Another aspect of the game that received praise was the creative weapon design, and even I have to admit that the Lancer is, to this day, still one of the most badass guns out there. However, beyond the chainsaw bayoneted assault rifle, what other innovation was there? We’ve seen shotguns, sniper rifles, pistols and grenades before, and even the exploding arrow shot from the torque bow has been done. In fact, the weapons have proven to be a weak point in the game, as anyone who engages in a multiplayer match knows that everyone first zips toward the immensely overpowered shotgun, and then once that is gone, to the equally unbalanced Longshot sniper rifle. Ok, I’ll grant you the Hammer of Dawn was a great weapon, but its limitations always made it more of a tool of opportunity, and when you weren’t trying to take down a Berserker, there really wasn’t much reason to keep it in your inventory. While the Lancer was cool and the Hammer of Dawn was killer, they were really the one-trick ponies in weapon innovation, and everything else just serves to fill out your usual stable of rifle, shotgun, pistol, etc.

The final gameplay element that deserves attention is the multiplayer, which never quite managed to get off the ground. While Execution and Assassination provided some minor derivations from the standard team deathmatch, they really weren’t new modes, just the same old thing with a bit of extra spice. Also, as anyone who has tried the multiplayer knows, if you don’t have a shotgun, it’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight, and no weapons system should be that unbalanced. The multiplayer in Gears wasn’t that impressive back when it launched, and now with the sheer variety of modes in games like Halo 3 and the intricate ranking systems of titles like Call of Duty 4, time hasn’t done it any favors.

So when looking at the gameplay elements we see a mixed bag of success. The co-op system continues to be sheer brilliance, and the cover system, while rudimentary, fundamentally altered the way we play shooters. The single-player never was a strong point, and the multiplayer pales in comparison to what is in place now, meaning that while Gears will always be a game you reach for when you want to work with a buddy to take on the forces of evil, you aren’t quite as likely to give it a spin when you’re looking to play alone or with a large group of friends (or strangers).