Gears of War is a solid shooter - all the weapons feel varied yet balanced, blind fire has a decent level of accuracy without being overpowered, and there's just the right amount of screen shake when you're hit. It's a shame that much else falls short. The story is for the most part entirely absent, and when it dares to poke it's ugly head, it's plain boring. The protagonist is insanely unlikeable - a one-dimensional, one-emotion, macho-prat, who couldn't feel less relatable, and the side characters are less annoying yet just as shallow and forgettable. Towards the end the gameplay does begin to get repetitive, which is a shame as I found the non-shooting Beserker sections to be the most intense and fun parts of the game.