Plus, it’s one that’s built to share. The online deathmatch modes emphasising close-quarters combat over tactics or complex mechanics are enjoyable, but Gears was designed for online co-operative play. You can work with another player through the whole single-player campaign, with different but complementary routes for you to take at various moments.
The only irritation is that online play requires you to sign up for Microsoft’s tedious Live service. You can play offline and online with just the free silver account, but it still meant we had to go through 30 minutes of setup and patching before battle could commence.
Be a snob if you want, but even after Call of Duty 4, The Orange Box and Crysis, Gears is an excellent action game. If you’ve got the testosterone, it’s a hell of a good time.
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