So I finally got a few hours of multiplayer in today, my thoughts...
I got Gears 1 for Christmas in 06 and played it exclusively for about a year until Halo 3 came out. I think I took a short break for Shadowrun and Crackdown and that was it. After playing Gears 1 again it's still as good as I remember. The shotgun feels better, sniping is better than that garbage sniping in Gears 3, and everything is simpler. There are less weapons, less secondary aspects to the multiplayer compared to the sequels it just feels way better. Bigger, better, and more badass as Cliffy B put it when talking about the sequels wasn't really totally, maybe bigger and more badass, but not better. I really wish they had kept the feel of Gears 1 in the sequels. Maybe Gears 4 will bring it back.
I really agree with this. Less. Less less less. That's what Gears 1 has over its sequels (outside of the better gameplay stuff). Not 15 game modes. Not 25 different weapons and loadouts. You've got your shotgun and lancer. You've got some power weapons that can be used to control a map (or just style). And then you've got your skill.
Honestly this is a different beast than Gears 3. Gears 1 has a huge learning curve that not a lot of players can handle, like yourself. I'm not being a dick but I've had a few friends who wouldn't play it because of the learning curve. Stick it out and you'll get much better. I did with gears 1 and then I was a beast in 2 and 3 because of it.
When Gears 1 clicks with you, it's one of the most satisfying games to play. Takes a long time to get there so you gotta have some determination in you
And then this is what I think brings it all together.
I'm tired of hearing about people saying that this game sucks because they suck. We all sucked. Do you expect to be able to pick up the game and be good at it like people who have been playing for years? Just because it's a shooter doesn't make it so. There's an actual difficulty curve but it makes it so much more rewarding when you get around the curve.
The key is to have fun regardless. I have fun getting rekt (last night was pretty harsh for my bud and I, there was the clocktower game that we just got destroyed on) just like I do when I'm working another team and going 12-1.
Loving this shit overall.
What exactly is the difficulty curve? Seems to me like learning to aim with the shotgun is half the battle, and the mobility options aren't that complex.
If anything the simplicity is a big turn-off for me, using the same weapon 90% of the time isn't very fun.
Hahahaha. Not being a dick at all, I'm glad that you're jumping into Gears 1 with us with the UE. But this sentence right here is the difference between those that know Gears 1 intimately and those that don't.
Like I've said before, movement is everything in Gears. Gears 1 isn't about shooting. It's about movement. I can guarantee you that someone who knows how to move can kill someone who doesn't know how to with a pistol (+ a melee or two), even if the person who doesn't know movement has a shotgun, 8/10 times. The shotgun is way more potent so you hardly ever see that, but it's pretty much been tested and proven. Aiming with the shotgun can be important, but not nearly as often.
The mobility options themselves are not complex. It's how you use the few mobility options that matter. Mix-Ups and inclusion of walls, cover, and environment all make for movement being everything. If you stick with it, I do really think you'll come to a similar opinion.
