Gears of War (2-Disc Edition)

by Microsoft

• Engaging and disturbing cinematic story
• Never Fight Alone
• Gears of War Extras: Map Packs 1 & 2, Theme - Emergence Day, Gamer Pics - Gears of War, Emergence Day

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001A4MTGS
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: July 1, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,084 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #78 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Games > Action > Shooter

Product Description

Edition: 2-Disc

Amazon.com

This is a special two disc set for the original Gears of War. This version contains both Annex mode, and the ability to earn an extra 250 achievements for a total of 1250. Disc 1 includes the original GOW game. Disc 2 includes:

• Gears of War - Map Packs 1 & 2
• Gears of War - Theme - 'Emergence Day'
• Gears of War - Gamer Pics - 'Gears of War,' 'Emergence Day'
• Gears of War 2 - Trailers - 'Duel,' 'Assault'
• Gears of War 2 - Theme - 'Bare Your Teeth'
• Gears of War 2 - Gamer Pics - 'Crimson Omen'

Gears of War, an Xbox 360 exclusive game that blends tactical action with survival horror, thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing tale of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. The storyline plays out like a Hollywood blockbuster -- lead character Marcus Fenix pits advanced human technology against the overwhelming Locust Horde. Built around a revolutionary third-person tactical combat system and breathtaking, high-definition visuals from the Unreal Engine 3, Gears of War immerses you in a horrifying tale of war and survival.

Gears of War is harrowing tale that pits humankind against the Locust Horde.

Marcus Fenix and his team battle nightmarish creatures. View larger.

In Gears of War, you must take cover to survive. View larger.

Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience. View larger.

The gameplay is focused on a fire team co-op so advanced that your A.I. teammates are indiscernible from human players. Voice recognition and real-time lip synching heighten the absorbing experience. The Unreal Engine 3 technology brings out the smallest details in the largest of battles. With GOW you're sure to experience a rich, dynamic world where characters spring to life. Speaking of life, the battlefield is a lethal place. To survive, you must suppress your enemy with blindfire, take cover in interactive environments, and use weapons and teammates to outwit your dreaded, inhuman foes. And with a title like GOW, it would be shame if you couldn't get online and challenge live gamers. With the next-generation of Xbox Live, you'll be able to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player achievements, customize games, and build personalized gamer profiles.

Gears of War shined bright at Microsoft's pre-E3 press briefing, but a deeper demo at Microsoft's E3 booth revealed many of the game's mechanics. GOW is built with both the hardcore and casual gamer in mind. But, instead of selecting a difficulty level at the start of the game, GOW offers a choice at the beginning of each level. In the vein of choose your own adventure, you can select between a difficult or easy path. And it's not just a simple choice of battling tougher enemies; each path (explained by a comrade) represents additional content that is crucial to the storyline. After easing your way into the experience of the gameplay with the simpler paths, you can go back and test your skills on the more difficult routes and never feel like you've played through the areas before.

Standing around in the open is likely to get you killed in GOW. You must use cover to survive. With a context sensitive A button function, you won't have to sweat memorizing cumbersome button combos. The A button will:

• Slam you into cover. As you approach cover in GOW simply tap the A button to slide and make immediate use of cover.
• Vault you over the cover. Once you're in cover, pressing up and A will vault you over your cover to engage the opponent or next cover opportunity.
• Evade enemy fire. When you're forced to be out in the open, tapping the A button will engage a roll maneuver to evade enemy fire.
• Activate a "Swat Turn." When taking cover on the side of a doorway, pressing the A button will spin your character from one side of the doorway to the other, helping avoid fire.

Ripping a magazine free and replacing it in the midst of bloody combat is no easy task. GOW simulates this difficult action by forcing you to perfect your reloading skills. To be effective in combat you'll need to allot for time to successfully reload your weapon. Do it well and the battle is yours; do it poorly and you may actually jam your gun. Time it perfectly and you'll earn a bonus with a temporary damage boost. Though GOW clearly showcases a sci-fi experience, its roots are in tactical, realistic combat scenarios. Therefore, running and gunning makes for seriously erratic shooting. Think about what you're doing. Unless wasting ammo is your goal, you better stop, aim, shoot, and then move on. Otherwise, the Locust Horde might swarm you and take your life.

Gears of War presents a focused and well-paced cinematic experience, and nothing ruins that faster than a time-consuming exploration of every switch or button to find the elusive trigger to open a door. This game introduces a "point of interest" button that comes up on the screen so you can immediately interact with the necessary item to move forward in your gameplay. GOW certainly offers drool-worthy graphics, but the mechanics have also received equal attention. Keep your eyes and ears on high alert for a release date, as Microsoft hasn't let the cat out of the bag on when gamers will be able to tackle this great-looking and great-playing title.

Product Description

With over 30 Game of the Year awards and  more than 4.7 million copies sold, Gears of War is one of the most popular and critically-reviewed Xbox games of all time. This two-disc version includes the complete Gears of War experience, including the previously released multiplayer map packs, the Annex game mode and the ability to earn up to eight additional multiplayer Achievements for a total of 1250 possible Gamerscore. Gamers will also get a taste of the highly anticipated sequel, "Gears of War 2," through trailers and other extras. Gears of War thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great package for a great game October 27, 2008

By R. Higgs

Edition:2-Disc

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

Gears of War shouldn't be a stranger to any gamer's ears at this point. It's won an absolute truckload of awards and is far and away one of the best shooters available today. It's really a game that should not be missed.

Enter the 2-Disc edition, which with it's reduced price and bonus content is perfect for those that didn't get to jump on board the first time around. A lot of this content is available to download from Xbox LIVE, however as a new purchase its nice to receive all the maps and such already in the box. Also you'll get the exclusive "Emergence Day" gamer themes and pics that were only available at a limited time during the launch in 2006.

If you're already a Gears owner, then this is not the package for you, but as someone looking to get in on the action before the fall of Gears of War 2, this is a great package at an awesome value.

37 of 47 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars fun game. sub-par bonus disc July 17, 2008

By T. Hickman

Edition:2-Disc

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

As is obvious from all its acclaim, Gears is an excellent game.

All of the bonus content is free online and on xbox live. For those with high-speed internet, I don't think it is worth getting the 2-disc edition.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have title! February 12, 2009

By Nelson Martínez P.

Edition:2-Disc

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Very cool game, charged with lot of action and good story, this title has to be part of your game collection!

And also get the second part!