Gears of War
| Gears of War | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio |
 Epic Games People Can Fly (Windows) The Coalition (Xbox One) 
|
||
| Publisher |
Microsoft Game Studios
|
||
| Senior Developer | Cliff Bleszinski (Lead Designer) | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
Xbox 360: November 7, 2006 November 17, 2006 November 23, 2006 Microsoft Windows: November 6, 2007 November 9, 2007 November 15, 2007 Xbox One: August 25, 2015 August 28, 2015 September 2, 2016    |
||
| platform | Xbox 360 , Windows , Xbox One | ||
| Game engine | Unreal Engine 3 | ||
| genre | Third person shooter | ||
| Subject | Science fiction | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Gamepad , mouse , keyboard | ||
| medium | DVD-ROM | ||
| language | German , English , French , Italian , Spanish | ||
| Age rating |
|
||
| information | Indexed in Germany until 2016. Approved for ages 18 and over after USK examination in 2016. | ||
Gears of War ( GoW for short , not to be confused with God of War ) is a franchise based on a third-person shooter produced by Epic Games and marketed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 in November 2006 . In addition to the six titles Gears of War (2006), Gears of War 2 (2008), Gears of War 3 (2011), Gears of War: Judgment (2013) and Gears of War 4 (2016 ), the brand is currently being marketed ) and Gears 5 (2019) also published five novels and five comic book spin-offs. In addition, many "classic" are merchandising -Article as action figures , key chain , wallets , shoes and the like available.
The graphically complex action game uses the Unreal Engine 3 . The action is about the protagonist Marcus Fenix and the conflict between the human inhabitants of the planet Sera and an underground enemy known as the Locust (German: grasshoppers).
Gears of War was released on November 12, 2006 in the US and November 17 in Europe . Since it did not receive a USK mark, it was not published in Germany. The game was indexed from November 2006 to July 2016 . After a USK re-examination, the Ultimate Edition of Gears of War for Xbox One was also released in Germany in September 2016 .
Just two weeks after the game was released, Microsoft reported sales of more than a million units worldwide, four weeks later two million and by mid-January 2007 three million copies had been sold. In total, Gears of War has sold over five million units worldwide.
Gameplay
In contrast to previous shooters from Epic Games, Gears of War takes a different direction in the genre. The gameplay is similar to that of tactical shooters and is characterized by a team-based approach and the use of the available cover. The artificial intelligence of the opponents almost forces the player in Gears of War to rely mainly on covering strategies and to proceed carefully if he wants to play successfully. In addition, the hit points regenerate by themselves as long as the player remains under cover.
The "active reloading" technique can accelerate the charging of the weapon currently in use and also improves the effectiveness of the ammunition if the player does it skillfully. When reloading is active, a rapidly moving bar in the HUD shows when the reload button has to be pressed again in order to use this technology. If active reloading is not used, reloading generally takes a little longer.
The entire game can be played cooperatively with two players via the Internet, local network or on a game console (split- screen ). The second player takes on the role of Dominic Santiago, who accompanies Marcus Fenix in the game even when only one human player is active. In that case, this is then controlled by the AI .
action
Situation: In the midst since 79-year-long Pendulumkriegen for supremacy on the planet Sera, the human inhabitants on so-called will be E-Day of the previously unknown human-like Locust attacked.
The hostile human parties join forces in the alliance KOR (Coalition of Ordinary Governments) and are now fighting a common enemy.
In the following war, which lasted 14 years, the Locust managed to break through the surface abruptly through guerrilla tactics using underground tunnels and thus unexpectedly attack the people.
By doing this, the Locust are bringing humanity to the brink of annihilation. The last defense of humanity are the Gears of War , the soldiers of the KOR infantry.
In the role of former gear sergeant Marcus Fenix, the player is freed at the beginning of the game by his best friend and former comrade Dominic Santiago from The Slab prison, which has now been overrun by Locust , and reactivated as a member of the Delta Zwei squad . This happens to the annoyance of his former superior and now commander-in-chief of the Gears, Colonel Hoffman, who, unlike the other inmates (murderers, rapists and the like) of the prison, did not pardon Fenix. After defying direct orders about 10 years after E-Day, Marcus left his post to save his father and was sentenced to 40 years in The Slab prison as a result. He served around four years of sentence.
Since the war is almost lost and therefore every Gear is needed, Marcus is accepted back into the Gears ranks.
On the run in a helicopter, they narrowly escape a corpser, a giant spider-like locust breed.
Delta Zwei is tasked with finding the missing Alpha Squad, which is in possession of the so-called Resonator, a device for mapping the Locust's tunnel system. The purpose of the resonator is to use a device called the "Lightmass Bomb" strategically against the Locust and destroy it. The team first encounters an isolated member of Alpha, Augustus Cole. After the death of Delta member Anthony Carmine, the squad consists of Marcus, Dom, Cole and Squadleader Lieutenant Kim.
They arrive at the remains of the Alpha Team and await a helicopter pickup when they are surprised at the Locust landing zone. In the ensuing battle, Lieutenant Kim, separated from the group, is killed by a huge Locust who turns out to be General Raam (the antagonist of this game). The others regroup in the nearby building and Damon Baird from Alpha Squad joins them. After Kim's death, Marcus is promoted to squad leader as the highest-ranking soldier by Colonel Hoffman.
The troops fight their way through the rugged streets and canyons of Jacinto, the last safe place on Sera, to finally reach an old emulsion refinery in a Junker, a kind of truck. They want to get below the surface through the drilling systems there in order to use the resonator. Before that, however, they have to fight creepers, a Locustab species, which have mutated through direct contact with emulsion (phosphorescent raw material from the interior of the planet, comparable to petroleum).
Deep underground, they meet the Locust drones and other crawlers again, as well as another Corpser, whom Marcus and Dom defeat this time by being driven back into the emulsion. On an underground drilling platform, the troops then fight against Theron guards before they attach the resonator, activate it and return to the surface. Colonel Hoffman informs them that the tunnel systems are more extensive than expected and that the radius of the resonator is therefore too small. However, Dominic has found a device that represents a much larger part of the tunnel system and is apparently related to Adam Fenix, Marcus' father. Hoping to find more data there, they go to the Fenix mansion at the East Barricade Academy.
Once there, they actually find the rest of the data in a hidden laboratory under the Fenix villa. While these are being secured, the gears must hold their own against countless Locusts. After the download has finished, they narrowly escape a Brumak, a giant combination of reptile and gorilla, on their escape from the estate.
Arrived at the train carrying the light mass bomb, and after another battle, Marcus and Dom jump on the train. You fight your way to the front compartment where the bomb is. After killing General Raam, who was waiting for them there, Marcus enters the data from the tunnel system into the target systems of the light mass bomb and jumps into an approaching helicopter after Dom. Only through Colonel Hoffman's outstretched hand does he manage to get into the helicopter. From there they watch as the train crashes down a destroyed bridge into the torn open earth and detonates the light mass bomb.
In a final sequence, the player sees how the light mass bomb splits into several rockets, which hit and detonate at different locations within the Locust tunnel. Then one hears a monologue from the Locust Queen, in which she announces that the war is not over, but is only beginning because the Locust would continue to fight until they win. During these words a Theron guard appears, who flies away on a large Reaver.
It can be assumed that this is an early version of Skorge, the antagonist from Gears of War 2 , on his Reaver called Hydra .
publication
Gears of War appeared in North America about a year after the Xbox 360 was released and at about the same time as the competing game console, the PlayStation 3 . In the run-up, the game was also traded as a kind of replacement for Halo 3 and Hope for the Christmas sale, which was released about 10 months later .
Since the USK refused to give the game an age rating, the game was not published in Germany because Microsoft only publishes games with a USK age rating in Germany.
The game was indexed on November 25, 2006 by the Federal Inspectorate for Media Harmful to Young People (confirmed again on January 11, 2007). In July 2016, the game was deleted from the index after 10 years in an accelerated process (according to §23 Paragraph 4 JuschG ), which will allow it to be sold after a renewed age check by the USK.
In the rest of Europe, Gears of War was officially distributed and approved by the PEGI from the age of 18.
PC version
At the beginning of November 2007, a PC version of Gears of War appeared under the Games-for-Windows label with DirectX -10 support. The PC version includes a new chapter that takes place between the fourth and fifth chapters of the Xbox 360 version.
The two versions (PC and Xbox 360) have separate multiplayer networks .
Ultimate Edition
In June 2015 Microsoft announced a graphically revised version of the game as the "Ultimate Edition". In addition to improved graphics, full HD resolution and 60 frames per second, this also includes new chapters in the main campaign as well as new multiplayer content and all previously published DLCs (including the previously PC-exclusive chapter). The game was released on August 25, 2015 for Xbox One and Windows . However, the PC version is only available in digital form from the Windows Store and can therefore only run under Windows 10. It is also the only one that offers the option of playing the game in UHD resolution (4K), which, however, has very high hardware requirements.
A publication in Germany did not take place due to the fact that the original was still indexed at the time (content was identical).
Due to the deletion of the list from the index in the meantime, the Ultimate Edition was published in Germany on September 2, 2016, about a year later. The game was USK approved for ages 18+.
Sequels
Gears of War 2 was released on November 7, 2008. The third part, Gears of War 3 , was released on September 20, 2011 and is the first part of the series that was not indexed in Germany. With Gears of War: Judgment part of a series, the 15 year appeared on March 22, 2013 is set against the first part. It is not a direct sequel, but is part of the Gears-of-War series. Gears of War 4 was released worldwide on October 11, 2016, including Germany. With Gears 5 the latest continuation of the series was released of 2019.
Books and comics
To accompany the video game series, five novels and four comic books have been published, which deepen and supplement the story told in the game. The first novel Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss , a well-known Star Wars author, was published under the same name in Germany in summer 2009. The second book Jacinto's heirs was translated into German in 2011. The third book, Anvil Gate , was published at the end of September 2011. In March 2012, the fourth book, Das Ende der Koalition, was published in German-speaking countries. It tells the direct history of the third game. The last novel was published under the title The Slab - Der Kerker at the end of 2012.
The comics were not published individually in Germany, but as anthologies in softcover. The first of these has been available in Germany since August 14, 2009 under the title Gears of War: Am Abgrund . Gears Of War: Brutstätte , the second comic series, was released on November 20, 2010 in Germany.
Books
- Gears of War: Aspho Fields . Volume 1 by Karen Traviss , 2009, Panini Verlag , ISBN 978-3-8332-1932-0
- Gears of War: Jacinto's Heirs . Volume 2 by Karen Traviss, 2011, Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8332-2243-6
- Gears of War: Anvil Gate . Volume 3 by Karen Traviss, 2011, Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8332-2244-3
- Gears of War: The End of the Coalition . Volume 4 by Karen Traviss, 2012, Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8332-2447-8
- Gears of War: The Slab . Volume 5 by Karen Travis, 2012, Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8332-2525-3
comics
- Gears of War: On the Edge . Volume 1 by Joshua Ortega and Liam Sharp , Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-86607-863-5
- Gears of War: Hotbed . Volume 2 by Joshua Ortega, Simon Bisley , Liam Sharp, Carps, Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-86607-993-9
- Gears of War: The Dawn Hammer . Volume 3 by Karen Traviss, Joshua Ortega, and others. a., Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-86201-312-8
- Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets . Volume 4 by Karen Traviss and Pop Mahn , Panini Verlag, ISBN 978-3-86201-380-7
Gears of War in the movie
Gears of War as a product placement : At the beginning of the movie Die Hard 4.0 you see a boy playing Gears of War. Which is later on a visit protagonists when hackers Freddy / Warlock on one of the screens in the background of writing Gears of War to detect. Scenes from the game are also shown in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles . The game also made a cameo in the film Deadly Command - The Hurt Locker . A young soldier plays it while talking to his troop doctor.
A film is being planned for the game . The production of the film is not progressing at the moment. The direction in which the film project should go is still being discussed.
Furthermore, the movie Noobz-Game over is all about a group of friends who want to take part in a Gears-of-War tournament.
Music to play
Music in "Gears of War"
- the soundtrack for Gears of War I was released on CD July 13, 2007 by Sumthing Else Music Works; The composer is Kevin Riepl, who had already composed the soundtracks for "Unreal Tournament 2003" and "Unreal Championship" for Epic Games;
- the soundtrack to Gears of War II was also released on November 25, 2008 by Sumthing Else Music Works on CD; The composer here is Steve Jablonsky , who has already composed the soundtrack for the movies "Transformers 1 + 2", "Die Insel", "The Hitcher" and others, as well as the soundtrack for the computer game "The Sims 3"
Trivia
Epic gave players the opportunity to choose the fate of the supporting character Clayton Carmine. In cooperation with the merchandising manufacturer NECA , two different T-shirts were sold. One of the shirts was labeled "Carmine Must Die", the other was printed with "Save Carmine". Both T-shirts were also offered in virtual form for the XBL avatars. The number of variants sold by the end of the promotion determines whether the character survives in the game or not. 80% of the proceeds (equivalent to US $ 150,000) went to a project for children in need.
Web links
- Official website
- Information in German
- Gears of War at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Report on sales figures
- ↑ Sales Report # 2
- ↑ Report on sales figures # 3 ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Current sales figures
- ↑ No-shows in Germany
- ↑ Any continuations and indexing
- ↑ Confirmation of the indexing decision by the BpjM ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Indexing July 2016
- ↑ Classification of the PEGI ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Gears of War: Ultimate Edition announced, released August 25, 2015. Accessed August 23, 2016 .
- ↑ Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - PC version in the Windows Store, system requirements for 4K. Retrieved August 23, 2016 .
- ↑ Gears of War: Will the movie still come out? ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated December 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
