Gears Of War Vs Gears Of War (Best Of Gears Of War)

This feature contains potential spoilers for the Gears of War games and series.

Being one of my favourite series and recently having its fourth installment, Gears of War: Judgment, released, I thought I would do a Versus of all the Gears of War games. Going from my least favourite (placed in at number 4) to my all time favourite (number 1). So, let's get to it!

Gears of War: Judgment

I recently reviewed Gears Judgment and came to the conclusion that it was the worst game in the series. And I don't mean that it is just my 'least favourite'; it is actually just an average game generally.

Receiving a rating of simply 6/10 from me, Judgment is far from the continuance of the franchise that the much-loved series deserved. While it offered some good add-ons, like the more accessible and enjoyable multiplayer, there were also some very hard to understand changes that were made. Its biggest flaw was its totally lacklustre campaign that tried to combine different elements of the game (like horde) into one as well as make it faster paced and less tactical. This didn't work well in the least, as you might have guessed (or already known if you read the review). 

The story was also very mediocre, offering little emotional motivation and a fairly shallow cast of characters too.

Judgment is without doubt the worst Gears of War game and is an easy choice for fourth place.

Gears of War 3

Gears of War 3 wasn't perfect, but the changes made to the campaign were more necessary for the sake of the story than what people thought about it. To really make you feel the emotion and game world, to really appreciate how much things had changed over the years, to progress the actual plot, Epic Games had to switch things up and make it fairly different to the older campaigns. It worked, as well. I actually enjoyed it more on my second playthrough and there are some truly incredible, epic moments that stick with me today. In fact, despite not being my favourite GoW, it certainly has the most amount of these moments than the other games.

Some of my favourite parts are when you are defending Anvil's Gate - that entire section is a blast. 

The Old Town was eerie and had that awesome inclusion of zombie things as well as the infamous finale. 

Earlier on when you are going through the desert; that section of the story is also incredibly awesome. 

Sure, it took some getting used to, but Gears 3's varying environments and far more emotionally driven story were all necessary changes that did the game a lot of good.

It might not be the best GoW game, but it sure as hell is a brilliant one. When I reviewed it on an old website I used to own and run (which is no defunct) I gave the game a 9.1/10 score. 

Gears of War

Ah, the game that changed it all. Gears of War didn't create cover based shooters, as many touchy, hardcore, retro gamers will let you know within seconds of you suggesting that the series had something to do with that genre of video games success; however it did set the path straight and the ball rolling in the right direction. Cover based shooters had never been as easy to use or accessible until Gears came along with its near perfect cover system. 

Admittedly games like Tomb Raider are now proving we don't even need to use buttons to use cover anymore and it can be fantastically implemented in a more open and flexible way.

Anyway, I digress. Back to Gears of War.

Obviously you know which game is going to be first, and it wasn't an easy choice. Gears of War 1 has a certain magic about it. Something that the most recent game, Judgment, lost. As with GoW2 and 3; Gears 1 has an absorbing, brilliantly laid out, campaign. It is dark, brutal and unforgiving and totally immersive. Wandering through streets while Krill zoom around in great hordes above your head is something that I will never forget. Just like when you first encounter the Lambent Wretches at the Imulsion Facility. that too was an awesome, suspenseful part of the game. 

Gears offered a shit ton of things that you couldn't get anywhere else. The cover system, the shooting, the story and the setting; everything about it was immaculately brought forward and organised. It remains a modern classic; one of the greats of this generation. It is 'technically' not the best game, but the memories I have of playing it rocket it into second place with ease.

When I reviewed this game on my old website, it was given a score of 9.5/10. A truly incredible game.

Gears of War 2

Gears of War 2 takes the crown as the best Gears game of all time (so far). It really is one of the best games I have played this gen.

The thing that makes GoW2 better than the first game, is that the level design is improved, the environments are better, the game has even more epic moments and, most of all, the gameplay itself was tightened up. All those things I got annoyed about in the first title, like getting stuck into cover here and there, or getting rushed constantly by enemies and dying instantly; they were gone. 

This really felt like the ultimate Gears experience and still does to this day.

The game was awesome from the start. When riding along on one of the Derrick trucks there is an awesome moment of awe when you look out at the view as you are bumbling along. And then the locust start coming. And it just gets better and better.

A great thing about the game is actually Ben Carmine, who is my favourite character not only in this title but also the entire series. He is funny, interesting and a great person to have in the story. That said, he was killed off way to quickly and wasn't elaborated on enough. 

There is an awesome mix of cinematic moments, like cutting yourself out of a worm from the inside with chainsaws and even riding on a Brumak, and brilliantly worked combat situations and battles. It is a perfect combo that really works well. On the one hand you have the far from serious, over the top, extreme violence and craziness, and then you have the serious gunfights and emotional story moments.

The entire game is a blast from start to finish and is a true representation of not only how a sequel CAN better the original, but also shows that full-scale change isn't necessary (*cough*Judgment*cough*) to continue a series.

Gears of War 2 is the best Gears game so far, and is one of the most awesome games of this gen. When I reviewed it on my old website, it was given a score of 9.7/10.

A Question Of Faith (Belief Vs Belief & Right Vs Wrong)

People don't like discussing religion and belief like they don't politics, but for other reasons. Sure you can expect clashes of opinion when talking about what you believe versus what the other person believes just like you can when talking about governments and political decisions and parties, but there is something else that comes coupled with religious talk. It is as though people dislike the subject because it unsettles them and their deeper fears about life and death as well as questions that are not answerable.

The possibility of a God is exactly that; a possibility. There are no facts and no certainties here. There is nothing solid saying that there is a higher power and that Jesus really was sent from the Heavens just like there isn't anything saying it isn't true. 

I myself believe that there is a God and an afterlife. I am not religious in any way, however, and hate being related to religion. Religion is just a nice way of saying 'cult'.

Part of the reason I believe in this is because I was brought up believing and I have always found a bit of comfort in the thought of there being more to life (and death). In truth, 65% of me is a firm believer while the other 35% is a cynical sceptic. 

When considering the infamous question: 'Why are we here?" people who believe often come back with something along the lines of and relating to; to be good, to help people and those in need, to do this and that and all that stuff. 

In my mind there is no definitive answer. And that is why I am of a split opinion. 

You see, science doesn't need a reason for us being here. God, presuming he is an almighty being, does. 

If God created people, then why didn't he create us perfect and nice, without any badness? A common counter to this, I find, is often: "So we could learn to be good ourselves". But why? What is the point of that? Is this some game? Unless by us deciding to be good ourselves we have some greater effect on something that could not be achieved any other way, what is the point? Why not just be amazing people from the start? In fact, why not just start us in 'Heaven' and forget the Earth? Just start us in Heaven as these amazing beings and we're all set and done, right? 

The only other counter to this I have so far heard or thought up, that actually defeats me, is 'free will'.

When God created people, he created us to be able to do what we wanted, to be free and to have, ultimately, free will. If he wanted us to be naturally perfect and flawless people, that would take away any kind of option to do bad things (in other words: choice), and thus our ability of free-will would be corrupted. We would not, essentially, be people. Well I'll be damned, that is a bloody good point. I have absolutely no counter to that.

When it comes to science, as I said before, it doesn't need a reason. Science does what science does and if you have a problem with that then deal with it. If people were created by some random fluke of science then so be it, we do not need a greater purpose because science is just the way it is. 

I am not here to try and disprove anything, just to ask some questions and take points of view on board. 

Derren Brown asked the question: is God and this overall belief in a supernatural power just a positive placebo? Was God made up to keep peoples morale's in check, make people feel more secure and happier and to give everyone something positive to help them through their life? It's possible.

In the end, I have no answers, and neither do you. Nor do the Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on my door or the Pope. Everything, all of this, is based on a hunch. It's a bit scary really.

Earlier I noted that I hate religion. I believe what I believe and sure, you can believe what you want, but religion is just wrong. Getting a group of people together like a club who all believe in the same thing is a great idea, but religions don't seem to do any good. In fact, all they do is discriminate and hurt people. The amount of controversy surrounding the Catholic Church and pedophilia alone is disgusting. You say you are here for the greater good, to spread goodness and promote good and do good good good? Well why don't you stop causing more problems then? 

It's not that I have an issue with the normal people who are part of religions that are just normal people, it is the entire religion itself and what it stands for.

I have a great example(s) of this in the form of sexism and homophobia within the church. 

First of all, no women popes? Why the hell not? Because of some rubbish you believe? Give me a break. 

And why no gay marriages? Because it is an abomination of God and the church or something? Really? Let me just say something relating to both things just mentioned. No matter whether you believe or not, this is the fact of the matter: people, not God, created this whole 'religion' thing, OK? People, not God, created marriage, OK? People, not God, made these messed up, discriminative, rules, OK? I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly doubt that God dislikes gay people. You know why? Because if he is so 'almighty' and 'kind' and amazing, he won't give a crap.

Marriage is a man made thing, not supernaturally imposed upon us all with some secret rules. So if man made it, man can, and should, change it to accommodate gay people. It absolutely boggles my mind that it is such an issue to allow gay people to get married. Why? Just why? If you stand for God and kindness then why the fuck are you discriminating? AND being sexist to women?

It absolutely blows my mind how far this lunacy has gone. The church is a joke, imposing its power and wealth upon society in ways that are unavoidable or changeable by normal people. The church has a responsibility as the so-called 'representatives' of God, to account for everyone in a kind and accepting way. They are not doing this. They are a discriminative, homophobic, sexist organisation with little coming from the heart anymore. 

The thing is, too, that Christianity is the recognised religion of many people and places. It is so wide and big and has such an effect on society that what it does matters to everyone because in some way or another it affects them. Scientology is a crazy cult, but it has little effect on politics or society and thus what they do is irrelevant to all those not involved with them. On the other hand, things like Christianity have a responsibility to serve society well which they are not fulfilling and are, in fact, causing more problems with their outdated and long left behind and completely man-made homophobia and sexism. 

Religion and belief can be a toxic, horrible mass of nastiness. 

I can't get over what some people say and think and also do, because it relates to what they believe. 

In fact, this is an ideal example of how far involved with what they think is true some people are:

"Women shouldn't be able to have abortions-" OK, "Even if they are raped!" Uh wait, what? I know this is a difficult and controversial subject but really? Are you fucking kidding me? What a horrible view to have. That is such a shallow and ignorant and obnoxious view on pregnancy from rape that I am actually kind of disgusted by you. You are saying people who are victims of one of the most disturbing crimes on this earth and suffer pregnancy as a result of it, should not have the option of abortion, even though that child, which is related to the offender, may grow up to be, understandably, resented or not liked by the mother and may not get the childhood it deserves as well as causing its mother much trauma?  Why, exactly, do you think this?

"Because everything happens for a reason and that was obviously meant to happen to that woman. And what is more, abortion is never the answer."

So, you are basing your opinion of one of the most disgusting, horrible and traumatising crimes entirely on a possibly fictional and maybe even religious belief? Get the fuck away from me please. 

That is, in a nutshell, why religion, but also people who have such strong personal beliefs about these subjects, disturb me.

Do people really base what they think about extreme subjects like rape on what may or may not be true? So if there is no God, all of what you thought is pointless? Geez, well done pal. Good job. Imagine if idiotic people like these were in places of power like in politics (I know that politics is full of idiots but bare with me)? Imagine if they had the opportunity to force their ludicrous and crass beliefs upon everyone? Like I said, I believe in God and an afterlife, but not to the point where I actually make my decisions and all my opinions based on it, because what if it isn't real? What if God doesn't exist? All that would be for nothing.

All of that is like someone saying that they believe there is a monster in their attic that doesn't want them to eat waffles. So they don't eat waffles. This is insane because they are not eating waffles simply because of something they believe (but might not be true) that there is a monster in their house. Like, what the hell? But it is the same as the above situations.

These people, who have these crazy views all because of something potentially fictional, scare the crap out of me. They honest to God do. And it is another reason why religion and faith are so worrying; because of the power they have over people and our society. Religions have been the cause of lots of disgusting crimes over the years. And we are supposed to take what they represent seriously after all that/this?

Peoples may believe to be happier, or because they genuinely do think there is a higher power, or some people don't because, quite rightly, there is no proof. In my mind, life is about being happy. Do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't involve hurting others. Be a good person and enjoy yourself. If believing helps you with that, that is awesome. If you are still happy and good even if you don't have faith in religion or something, then that too is awesome. There is nothing wrong with 'religion' as such, or the people who are a part of it, but the whole religion thing today, as it is on a whole and the things it inspires and causes, is very crazy and does little good overall. 

The bottom line is that we are here, on this planet, in this universe, with these other people. Who gives a damn if there is a God or not? Because whether there is or not we are only going to be on earth for so long, and no matter what is true or false we should strive to be happy and be good people. You don't need some dumb, fucked up, modern day religion to tell you that. 

Most of this was just my opinion though, so share your's in the comments! 

Peace people.

Tomb Raider VS Far Cry 3

Tomb Raider and Far Cry 3 are both excellent games and also both comparable. Here is my head-to-head comparison between the two games. Hopefully this might help you to decide which to buy, if you are in such a predicament. There shouldn't be any spoilers ahead but if you are sensitive to the information you know about a game before playing, read with caution!

GRAPHICS

Both of these games are gorgeous looking. Far Cry 3 has some stunning sights to see and the facial and body animations are first class and some of the best I've seen this gen. That said, up close some textures can be a bit flat and sometimes more out of the way things like trees and bushes can be mediocre in their animation. 

Tomb Raider is probably one of the best games I've seen this gen in a while. It doesn't quite surpass Crysis 3, but it is absolutely stunning. Facial animations are on par with Far Cry 3 easily, if not better. 

The island on which Lara is stranded looks absolutely phenomenal up close and from afar. The variety in the areas of the island is fantastic and everywhere you go it looks downright breathtaking. The fire effects are superb also.

Both are super looking games, but, ultimately, Tomb Raider takes the point here with its consistently first rate graphics. Far Cry 3 shouldn't feel too disappointed though; after all, Tomb Raider is one of the best looking games around.

Scores: Far Cry 3: 0 - Tomb Raider: 1

STORY

Far Cry 3 kinda blew me away with its story. Being a first person and open world, I wasn't expecting such an emphasis on this area of the game. Fortunately it had a great cast of characters and a consistently interesting, and somewhat deep, plot. I liked the main character and while the side characters weren't all that interesting, the bad guys Vaas and Hoyt (especially Vaas) were sensational. They were both insane in their own way, but each brought something different to the table too. Unfortunately Vaas disappeared from the game too soon and not enough was done with his character.  

Tomb Raider has a somewhat up and down story. On the plus side, Lara is an incredible character and one you feel very emotionally for. The mysterious island secrets that she must go on a journey to find out about make the overall plot very interesting and constantly enjoyable. 

On the downside, the side characters are all, except for Roth and Sam, very shallow, generic, boring and, if anything else, annoying. They do little and some of them actually act and look like characters you would see in a cartoon, which at times makes it all feel a little comical. The bad guy is also very reminiscent of Mola Ram from Indiana Jones, which although made it seem more 'adventure-y' also lowered the overall serious tone of it. He wasn't exactly the scary psycho the game wanted you to feel he was.

It is hard to pick a decisive winner here. Far cry 3 didn't grip me as much, but it interested me and I loved the characters, especially the bad guys. 

On the other hand, Tomb Raider certainly kept me on edge more and was more intriguing, but at the same time lacked some of the finesse that Far Cry 3 had in its characters.

Overall I call this one a draw. No certain winner here as they both have their own unique and awesome tale to tell.

Scores: Far Cry 3: 1 - Tomb Raider: 2

GAME-WORLD/SETTING

Rook Island is a fantastic setting for Far Cry 3 and it is one of the most vast and interesting maps I've had the pleasure of playing in an open-world game.

The entire journey you make around the island when you first play the game; taking over enemy strongholds, making more of the map visible by activating radio towers, completing missions; it is extremely satisfying and fun to do. The island itself offers everything you could possibly want: jungles, beaches, cliff sides to jump off of and underwater caves to discover, secrets to unlock, things to collect, animals to hunt, people to kill, side missions - the list is endless. It is one of the most enjoyable places I've had the privilege of exploring and it is truly incredible. Hell, even when you complete the entire map, with this new patch recently released, you can now reset all the strongholds back to being run by the enemy so you can spend even more time on Rook Island killing people.

I'm going to cut this part down because I, and maybe you, already know who has won this one. Tomb Raider's island is somewhat restrictive. It is broken down into areas as opposed to giving you the entire map as your playground. While it is nice to go around exploring, you never feel totally free, and it can often leave you feeling fairly restrained in what you can and can't do. It has nice variety and the amount of things to do on the side, including secret tombs and plenty of collectibles to find, is great, however it doesn't offer quite as much content as Far Cry 3 and after a while, without much to do, it becomes a bit of a bore.

It is easy to pick the winner here. Far Cry 3 has a sensational, expansive island to explore and it pays off. 

Scores: Far Cry 3: 2 - Tomb Raider: 2

GAMEPLAY

Far Cry 3 is very open with its gameplay, allowing for a ton of ways to play it. Shooting, driving, swimming, gliding, stealth and even platforming are all here. 

Combat situations can be approached different ways, and to hunt you have to be fairly sly and take the animal(s) (especially deer) by surprise. 

Stealth works incredibly well and the platforming is a necessity for completing various parts of the game as well as giving you the option of scaling buildings and, generally, being a super ninja. There is nothing you can't do, really. 

Each of these gameplay areas works perfectly, too, with no corners being cut. Everything is easy and accessible and the variety here is massive. 

There is even a perk system available which is far deeper than anything Tomb Raider tries to do. Hunting is necessary in order to craft different items, and collecting herbs allows you create different concoctions that may give you an advantage in battle or in other ways. The game is just fun, deep and always interesting to play.

Tomb Raider offers less overall gameplay options than Far cry 3 and instead focuses more on platforming, gunplay and puzzle solving. All three of these are extremely well crafted and enjoyable aspects of the game. 

The platforming is some of, if not the best, around. It is risky but not too hard and the balance here is perfect. 

Gunplay is mostly excellent, although having to shoot someone 3 times with a shotgun at close range is a bit excessive. The cover system is outstanding though, and equal to Far Cry 3's similar idea of not having a dedicated cover button but instead automatically taking cover when behind objects while not limiting your ability to move. 

The puzzle solving is also brilliant, but there just aren't enough puzzles in the actual game unfortunately. 

Overall, Tomb Raider is incredibly fun to play. It does have a bit of an emphasis on quick time events and scripted set pieces, but it is almost always awesome to play.

It is very difficult to pick which has better gameplay. Both are incredibly fun, however I would have to say Far Cry 3 edges ahead by just having more depth. Hunting, plant collecting, stealth, using the camera to pick out enemies, platforming, shooting, driving and swimming; it is one of the most moreish game I have played; never boring and always a thrill.

Scores: Far Cry 3: 3 - Tomb Raider: 2

MULTIPLAYER

I am going to answer this straight up: both have tacked on multiplayer modes with little depth that won't continue to be played in the near future, but, admittedly, Far Cry 3 is leaps and bounds below Tomb Raider. 

Yep, Tomb Raider actually has an online mode that I enjoyed, albeit wouldn't carry on playing. It is definitely more enjoyable than Far Cry 3's horrible and mediocre shambles of a co-op and multiplayer though. 

I'm going to save everyone time and just say that Tomb Raider wins this one on the basis that it is actually fun and interesting and not totally rubbish. 

Scores: Far Cry 3: 3 - Tomb Raider: 3

OVERALL ENJOYMENT

I enjoyed both games a hell of a lot and with it currently held at a tie I kind of want to end it like that. But I cant, because that isn't my honest opinion. 

I loved, and still do, both games. I had an awesome time playing both. But the game I will remember for the longest, that I couldn't stop playing the most and the one I just wanted never to end would be Far Cry 3.

I enjoyed the game so much and still do to this day that I can't possibly say that I had as much fun with Tomb Raider as well. I really did have a great time with TR, and it is up there with some of my all-time favourite games, but I just preferred FC3 that little bit more.

Scores: Far Cry 3: 4 - Tomb Raider: 3

VERDICT

Far Cry 3 did, and deserved to win. It is a better overall game than Tomb Raider and while its rival is an outstanding game I would recommend with the utmost urgency that everyone play, it just isn't quite as good. Far Cry 3 succeeds almost 100% in all it offers with little to no obvious drawbacks. I have enjoyed few games as much. 

Tomb Raider is still amazing, it just lacks the complete success of Far Cry 3 in everything it tries. 

Both should certainly be played, though, so if you can: DO!

Check out my review for Far Cry 3 and my review for Tomb Raider too.

What do you think of either or both games? Say your thoughts in the comments!