Gears of War makes its grandiose return on Xbox One and PC,
and those sorely missing the series can rest easy knowing that the
franchise is back and better than ever.
Gears of War: Judgment was the biggest misstep the property
has ever weathered. People point their fingers at several dropped
features and mishandled game mechanics for the game’s underwhelming
debut, but the reason it’s such a divisive entry in the series is
because it did something different. It deviated from the longstanding
and successful formula present in the initial trilogy in an attempt to
mix things up, and it fell flat on its face so spectacularly that Epic
Games was ready to shelve the IP for roughly 10 years
before Microsoft opted to snatch it up. For those wondering, no,
Gears of War 4 does not follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned and rarely lauded prequel.
Rather,
Gears of War 4
is a spectacular return to form in lieu of an attempted evolution of
the series. It brings back beloved and all too familiar core gameplay
mechanics, reunites fans with a universe they believed came to a close
back in 2011, and resurrects the much-adored Horde mode. Not only does
it hit these must-haves, but it does so with the immense set pieces and
over-the-top gore that the brand is known for. Furthermore, tweaks to
the existing multiplayer infrastructure make it feel a little more
modern amongst the current sea of online shooters, although that’s not
always for the best.
What diehard fans of Marcus Fenix will dive into first, however, is the campaign mode. Picking up 25 years after the events of
Gears of War 3,
players are introduced to Marcus’s son JD, his best friend Del, and the
outsider Kait. After in-game events unfold, the trio set off to
confront a pair of new threats in the form of The Swarm and a revamped
COG army that’s composed entirely of robots known as DeeBees. The
ensuing narrative is, at times, hokey. It’s not some of the most
well-written content in gaming, but it will occasionally sneak up and
surprise players – making them laugh and maybe even shed a tear in some
instances.
As for the gameplay itself, the faction composition makes any given
chapter feel fresh. There’s no telling which blend of characters will
show up next, and that keeps the action progressing nicely. Meanwhile,
the blockbuster set pieces that are synonymous with the IP are largely
brought on by frequently reoccurring changes in the weather, known only
as Windflares. These immense storms allow for some unique moments during
the narrative, but they pop up so often that they begin to feel a
little monotonous and quickly lose their intended impact on the player.
That redundancy issue aside, after the campaign has come to a close, fans will feel completely satisfied with the venture.
Gears of War 4 expertly
sets the tone for the installments that will inevitably follow it, and
the direction it’s headed has a lot of promise to say the least. While
the wait to see how this new story will unfold is sure to be a lengthy
one, the multiplayer aspect is once again a saving grace that is set to
ensure that consumers get more bang for their buck.
Based on the early offerings of the game, at least from a
pre-launch perspective, the online features and corresponding servers
seem rather steady. The ever-violent
multiplayer battles remain set at a blistering 60 frames per second
throughout, and the cover-based combat remains as relevant as it has
ever been. New modes like Dodgeball make for a nice reprieve from the
tried and true methods of play, but there are still the core competitive
modes that are sure to appease longstanding followers.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a return to form without Horde mode, and
The Coaltion has handily delivered on that front. Building upon the
successful formula that Epic Games left behind, the revamped feature
allows groups of up to five players to work together to set up defences
in a bid to make it to the next round. The inclusion of ‘Classes’ this
time around also helps by giving those involved a dedicate role,
ensuring that everyone remains in constant communication with one
another. Therein lies the beauty of Horde, and fans will be thrilled
with its newest form.
While all of this is well and good, the biggest change to
multiplayer doesn’t stem from the addition of new or returning modes,
but rather the implementation of the game’s collectible card system,
Gear Packs. Gone are the days of levelling up in order to unlock new
character or weapon skins, with card packs now occupying a prominent
role within the game. Admittedly, this is pretty par for the course,
ensuring that
Gears of War 4 follows in the footsteps of other titles like
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3,
Overwatch, and even
Halo 5: Guardians.
Much like the latter two titles, future content (such as maps) will be
rotated into the ever-shifting mix of battlegrounds for free, but this
doesn’t always justify the model that’s in play.
Despite being somewhat expected in this day and age, there are
problems with this system that the developers have caused. Largely,
those hoping to gather enough in-game currency to purchase packs without
investing real-world dollars will find themselves in an incredible
slog. Unlike the aforementioned
Overwatch, these crates do not
come easy, and anyone hoping to save up for a Gold Gear Pack (which more
or less guarantees them a character skin) will be spending a lot of
time grinding for them.
Gears of War 4 is a worthy successor to the trilogy that
came before it. The story features a familiar face or two, but remains
focused on the new line of characters. The online component adds new and
altered multiplayer modes, but keeps the gameplay locked into what made
the originals so endearing.
Gears 4 is a painstakingly
crafted love letter to those that have a meaty soft spot for the
franchise. Aside from the costly cosmetic-focussed transactions, this is
the exact experience that fans have been waiting for.
Gears is back. If that doesn’t deserve a Cole Train-inspired “Woo, baby,” then I don’t know what does.