How to Be Good at Gears of War
Look at the center of the screen to aim., Get comfortable with the "cover radius" of certain objects., Use the Roadie Run instead of trying to roll everywhere., Move in and out of cover frequently., Learn to "Wallbounce" to gain the edge in...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look at the center of the screen to aim.
One of the most common problems for new Gears players is that they aim by staring at the end of the gun.
While natural, this is actually not the most accurate way to plan your shots.
When you're not holding the Left trigger to aim specifically, your shots will come from the dead center of your screen.
The best way to prepare is to look slightly over your characters right shoulder, which is always in the center of the screen.
This is most important when using the Gnasher (shotgun) as shooting without aiming is a viable way to take down nearby enemies.
In Gears 1&2 the aim is lined up with the animation of the gun on screen.
However, the center of the screen is still the best place to look for aiming consistency. -
Step 2: Get comfortable with the "cover radius" of certain objects.
Gears of War is much more about effective movement than most other shooters, as the 3rd person perspective allows rolls, runs, quick turns, and speedy strafing.
Your most-used button is your "A" button, and it allows you to hide, sprint, and roll.
Press it near cover and you will be quickly "sucked" behind it, hiding you on walls, pillars, and sandbags.
Spend some time getting used to this vital function:
What is the furthest distance from something you can press A to get into cover? Note how much faster your movement is when you move to cover
-- this is an important tool to avoid enemies and get the upper hand.
Open up a private match and just run the course, finding all the weapons.
This is the best way to practice movement effectively. , Rolling (by double tapping A) is a bit slower than just holding A and running.
Your movement is also easier to control when holding A, which begins your "Roadie Run." Save rolls for quick movements in a fight, or to quickly move laterally when a wall approaches, then resume running by holding A.
New players often try and move by rolling everywhere.
Don't-- it is slower than just running., Once you're in cover and you character is pressed against a wall, you have a couple of options for your next move.
Understanding these, and using them to your advantage, is vital to success:
Press A and forward to jump over the barrier and/or sprint to the next nearby cover.
This is a risky move, as it is a set 1-second animation that you cannot move during.
Good players will notice and take free shots.
Press the right trigger to blind fire.
Without exposing your character, this fires your gun around or above the cover.
Only useful with a shotgun, when an unsuspecting player is about to cross your cover.
Hold left trigger to pop out and shoot.
Left trigger lets you pop out, aiming your gun and shooting while staying partially in cover.
Once you left go of left trigger you'll automatically slide back into cover to reload or gain health.
Pull back on the stick to leave cover in place.
Simply pull back on the control stick and you'll peel off cover without a big dramatic movement, letting you resume the fight in place.
This is the most effective way to leave cover.
Roll out with a double-tapped A.
This is good for a burst of movement in any direction.
Simply point the way you want to move and hit A twice in rapid succession., Wallbouncing uses the temporary burst of speed gained when entering cover to slip and slide around enemies in a close-range fight.
To do it, you need to get good at entering and leaving cover rapidly-- pressing A, hitting the wall, then immediately pulling off or rolling away.
You then use A again to enter new cover, effectively bouncing back and forth between covers in a split-second.Practice bouncing down the same wall.
Come in, then leave cover.
Aim your character diagonally, farther down the wall, and press A to rapidly "bounce" up the whole wall without having to run.
Learning to aim while wallbouncing will make you invincible.
Attach your shotgun and work on getting in close quickly, and squeezing off 1-2 shots, never stopping your feet the whole time. , Gears of War has a great feature called "Active Reload," where you can speed up a reload with proper timing.
When you hit reload (usually right bumper), a small bar appears in the upper right corner.
As the little marker moves to the right on the bar, it will cross an all white, highlighted area of the reload bar.
If you click reload again as it does your gun will reload instantly, and make your bullets a little more effective.
To make the most of it, you need to be able to reload the gun in the midst of any activity.
Work on nailing your active reload while still moving and dodging for the best results. , You can play the campaign mode and beat the enemy hordes, but the best way to practice is to start a private game (local multiplayer) and just play against computer controlled "multiplayer." From here you can memorize the maps, learn the best uses of cover, and practice moving your character rapidly across the battle without having to wait for multiplayer games or the next challenging campaign level. -
Step 3: Use the Roadie Run instead of trying to roll everywhere.
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Step 4: Move in and out of cover frequently.
-
Step 5: Learn to "Wallbounce" to gain the edge in firefights.
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Step 6: Perfect your active reload on the move.
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Step 7: Practice against computers to gain fluid control of your character.
Detailed Guide
One of the most common problems for new Gears players is that they aim by staring at the end of the gun.
While natural, this is actually not the most accurate way to plan your shots.
When you're not holding the Left trigger to aim specifically, your shots will come from the dead center of your screen.
The best way to prepare is to look slightly over your characters right shoulder, which is always in the center of the screen.
This is most important when using the Gnasher (shotgun) as shooting without aiming is a viable way to take down nearby enemies.
In Gears 1&2 the aim is lined up with the animation of the gun on screen.
However, the center of the screen is still the best place to look for aiming consistency.
Gears of War is much more about effective movement than most other shooters, as the 3rd person perspective allows rolls, runs, quick turns, and speedy strafing.
Your most-used button is your "A" button, and it allows you to hide, sprint, and roll.
Press it near cover and you will be quickly "sucked" behind it, hiding you on walls, pillars, and sandbags.
Spend some time getting used to this vital function:
What is the furthest distance from something you can press A to get into cover? Note how much faster your movement is when you move to cover
-- this is an important tool to avoid enemies and get the upper hand.
Open up a private match and just run the course, finding all the weapons.
This is the best way to practice movement effectively. , Rolling (by double tapping A) is a bit slower than just holding A and running.
Your movement is also easier to control when holding A, which begins your "Roadie Run." Save rolls for quick movements in a fight, or to quickly move laterally when a wall approaches, then resume running by holding A.
New players often try and move by rolling everywhere.
Don't-- it is slower than just running., Once you're in cover and you character is pressed against a wall, you have a couple of options for your next move.
Understanding these, and using them to your advantage, is vital to success:
Press A and forward to jump over the barrier and/or sprint to the next nearby cover.
This is a risky move, as it is a set 1-second animation that you cannot move during.
Good players will notice and take free shots.
Press the right trigger to blind fire.
Without exposing your character, this fires your gun around or above the cover.
Only useful with a shotgun, when an unsuspecting player is about to cross your cover.
Hold left trigger to pop out and shoot.
Left trigger lets you pop out, aiming your gun and shooting while staying partially in cover.
Once you left go of left trigger you'll automatically slide back into cover to reload or gain health.
Pull back on the stick to leave cover in place.
Simply pull back on the control stick and you'll peel off cover without a big dramatic movement, letting you resume the fight in place.
This is the most effective way to leave cover.
Roll out with a double-tapped A.
This is good for a burst of movement in any direction.
Simply point the way you want to move and hit A twice in rapid succession., Wallbouncing uses the temporary burst of speed gained when entering cover to slip and slide around enemies in a close-range fight.
To do it, you need to get good at entering and leaving cover rapidly-- pressing A, hitting the wall, then immediately pulling off or rolling away.
You then use A again to enter new cover, effectively bouncing back and forth between covers in a split-second.Practice bouncing down the same wall.
Come in, then leave cover.
Aim your character diagonally, farther down the wall, and press A to rapidly "bounce" up the whole wall without having to run.
Learning to aim while wallbouncing will make you invincible.
Attach your shotgun and work on getting in close quickly, and squeezing off 1-2 shots, never stopping your feet the whole time. , Gears of War has a great feature called "Active Reload," where you can speed up a reload with proper timing.
When you hit reload (usually right bumper), a small bar appears in the upper right corner.
As the little marker moves to the right on the bar, it will cross an all white, highlighted area of the reload bar.
If you click reload again as it does your gun will reload instantly, and make your bullets a little more effective.
To make the most of it, you need to be able to reload the gun in the midst of any activity.
Work on nailing your active reload while still moving and dodging for the best results. , You can play the campaign mode and beat the enemy hordes, but the best way to practice is to start a private game (local multiplayer) and just play against computer controlled "multiplayer." From here you can memorize the maps, learn the best uses of cover, and practice moving your character rapidly across the battle without having to wait for multiplayer games or the next challenging campaign level.
About the Author
Ann Stokes
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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