Gears Only Scratching at 360's Potential

Cliff Bleszinski says there is still a lot more than can be squeezed out of the Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 owners the world over are being wowed by Epic's new third-person shooter Gears of War. Though attention is being given to the new gameplay innovations, the graphics are also a big part of that enthusiasm. And the game's creator says we're only seeing the beginning of what's possible on the system.

"I think there's plenty of room to push and experiment when it comes to physics and AI and real-time lighting," Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski told GamePro.

"I think we've only scratched the surface of what we can do with gameplay as well as the 360. There's far more potential down the road to do more stuff. As amazing as I think Gears is, and my gut tells me I still love playing it, I think we have a really incredible experience; I think we'll definitely push it further if we get around to doing a new version in the future."

So if you're the lead on one of the biggest games of the year, what do you do now that the game is in the can and you have all this free time on your hands? For Bleszinski, it doesn't end.

"I think it's an amazing game. But as an artist, you're never happy," he said. "You always want to find what the next level is and what other cool stuff you can do. I think people are going to absolutely love the game and I just want to keep making cool games."

Not everyone is a fan of what Bleszinski and Epic have done. At this week's Montreal International Games Summit, EA's Alain Tascan went on a tear. "What is Gears of War?," Tuscan asked at a panel discussion, reported by Eurogamer. "I mean Gears of War brings nothing in terms of innovation to the shooter... Like, zero."

Most people have been positive about the game and foremost on their minds is whether there's a second one coming. The game hints at a sequel, which would surprise no one, but right now, Bleszinski is keeping mum:

"I started thinking about what comes next [for the franchise] months ago. Whether I'm going to tell you that is another story."

Gears of War is out now in the US and will be released in Europe on 17 November. To find out more, read our full review.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo