It is highly unfortunate that Microsoft continues to tarnish its reputation amongst gamers, by using dishonest tactics. For starters, you can't save the game without creating a Windows Live ID. While you can create an offline ID, which can be used for singleplayer or LAN, split screen gaming is mysteriously missing. And to play on the internet, you must create an online Windows Live ID. But that isn't the bad part.
The big stinker is Microsoft's attempt to nerf the Windows XP platform, in order to make Vista look like a more attractive option. In the display menu in GoW, the option to use direct x 10 visuals is only available when running the game in Vista, which is fine... but unfortunately the option to use anti aliasing is permanently linked with DX10.
While XP is perfectly capable of running anti aliasing, Microsoft have made sure that only Vista gamers can run it in Gears of War. They even packaged it under the lablel of Dx10. Right, so just like Halo 2 could only run under Vista, and Crysis couldn't run direct x 10 visuals in XP, -- which it can run at better frames with a hackhttp://www.gamespot.com/features/6182140/index.html], as illustrated by gamespot[/url] -- Gears of War can only use anti aliasing in Vista.
But that's not the pathetic part.
Unfortunately, there are no real direct x 10 improvements for Gears of War, which you can read about http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/...w2LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==]here.[/url] So what the geniuses at M$ did, was to package anti aliasing under DX10 so that it looks better. Now since I dual boot, I do have the option of running of running it on Vista. But as you can see from that last link, with anti aliasing off, the performance in Vista is just worse. It is funny how Microsoft are incapable of doing what's right for PC gaming.
But now I finally know what the hype was about. I had never played or seen the game in action while it was on the 360, and man is it amazing. It is pure non stop action, and fantastic fun. Most fun I've had with a 3rd person shooter since Max Payne, though the game involves action in both first and third person. The gameplay while repetitive, works beautifully.
The visuals are stunning, both on a technical and an artistic level. The look is very similar to something from Frank Miller's 300 or TDK, while the gore is oh so sweet. The music is epic as well. After I finish, I am definitely hopping on for some multi.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4913/gow2za6.jpg
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9884/gow1jy1.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6598/gow8bc6.jpg
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3662/gow14zt2.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1886/gow16cy4.jpg
The big stinker is Microsoft's attempt to nerf the Windows XP platform, in order to make Vista look like a more attractive option. In the display menu in GoW, the option to use direct x 10 visuals is only available when running the game in Vista, which is fine... but unfortunately the option to use anti aliasing is permanently linked with DX10.
While XP is perfectly capable of running anti aliasing, Microsoft have made sure that only Vista gamers can run it in Gears of War. They even packaged it under the lablel of Dx10. Right, so just like Halo 2 could only run under Vista, and Crysis couldn't run direct x 10 visuals in XP, -- which it can run at better frames with a hackhttp://www.gamespot.com/features/6182140/index.html], as illustrated by gamespot[/url] -- Gears of War can only use anti aliasing in Vista.
But that's not the pathetic part.
Unfortunately, there are no real direct x 10 improvements for Gears of War, which you can read about http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/...w2LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==]here.[/url] So what the geniuses at M$ did, was to package anti aliasing under DX10 so that it looks better. Now since I dual boot, I do have the option of running of running it on Vista. But as you can see from that last link, with anti aliasing off, the performance in Vista is just worse. It is funny how Microsoft are incapable of doing what's right for PC gaming.
But now I finally know what the hype was about. I had never played or seen the game in action while it was on the 360, and man is it amazing. It is pure non stop action, and fantastic fun. Most fun I've had with a 3rd person shooter since Max Payne, though the game involves action in both first and third person. The gameplay while repetitive, works beautifully.
The visuals are stunning, both on a technical and an artistic level. The look is very similar to something from Frank Miller's 300 or TDK, while the gore is oh so sweet. The music is epic as well. After I finish, I am definitely hopping on for some multi.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4913/gow2za6.jpg
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9884/gow1jy1.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6598/gow8bc6.jpg
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3662/gow14zt2.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1886/gow16cy4.jpg
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