In a nutshell:

One of the most highly rated games of E3, Gears of War is looking likely to be the Xbox 360’s Christmas blockbuster with the best graphics yet seen on the system and a tactical twist on the usual shoot ‘em-up gameplay.

The lowdown:

With Halo still at least a year out this is currently the Xbox 360’s premier exclusive shoot ‘em-up. Using a third person, over the shoulder, view rather than the usual first person viewpoint the game emphasis the importance of cover and tactics rather than just running and gunning. The question of cover becomes particularly important given the impressively destructible environments you fight in, which create a constantly shifting battlefield for you to navigate. As you’d expect the game also contains an extensive suite of multiplayer and co-op modes for play over Xbox Live.

Most exciting moment:

The graphics are stunning, nearly photorealistic, but the greatest guilty pleasure in the game so far is the "chainsaw bayonet" and the OTT spurt of gore it extracts from bad guys.

Since you ask:

Gears of War developers Epic Games are also responsible for the Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine which is used in many other games from Assassin’s Creed to Lost Odyssey.

The bottom line:

Who needs Halo when the Gears of War are turning as smartly as this?

Harrison Dent

• Engaging and disturbing cinematic story.
• Movie-like cut scenes, cinematic camera moves and in-game storytelling bring the brutal, emotionally charged narrative to life.
• Gamers control Marcus Fenix and his fire team as they pit advanced human technology against the overwhelming and horrific Locust Horde.
• Fire team co-op action.
• Gamers will experience richer cooperative gameplay than ever, through unique characters that require cooperation to survive.
• Voice recognition and real-time lip-syncing heighten the immersive experience.
• Unprecedented visuals in next-generation gaming. "Gears of War" ushers in the next generation with unprecedented visuals. The Unreal Engine 3 technology pushes high-definition visual designs and brings out the smallest details in the largest battle.
• Gamers will experience a rich dynamic world with an unprecedented level of detail.
• Hyper-realistic and intense combat.
• Next-generation Xbox Live action.