As fun as the campaign was, I really can't imagine Gears without the multiplayer. The default deathmatch was extremely intense, given that it was elimination (n

As fun as the campaign was, I really can't imagine Gears without the multiplayer. The default deathmatch was extremely intense, given that it was elimination (no respawns) and everybody went for the shotgun insta-kill. Death was always the slightest misstep away, and instinct would often take over in any skirmish that amounted to more than a 1:1. Truly a visceral experience. I was always a fan of Hardcore Search & Destroy in COD4, or SWAT in Halo, which had similar high stakes, but neither came close to Gears.