XBOX 360 Wire

Gears of War “Hidden Fronts” Review

As the first downloadable content from Epic that we’ve had to pay for, let me say right off, yes these maps are well worth 200 MSpoints each. Just like Old Bones, Raven Down, and the new Annex play mode, downloadable content from the guys who made gears continues to set the bar higher and higher for their already Epic MegaGame (pun intended).

I’ll start by looking at Bullet Marsh. A little darker then Rooftops or the Fuel Depot, they’ve taken advantage of the environment to implement the Kryll into a multiplayer map (finally). They utilize scattered street lights for a light source, and they’ve placed faulty lights over the sniper and torquebow, turning what was once a great cover position into a Kryll buffet at random. Two combat areas intertwine on two levels, with a waist-high moat circling a central platform with catwalks over-looking the water. The area takes what worked from the start of Act3 in the woods and really kicks it up a notch, water never looked this good, ever.

Garden is the second map I’ll discuss. Where Bullet Marsh was the darkest map to date, Garden is on the other side of the spectrum completely. More in the vein of the Mausoleum or Clocktower maps, we see a lot of green here, and the fighting takes place during daylight hours. Perhaps the most beautiful environment ever to grace 1080i, the details on leaves and wide open spaces makes this map the one to show to your friends when they stop by. At first glance this looks like a sniper’s realm, up until you encounter one of the gas chambers that house the Longshot respawn points. Gas chambers riddle the map and are controlled by switches nearby, making this an ideal map for Annex. Taking control of the circle then gassing the room ensures nobody interferes with your teams points. Another creative use of the environment, another chance for me to commit suicide. (Tyro Station)

Process is another great map, only this time the lighting effects take center stage. The glow from the imulsion mixes with shades of grey off the underground station, and I swear they took this right off the end of Terminator2. Reminiscent of the pumping station from the campaign mode, this is just a fun map to play around in. You begin to appreciate the time Epic spent testing these maps before they were released. Very tactical affair, all the weapons in the center of the map with plenty of close encounter spots waiting for a showdown. The outer area’s scream for a Lancer or a TorqueBow, where the inside perimeter was clearly meant for shotgun and chainsaw battles. Very pleased.

I saved the best for last. Subway, in my opinion, will get the most playingtime out of all the new maps, and looks like it will be a favorite for a while. Imagine Gridlock with an underground level and the best looking rain graphics ever seen on a console. Longshot on the top floor with a perch overlooking the indoor area’s, I was picking off headshots 2 floors down! The entire map revolves around a central subway station with a main stairwell and 2 side entrances, both right near spawn points, making either floor easily accessible from the get-go. Empty traincars hide weapons or enemys inside, and more of these watergraphics again, a leaky ceiling never looked this cool. Adding a dimension to the gameplay keeps you on your toes, whether it be a grenade from above or an itchy torque arrow from below.

So, after being humiliated by a few twerps ½ my age in all four maps, do I think it is worth the 800 MS points? R U CRAZY?? What the heck are you still doing reading this review?? Go download these maps already!!!! These maps are the best in graphics I’ve seen out of my 360, you can wait all summer for that if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Posted by Erick - May 10th, 2007 -