Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

When the Xbox 360 was released a year before the much ballyhooed launches of the WiiStation 3, the expectation was that there would be a dearth of great software early on. But by the time the competition hit stores, the 360 would be lapping the field with second-gen games that truly harnessed the hardware.

Gears of War (X360/Microsoft, Epic) was one of the first titles announced for the console, as well as one of the most jaw-dropping. GoW is Microsoft’s major weapon in the war on Sony and Nintendo—and it’s the first killer app in the next-gen battle.

Epic Games is known primarily for their first-person shooters, and even though GoW is in the third person, it plays more like an FPS. Actually, when holding the aim button, the camera reverts back to an FPS mode and seamlessly flips to third-person when your character runs around.

The action is based primarily on finding cover amid the ruins of Sera, and emerging when the time is right to blow apart your enemy. The need to go from cover to cover is similar to Full Spectrum Warrior, giving the gameplay a strategic aspect, but here it’s sped up and there is a constant stream of troglodyte enemies that require killing. Active reloading, the system where players have to time pressing the reload button (or risk jamming their weapon), is another tactical element that becomes second nature very quickly. My only quibble is that in the heat of the moment, you might accidentally roll instead of covering, since the same button does both.

The in-game graphics look as good as most other games’ cutscenes. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi warzone is almost completely destructible, but sometimes it’s just the subtle animations that work. When Marcus Fenix (the hero) is running, the camera lowers and starts shaking, similar to an angle you might see in a war movie. It’s a minor detail, but the game maintains its intensity with these inclusions. The character design is also great, since instead of attempting to make realistic looking characters, Marcus sports a gigantic armour suit and bulging arms that would make Scott Steiner proud.

The single-player mode has only five levels, but it took nearly two hours to complete each. Every mission has its own distinct look and additional hazards. Another welcome surprise is the return of actual bosses to video games—we’re talking full-screen, puss-spewing, scary-as-shit bosses.

Couple the intense single-player with a multiplayer mode that has replaced Halo 2 as the must-play console online experience, and you have the first transcendent game of next-gen. My childlike enthusiasm may sound like lip-service, but Gears of War is one of those times when a game lives up to the hype.

Playstation Idol

Sony’s über-popular European series, SingStar (PS2/SCEA, SCEE), has finally made its way across the pond. It’s probably not worth a buy, but consider renting it next time you have a small party with friends who don’t mind that you sing like a jackass.

It’s a karaoke game, complete with special USB microphones (your PC ones won’t work), but it gives you a score based on your pitch and timing. Players can sing alone, compete or sing duet.

Sadly, there are only 30 tracks, and Sony will likely not release any new versions on the PS2. But if you love karaoke and don’t mind listening to yourself mutter through “Super Duper Love” afterwards (the game records you), it might be a fun way to include the non-gaming fans in your life this holiday season. The mics will work on the PS3, so you won’t have to buy new ones if you plan on upgrading.