Game of the Month

Oliver Banham casts his monthly verdict on his game of the month.

This month, when contemplating which game I deemed worthy of the GOTM accolade, I was struck with two choices, two games. They were Rock Band 2 and Gears of War 2 – it’s the year of the sequel, apparently.

Although overall my love for Rock Band 2 eclipses that of Gears of War 2, the latter is in fact the winner that month, as its tactical and meaty online play and stellar campaign shows day after day.

Now into its second year on the market, Gears of War 2 is a master class in third-person shootery. With an unrivalled cover-shooting mechanic, truly beautiful visuals, and set-pieces galore, the critical acclaim that title has since received is fully justified.

The campaign packs a healthy punch, and is the perfect length so that it doesn’t outstay its welcome, or the opposite: you’re left wishing it for more. You’ll travel through a diverse range of locales, including the insides of a giant worm, a massive underground cavern, and a haunted laboratory. When traversing across each area you’ll be confronted by

waves of fearsome enemies, all hungry for your bones. The game’s wicked arsenal means they’ve got a lot to go through to get it. You’ll never find a game that does kills and headshots as good as that one.

The online is massively different to the single-player, and requires a whole new play-style. You’re no longer fighting bots now, and assuming the opposition have got to grips with the game, you’ll have a hardy battle on your hand – but one you’ll relish learning with every opportunity.

The learning curve is incredibly harsh. You’ll have died a hundred times before you start getting a steady amount of kills, and curse words will be flying from your mouth as you regret tactical decisions made in the arena.

At times it may feel a little too challenging, and others you may feel hard-done by, but that’s why you just need to get back up, take a deep breath and return to the battlefield. It’s a durable game, but for all the deaths you’ll experience, there will be kills and victories that invent the poor days feel oh so worth the pain.

Image credit: gamescoreblog