GOW map pack impressions
We spent the last hour or so messing around on the new Gears of War maps, and now we're ready to give you the lowdown. First, Raven Down. Raven Down is a tiny map. The teams start in all four corners of the X shaped map. This map is sort of strange, as each team is split in two, with each pair spawning at different ends of the map. In other words, watch the friendly fire. As noted above, the map is positively minuscule. Most of the games we played devolved into shotgun and grenade warfare -- grenades, by the way, are the only extra weapon on the map. It's possible to play the map using the cover available, but it never happened in the games we played. Matches on Raven Down rarely lasted more than 2 minutes.
Old Bones is almost the opposite of Raven Down. It's a fairly large map that is very well suited to the stop and pop nature of Gears. The map and spawn points are basically symmetrical. You have two options from the beginning, you can go for the sniper, or you can go for the grenades and the boomshot. Matches on Old Bones can start fast or slow, depending on which way each team decides to go. If both teams make the same choice, the action will start pretty quick. It's pretty fun when both teams go for the grenades and start lobbing them through the doorway. There are plenty of places for a sniper to hide and also many opportunities for rush tactics. Old Bones is quickly becoming one of our favorites.
Overall, they're good maps for two completely different kinds of gameplay. Check 'em both out and tell us what you think.
