jump over something AFTER having ducked.

Controls are great if only they had solved these quirks.

[Podunk]

GoGamer's got it for $32.90 right now. I'm almost tempted at that price in spite of the fact that I played it to death on the 360.

[Alistair]

Anyone know how much more of this I have to go? I've just set out to find Marcus' dad's place.

[Lake]

You are about 60% done.

[Alistair]

Shame it's just decided I have no savegames then. What a piece of garbage. I like some of the combat/cover/zoom/reload gameplay, and I'm always up for an SF setting, but Jesus. The 40 minute install should have been a clue, followed by the stupid Live account, the crap interface, the rubbish colour options and the Fisher Price onscreen instructions - I KNOW it's the Space key, it has been for 6 hours now. Nor do you have to draw me a picture of the action - I KNOW what the roll looks like now. And no, I never wanted to jump anyway. Grr.

[ARogan]

So I just finished the new content (ch 5) since I already finished it on 360.

- runs well with everything maxed out on an 8800gt. I ended up running it at 1366X768 on my hdtv and used my 360 controller (mouse/keyboard just felt weird for this game) for a near 360 like experience except I had...
- Stutters: It feels like disk access when entering a new level (though it's running off a raid 0). I just got use to it. But yeah gears actually runs better on my 360.
- half way through the chapter I decided to come back and it said I had no continue points. WTF!!??!!! So I had to start the chapter back from the start.

The new content is nice but it really is more of the same. The boss battle was actually pretty lame. This would have been better as DLC for 360.

[Alistair]

So I tried to sell this on Ebay... to find out that they'll only sell games now if you have a a Paypal account. Too much fraud apparently. I got rid of my Paypal account because of the non-electronic hassle it started to involve.

So I thought I'd give it another go and play through on Casual. And I found the bit in the interface that turns off the little pictures! Excellent. Sadly, the mouse pointer only moves around the top left quarter of the screen now, so there are many options, ohhh, like Quit, which I can't select. Sigh.

I'm tired of this. The combination of interface/art design/checkpoint sytems designed for & by children is just pushing this hobby beyond my tolerance level. I've also got UT3 right now, and it's a similarly comic effort. Maybe it's just over exposure to Epic, but gaming like this can just fuck right off. The idea with new media is that they get better with time, not worse.