Microsoft’s latest games console, the Xbox 360, is about to celebrate its first birthday (assuming, of course, you count the system’s somewhat fluffed pre-Christmas launch last year).

In terms of ‘next-generation’ video gaming, the 360 has enjoyed a pretty much open field up till now. But it’s no coincidence that arguably the most impressive title to appear on the platform thus far has been released to coincide with the US launch of Sony’s Playstation 3.

If you want to know what a next-gen console game looks like, then Gears of War is your man. Here, you get none of the usual disappointment when the initial cut scene switches to in-game graphics – there’s literally no difference between the two. The game’s visuals are powered by the Unreal Engine 3 and it looks simply stunning, particularly on a high-definition TV.

Environment and character design aren’t necessarily exploding with originality, but gritty post-apocalyptic sci-fi surroundings have never looked grittier or more post-apocalyptic, while the archetypal tough-guy heroes demonstrate amazing levels of detail from head to heavily armoured boot.

Story-wise, there aren’t many books being rewritten here, either. Gears of War features a by-the-numbers plot that pits humanity’s last hope against a massive invading alien force, etc, etc. And, with a few notable exceptions, gameplay by and large involves clearing area after area of enemies in order to progress.

But it’s not just the game’s awesome graphical achievement that set it apart from other Xbox 360 games or, for that matter, any number of shooters on other platforms. Scratch the surface and you’ll find some subtly innovative game design, too.

Walk into a room with your rifle blazing, for example, and you’ll be mincemeat within a matter of seconds. Instead, you’re encouraged to use your environment to your advantage.

You’ll need to strategically hunker down behind objects such as pillars, rubble, overturned furniture, burned-out cars and the like, and pop up to let off a salvo at your enemies before breaking cover. If that sounds contrived, trust us – it isn’t. The single-button, duck-and-cover control is very easy to learn and soon becomes second nature.

Issuing simple orders to your four-man squad and performing flanking manoeuvres on your foes are similarly useful tactics. Other shooters might feature equivalent gameplay elements, but few have been able to integrate them so smoothly or make them so simple to achieve and so satisfying to pull off.

Artificial intelligence is another strong point. Big, ugly bad guys steadfastly refuse to hurl themselves into your line of fire, with grenadiers and mortar-wielding foes proving a particular menace.

Your computer-controlled squadmates, meanwhile, are just as big, just as ugly and just as willing to get stuck into the slaughter, making them much more useful than their equivalents in similar titles. Occasionally, it can be difficult to tell your friends from your foes, but if you accidentally hit a member of your team they’ll soon let you know about it.

Then there’s the weaponry. Somebody has clearly put a lot of love into designing the various instruments of doom that are available in Gears of War.

The rifle with its chainsaw bayonet is the obvious star of the show, but there are plenty of other goodies to wreak havoc with, each one with its own finely balanced strengths and weaknesses.

Grenades, for example, provide you with a useful on-screen trajectory graphic to help you aim your toss. You need to stand up and swing them round your head before letting them go, however, leaving you momentarily open to enemy fire. Using the Hammer of Dawn on an enemy, meanwhile will call down a vicious rain of destruction from an overhead satellite, but it will only work outdoors.

As you may have already surmised, Gears of War has all the ingredients for a gr eat multiplayer experience. Split-screen is pretty fun, but online is where the game truly shines. On Xbox Live, there’s plenty of opportunity for team-based deathmatches and other variations on the theme. On top of that, the entire single-player campaign can be played through co-operatively with someone from your Xbox Friends list.

All in all, Gears of War is a hugely impressive package. We’ll have to wait until the Playstation 3’s UK launch in March to see how Gears stands up against similar titles on Sony’s next-gen console, but it’s hard to believe that the PS3’s initial lineup will include anything better than this.