I'm surprised to say this but I have a soft spot for GoW. I think it's because it was one of the first 360 games I played and you can't show a 9 year old a mutant alien thing being chainsawed in half and expect it NOT to make an impression.

I played this on PC during COVID as a coop game with my gf who I couldn't visit, and who at the time had never played a GoW game. I was surprised at how much fun we were having and how much she enjoyed it.

The game looks OK, even in a remastered state it's still mostly grays and blacks with piles of rubble and lots of samey underground sections.

The characters control how they look, like barges of meat. If you want to turn around you better possess a HGV license and know how to do multipoint turns. That being said, there is a reason this game set the standard for third person cover shooters, the levels are well designed and the combat is tuned perfectly for it.

The guns have an inherent amount of spread which I think is fine in a game like this where you can tank so many hits - it prevents it from being a "just click on their head bro" sort of game. The reload "minigame" is very satisfying when you can consistently get it right.

We were laughing at how ridiculous the characters are while playing, I can't comprehend how people say they cried at some scenes in this game. There are depressing moments but it's completely undermined by much of the dialogue before and after, as well as the fact you go right back to chainsawing Locust. This wasn't called a Dudebro game for nothing.

It is still a really fun time, especially as a co-op game. As far as I remember, this is only available on Xbox Games, not Steam, and they didn't remaster the second game frustratingly, we definitely would have played more.

Compulsory I Hate Cliff Blazinski addendum. GoW is the only good thing he ever made.
* PSS I have been informed I am a fool and a charlatan, Unreal Tournament exists and Cliff can have that one. I haven't forgotten about his forum posts though.