W-OLF
05-04-2007, 02:12 AM
Gears of War Hidden Fronts Impressions
Rev your chainsaw and prepare for action. The new Gears maps are hot!
by Hilary Goldstein & Erik Brudvig
May 3, 2007 - Gears of War filled the hearts of every Xbox 360 owner with joy last year. The holidays were filled with the cheerful sounds of chainsaws revving and Cogs screaming. Credit Epic and Microsoft for continuing to support Gears six months past its release. And this isn't cheap add-on content like new costumes or different curse words for Marcus Fenix to spit out in multiplayer. These updates are substantial. And another good one has hit Xbox Live today with the release of the Hidden Fronts Map Pack.
For 800 Microsoft Points (US$10), you get four new maps. At first that might sound like a bit of a rip off. No new game modes or weapons for $10? Trust us: You want these maps. Whether you are still playing the crap out of Gears of War or if it's been collecting dust on your shelf the past few months, the Hidden Fronts Map Pack is reason enough to dedicate a few late-night chainsaw sessions on your 360.
Insiders can watch extended footage of of these new maps in HD.
Bullet Marsh: Why save the best for last? Bullet Marsh is not only the strongest of the maps in Hidden Fronts but it is the best map in all of Gears of War. You read that right. This map kicks ass. As the name suggests, Bullet Marsh takes place in swampy terrain. It's raining and it's dark, with only a few spotlights to offer any clarity among the marsh. Just be careful where you step, because some of the spotlights can go out. And when it goes pitch black, the krill descend.
Best map in Gears of War. No lie.
The asymmetrical design makes for some different strategies depending on which side of the map you spawn on. However, there's no imbalance here. Neither side has a particular advantage. A bridge in the middle of the map, overlooking the swamp below, becomes key ground to control. Bullet Marsh can easily turn into a haven for snipers. There's enough cover to keep good players safe long enough to close in on snipers. The balance is nearly perfect.
Garden: Not quite as hot, but still interesting, is Garden. Based off the area where you dropped the Hammer of Dawn on a Berserker, the Garden is somewhat of a cookie-cutter map. The only elevated areas are two small section on the left and right sides of the map. Each hold good weapons and can make for some frantic close-ranged battles. The only other areas of interest are two poison rooms on either end of Garden.
Epic's ode to World War I: Death by mustard gas.
When the round begins, both rooms are filled with green poison. Stepping inside will have you coughing up blood within seconds. There are controls in the middle of the map to temporarily shut down the gas. This creates some wonderful strategy when playing the King-of-the-Hill-style Annex multiplayer mode. When the annex zone appears within a gas room, maintaining control can be risky. There's more to worry about than a shotgun blast from your opponent.
Subway: We would not want to get stuck waiting for a train to arrive at this station. The outdoor area has a relentless driving rain, coating everything in a speckled sheen. From there, you can look down onto the destroyed platform below, though you'll leave your 6 exposed if you sit there enjoying the view for too long.
The weakest of the new maps. At least Subway looks cool.
Once you slide down the stairs into the protective halls of the subway, things don't look quite as impressive as they did in the pouring rain. The action, however, tends to pick up. Subway is symmetrical with staircases leading down into its gut that are easily accessible from the start, making the platform where most of the confrontations happen. The only disappointing part about Subway is that once you're inside, it doesn't really stand out from the Gears of War maps that are already out. The three others in this map pack greatly overshadow Subway.
Process: It's almost amazing that Epic didn't have a multiplayer stage like Process on the disc when Gears of War first launched. This map takes place underground in an imulsion processing plant, hence the name. If you've played through the single player campaign then you know how spectacular the glowing fluid can look. Like the other maps, this one has a great style to it but it has the added benefit of having a nice layout.
I love the smell of imulsion in the morning.
Process is designed around and vaguely reminiscent of the first battle against the Theron Guards, but is remade to be much more open. The level design is nice with lots of cover that doesn't look unnatural as well as openings that make for long shooting galleries. Though some Gears of War multiplayer maps have looked like cover was created artificially, this map doesn't. With plenty of halls and ways to look for a better angle, Process allows for some good variety in the way it plays.
Hidden Fronts is now available on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft Points. All four maps will be made free in September. If you're into Gears of War enough to wait until September, then you might as well pick up these maps now. They're worth the $10 cover charge.
Credit IGN
Rev your chainsaw and prepare for action. The new Gears maps are hot!
by Hilary Goldstein & Erik Brudvig
May 3, 2007 - Gears of War filled the hearts of every Xbox 360 owner with joy last year. The holidays were filled with the cheerful sounds of chainsaws revving and Cogs screaming. Credit Epic and Microsoft for continuing to support Gears six months past its release. And this isn't cheap add-on content like new costumes or different curse words for Marcus Fenix to spit out in multiplayer. These updates are substantial. And another good one has hit Xbox Live today with the release of the Hidden Fronts Map Pack.
For 800 Microsoft Points (US$10), you get four new maps. At first that might sound like a bit of a rip off. No new game modes or weapons for $10? Trust us: You want these maps. Whether you are still playing the crap out of Gears of War or if it's been collecting dust on your shelf the past few months, the Hidden Fronts Map Pack is reason enough to dedicate a few late-night chainsaw sessions on your 360.
Insiders can watch extended footage of of these new maps in HD.
Bullet Marsh: Why save the best for last? Bullet Marsh is not only the strongest of the maps in Hidden Fronts but it is the best map in all of Gears of War. You read that right. This map kicks ass. As the name suggests, Bullet Marsh takes place in swampy terrain. It's raining and it's dark, with only a few spotlights to offer any clarity among the marsh. Just be careful where you step, because some of the spotlights can go out. And when it goes pitch black, the krill descend.
Best map in Gears of War. No lie.
The asymmetrical design makes for some different strategies depending on which side of the map you spawn on. However, there's no imbalance here. Neither side has a particular advantage. A bridge in the middle of the map, overlooking the swamp below, becomes key ground to control. Bullet Marsh can easily turn into a haven for snipers. There's enough cover to keep good players safe long enough to close in on snipers. The balance is nearly perfect.
Garden: Not quite as hot, but still interesting, is Garden. Based off the area where you dropped the Hammer of Dawn on a Berserker, the Garden is somewhat of a cookie-cutter map. The only elevated areas are two small section on the left and right sides of the map. Each hold good weapons and can make for some frantic close-ranged battles. The only other areas of interest are two poison rooms on either end of Garden.
Epic's ode to World War I: Death by mustard gas.
When the round begins, both rooms are filled with green poison. Stepping inside will have you coughing up blood within seconds. There are controls in the middle of the map to temporarily shut down the gas. This creates some wonderful strategy when playing the King-of-the-Hill-style Annex multiplayer mode. When the annex zone appears within a gas room, maintaining control can be risky. There's more to worry about than a shotgun blast from your opponent.
Subway: We would not want to get stuck waiting for a train to arrive at this station. The outdoor area has a relentless driving rain, coating everything in a speckled sheen. From there, you can look down onto the destroyed platform below, though you'll leave your 6 exposed if you sit there enjoying the view for too long.
The weakest of the new maps. At least Subway looks cool.
Once you slide down the stairs into the protective halls of the subway, things don't look quite as impressive as they did in the pouring rain. The action, however, tends to pick up. Subway is symmetrical with staircases leading down into its gut that are easily accessible from the start, making the platform where most of the confrontations happen. The only disappointing part about Subway is that once you're inside, it doesn't really stand out from the Gears of War maps that are already out. The three others in this map pack greatly overshadow Subway.
Process: It's almost amazing that Epic didn't have a multiplayer stage like Process on the disc when Gears of War first launched. This map takes place underground in an imulsion processing plant, hence the name. If you've played through the single player campaign then you know how spectacular the glowing fluid can look. Like the other maps, this one has a great style to it but it has the added benefit of having a nice layout.
I love the smell of imulsion in the morning.
Process is designed around and vaguely reminiscent of the first battle against the Theron Guards, but is remade to be much more open. The level design is nice with lots of cover that doesn't look unnatural as well as openings that make for long shooting galleries. Though some Gears of War multiplayer maps have looked like cover was created artificially, this map doesn't. With plenty of halls and ways to look for a better angle, Process allows for some good variety in the way it plays.
Hidden Fronts is now available on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft Points. All four maps will be made free in September. If you're into Gears of War enough to wait until September, then you might as well pick up these maps now. They're worth the $10 cover charge.
Credit IGN