So I went to that Texas Chainsaw/Gears of War event at Lincoln Center in NYC. No photos (unless you want to see the snazzy GoW t-shirt they gave use... or the less snazzy 360 cap. (I didn't take the proffered 360 cheap ballpoint pen)).My thoughts?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is not a good movie. Not a horrible one but not good. R. Lee Ermey was very entertaining. But I wasn't there for the flick. My quick poll of the audience leads me to believe 6 out 7 weren't there for the movie.
Gears of War: Pretty darn amazing. Not ground-shaking-OMGBBQ amazing, but really really fun. First we watched one of the developers play the first level of single-player. Or at least part of it. Pretty pretty pretty. One the movie screen at least it looked next-gen, not just shinier current-gen. (By the way, when does next-gen stop being next-gen and becomes current-gen and current-gen becomes vintage?)
But getting my sweaty palm on some multiplayer was so so good. They had two games of 4-on-4 deathmatch, first team to three rounds. Not a lot of time but enough to end my fears. See, I usually have a really hard time at 3rd person games. I have a hard time playing GTA for jebus' sake. But it is so tight over the shoulder that it's not an issue.
Also, you don't spend a whole lot of time running and shooting at the same time. When they kept saying it was all about cover, they meant it. You'll be riding the A button a lot. A button to crouch-run. A button to take cover. A button to hurdle obstruction. Works amazingly well. The only problem is when you're trying to cover a lot ground through an area with a lot of cover spots. But I learned within minutes how to dash from cover to cover quickly.
The game play feels fast and furious but a lot more strategic than, say, Halo 2 (to compare apples to something that is not an apple). Because cover is so important, flanking is vital. My team (of folks I hadn't said a word to until we sat down in front of the screens) quickly started to work together, sending two players down the middle and the other two sneaking up along from opposite sides. Catching the other team in a three-direction crossfire was immensely satisfying.
But not as satisfying as the chainsaw. It is really a last ditch weapon (as charging in the open was a quick way to die), but when you get up in the enemy's face and rev that sucker up? Slam it into their shoulder, splattering the screen with think blood? Heaven. Pure gaming heaven.
I don't say this lightly but.... woot. Woot, indeed.
