Ars technica writes: "The gaming industry is in the midst of a very interesting and turbulent time. With the advent of downloadable games on consoles, game makers are opening up new frontiers of technology and design. But technology shifts, and art is a strange constant in an otherwise ever-changing medium. No matter how far the industry has come or how much things change, art forever remains an integral part of gaming, and good art is still a rare and valuable commodity.
Pete Hayes, an artist working for Epic Games, knows this all too well. His work on Gears of War helped turn a brand new property into a gaming blockbuster. The first game in the series sold in huge numbers, for both the Xbox 360 and the PC, and Epic is poised to repeat the same success with Gears of War 2.
The work of Hayes and his colleagues is at the artistic vanguard of this entire console generation: the art style of Gears was largely the source of the "next-gen color scheme," a scheme exemplified in the gritty and dark design of Epic's original Xbox 360 killer app. But how has that often-imitated design changed going into the second game? And what of the art in the game industry in general? Ars sat down with Hayes to talk about his new game, his work in the industry, and what it takes to become a game artist."
The Gears of War series has been a consistent deliverer of quality for Xbox, but which games are the best?
Gears of War is my favorite video game franchise, and the Locust is my all-time favorite faction.
My rank list:
1. Gears of War 2
2. Gears of War 3
3. Gears of War 1
4. Gears of War 4
5. Gears of War 5
6. Gears of War Judgment (No Locust in multiplayer was a disgrace)
2 is still my favorite but 5 is also up there (for me). Then I'd say 1, 3, 4 and Judgement. Tactics isnt the same type of game, so it seems odd to rank it among TPS when its a strategy game. So I make that one all its own. Pretty fun game too.
The first is and has always been the best one imo - the story, the levels, the set pieces, the soundtrack - as close to perfect as a campaign can get.
I’d say the series had been on a continual downhill slide until 5.
3
5
2
1
4
Judgement
I love the series as a whole, but 4 was pretty by the numbers, and Judgement was just ok.
I played them all since picking up a Series X about 7 months ago. Personally, I don't think time has been kind to the earlier games and they feel very slow and repetitive to play. Whilst the newer games may be prettier, they stick with the original gameplay mechanics too much in my view so as a whole series of titles, I think they are pretty average games.
Not to say they weren't fun and I have a lot of nostalgia for 1 and 2, I just think there are far better action games out there.
What's the best Gears of War game for players? Where to start? This guide should easily lend a hand.
Gears 1 and 2 will always be my favorite Gears titles. The scene where Dom find his wife and then has to shoot her was an epic scene.
My favorite Gears game list
1. Gears 2
2. Gears 3
3. Gears 1
4. Gears 4
5. Gears 5
6. Gears Judgement
Gears Of War is my favorite video game franchise. I can’t imagine how Gears 6 will look in UE5 after watching Hellblade 2 gameplay trailer
One of the reasons why i got the series x. Been fan since the first game.
Played them all recently on gamepass. Great games. But my favorites gotta be gears tactics. Don’t know why. I just had a blast with it lol
The Gears of War franchise's influence has remained to this day with cover systems becoming as ubiquitous as regenerating health. With a new console generation upon us, it's time to list the series from worst to best.
My ranking list
1 .Gears 2
2. Gears 3
3. Gears 1
4. Gears Judgement
5. Gears 4
6. Gears 5
1. Gears 2
2. Gears 3
3. Gears 5
4. Gears 1/UE
5. Gears 4
6. Gears Judgement
Close to my rankings but some differences. My rankings:
1. Gears 3
2. Gears 5
3. Gears 4
4. Judgement
5. Gears 2
6. Gears 1
People will hate on me putting Gears 2 so low but I always felt the graphics were too busy to the point of confusion and the combat/movement hadn't really improved over 1. Lot of cool ideas but execution wasn't the best as far as I'm concerned.