The Coalition has unveiled their first explosive offering to
the world: Gears of War 4.
Gears of War 4 takes place 25 years after the events of
Gears of War 3, kick-starting an all-new saga. However, the game represents
much, much more than that.
Microsoft purchased the Gears of War IP from Epic Games back
in 2014, as the Unreal Engine developer began winding down its AAA game
development ambitions. Microsoft repurposed the Vancouver-based Black Tusk
Studios to oversee the franchise. Many developers from the original Gears of
War team, including executive producer Rod Fergusson, jumped ship to join the
new studio.
Black Tusk was renamed The Coalition to honor its stewardship
of the Gears of War franchise. Much like Halo's 343 Industries and Forza's Turn
10, The Coalition is the third pillar in Microsoft's blockbuster Xbox-exclusive
effort. The news was hugely exciting, but questions remained.
Can the Gears formula still work in 2016? Can The Coalition
bring the same magic to the franchise under Microsoft Studios? Can Gears of War
compete with the likes of Battlefield 1, Call of Duty, Titanfall 2, and various
other heavy-hitting AAA shooters this holiday season? The answer to all of
these questions is a resounding yes.
Story & Setting
Gears of War 4 follows the exploits of JD Fenix, the son of
the original trilogy's main protagonist — Marcus Fenix. Throughout the
campaign, JD is joined by his childhood friend, Delmont Walker.
Both JD and Delmont (Del for short) deserted the COG during
a "classified" incident, leading them to join a band of Outsiders,
who exist outside of the COG's jurisdiction. Kait Diaz, the daughter of the
village's leader, joins you early on to raid an uninhabited COG settlement for
supplies.
The new characters are likable and sport good chemistry as a
trio, each with distinctive, but complementary personalities. 'Family'
continues to be a strong theme Gears of War 4, with both JD and Kait prepared
to risk everything when their parents get into trouble. Much of the game
focuses on the rescue of Kait's mother from a new, but eerily familiar enemy,
The Swarm.
The genocidal Locust have been destroyed, humanity has begun
to rebuild, and the global military urgency of previous games simply isn't
there.
As Kait, Del and JD battle through waves of “DeeBee” robots
in hopes of stealing an uninhabited, 3D-printed city's Fabricator, the new
leader of The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) appears via video,
accusing the Outsiders of attacking COG soldiers. It's not long before you find
out the real source of the attacks.
I won't be posting any spoilers for Gears of War 4, suffice
to say that it’s one of the most intriguing games in the trilogy so far. The
early stages really slam home the idea of this much, much wider universe, while
reminding us of the totalitarian nature of the COG, which has often taken a
backseat in the story.
The game kicks off with a flashback to the Pendulum Wars
which established the COG's global dominance, and then towards the end of Gears
of War 3, where Delta Squad were able to destroy the Locust with a massive,
targeted radiation weapon. It moves you through the new world, 25 years later,
showing how humanity is attempting to rebuild in the wake of the billions
slaughtered by the Locust invasion of the previous saga. We're introduced to
new creatures, beautiful, bright and colorful alien landscapes, and new
characters, like the instantly lovable Oscar.
These early levels lull you into a false sense of security.
As you progress through Gears of War 4, it gets gradually darker. Incrementally
more industrial, desperate and horrifying. You'll traverse abandoned
facilities, underground tunnels, destroyed cities, and the as the Swarm
evolves, you begin to feel that fist-clenching life-threatening urgency that
really typifies Gears of War.
I can't help but compare Gears of War 4's delivery to Star
Wars: The Force Awakens. Formulaically, Gears of War 4 does little new. But
what it does do is build on the wonderfully cinematic recipe of its
predecessors while delivering something that not only re-establishes itself as
one of the industry's greatest franchises but it also acts as a signal to let
fans know the series is in good hands.
You will be agape with the implications laid bare by this
new threat, you will enjoy the way the game hints at a larger, more diverse
Gears of War universe, and you will be enraptured by the return of old friends,
and the light-hearted camaraderie that typifies Gears games. You will adore the
way the game subtly references scenes from previous games. You will be driven
mad by the twists and turns in the introduction to this new saga, and by the
time the game comes to its shocking conclusion, you will be beside yourself in
the knowledge Gears of War 6 is probably a long, long way off.
Gears of War 4's story is perfectly paced, utterly
engrossing and above all, it is indeed Gears of War.
Visual & Sound
Design
Make no mistake, Gears of War 4 is among the most visually
stunning titles not only on Xbox One but of this generation in general.
Gears of War 4's characters are lovingly rendered, inching
away at the gap between video game and true photo realism. While Gears of War
human designs historically feature blocky, almost comic-book style
proportioning, Gears of War 4 edges towards something a little more realistic.
Del, JD, and Kait are beautifully crafted, and returning characters like Marcus
Fenix retain their signature look, albeit weathered by age.
Gears of War 3 is one of the most visually impressive Xbox
360 games out there, and Gears of War 4 continues that tradition with some
utterly incredible particle effects, breath-taking weather sequences, and
mind-blowing lighting.
Not only are the basic visual features great, but Gears of
War 4's art direction is also on point. New gore physics and designs make
weapons feel more impactful than ever, weapons like the iconic Lancer received
more thunderous sound effects (to the point of vibrating my earphones with bass
boost turned on), and some of the new creatures and environmental hazards are
as terrifying as they are awe-inspiring.
The Mad Max-esque windflare storm sequences make up some of
the game's most visually impressive moments. They send cascades of debris
flying in all directions, painted with real-time lighting from arcing
electrical strikes. Everything caught in a windflare is affected by the storm's
wind physics, including the bloody chunks of Swarm drone destroyed by the
game's arsenal of deadly weapons. All too often have I simply stopped playing
to stare at the spectacle unfolding on my screen.
The Xbox One S's HDR features send the title's visuals into
overdrive with boosted contrasts, revealing details otherwise hidden. Deeper
shadows and brighter lights give Gears of War 4 a vivid, almost life-like
realism, that combined with dynamic 1080p resolution scaling helps to elevate
it.
There isn't a single dropped frame, even the slightest bit
of screen-tearing or vaguest hint of slow-down in Gears of War 4. It's one of
the most polished launch titles of recent memory, never crashing. Using dynamic
scaling and 30 FPS works well for the game's campaign. The resolution visibly
reduces during some of the game's most intense sequences, but you'll be too
busy shredding drones with your chainsaw to notice.
Gears of War 4 also uses a technique similar to Quantum
Break for its anti-aliasing, making the edges of models appear blurry in
motion. I'm not a huge fan of this particular technology, but it's a subjective
gripe. It does, however, remind us that the upper limits of what's possible
with the Xbox One's hardware have likely been reached, but it's fair to assume
Gears of War 4 will be among the first titles to enjoy boosted visuals on next
year's monstrous Xbox Scorpio.
From the crimson entrails of a splattered Swarm to the
delicate trails of rain sweeping down JD's armor - Gears of War 4 is a visual
feast that is as satisfying as it is gruesomely delicious.
Home is where the meat is.
Gameplay
Gears of War's gameplay has a unique style that many tried
to emulate in the Xbox 360 era, but it hasn't been seen much on Xbox One. Set
in the third-person, Gears of War 4 is a highly cover-based shooter known for
its gory combat, signature, heavy feel and cinematic showcases. Gears of War 4
doesn't attempt to redefine, or even evolve that formula, but it does refine
it, giving it a glistening finish.
Split into three pillars, Gears of War 4 contains a huge
amount of content. The campaign mode lasts a good 10-15 hours depending on the
difficulty you choose, but Versus and Horde mode pack potentially dozens, maybe
hundreds of hours of potential gameplay. And if Gears of War 4 is anything like
Halo 5, it's fair to expect a good amount of post-launch content to keep those
multiplayer modes fresh long into the future.
When it comes to basic Gears of War 4 combat, very little
has changed. It's still a cover shooter — but the mechanics governing cover
systems have been given a much-needed injection of fluidity. I can't remember a
time throughout any of the game's modes where I unintuitively snapped into
unwanted cover, which is something I recall experiencing with previous titles.
The gun play still has that signature, Gears of War heavy feel, but everything
handles a fair bit faster. You'll still struggle while dragging a Mulcher
across the battlefield, but general movement feels nowhere near as lethargic as
it could in previous entries.
While stunned, enemies are vulnerable to an execution
attack, which is delightfully satisfying to pull off.
Speaking of the Mulcher, Gears of War 4 comes with an array
of brand new weapons and combat features that keep the classic formula from
feeling stale. You can now vault over cover by holding the 'B' button as you
roadie run into it, stunning an enemy on the other side. While stunned, enemies
are vulnerable to an execution attack, which is delightfully satisfying to pull
off. Similarly, you can grab an enemy out of cover if they have taken up an
opposite position, resulting in the same execution stunned state. Of course,
this also means that your enemies can utilize these attacks against you.
Thankfully, The Coalition had the forethought to include a counter move, which
prevents the new techniques from feeling cheap.
Some of the new weapons include the cover-evading Dropshot,
which sends a flying drill across the battlefield. Releasing the trigger causes
the drill to burrow directly downwards, generating an explosion. Headshots with
this thing are sickeningly satisfying, watching the drill bore into the cranium
of your enemies ahead of an ensuing, gore-splattered explosion. The Dropshot
sounds overpowered, as it can fly above cover, but it can be tough to use.
Combining its skill requirement with a 4-round clip ensures the Dropshot
remains balanced.
Another repurposed engineering weapon is the Buzzkill, which
almost feels like an homage to Unreal Tournament's Ripsaw. The Buzzkill is a
heavy weapon that sends deadly buzz saws spinning and ricocheting across the
battlefield, dissecting enemies like a hot knife through crimson butter.
Like previous games, satisfaction typifies Gears of War 4's
combat. Every aspect of it is designed to feel impactful, as though you're the
star of your own violent action movie. Some of the other new weapons include
the Mulcher-like Tri-shot, some ancient UIR weapons like the Markza rifle, and
new robotic DeeBee weapons like the submachine gun Enforcer and blisteringly
powerful Rocket Salvo.
Speaking of which, the first stages of the campaign will see
you face off against an army of COG DeeBee robots. These deadly, but dumb
automatons feel little more like canon fodder a lot of the time, but their
accompanying heavies, swarming roller ball Trackers and cover-evading Guardians
can make the DeeBees overwhelming without aggressive resistance. It's not long
until you'll meet Gears of War 4's headline threat, though, the all-new (but
familiar) Swarm.
The real nature of the Swarm is unraveled throughout the
game's campaign, but in combat, they feature similar archetypes to that of the
Locust Horde from previous games. The Wretch-like Juvies bounce off walls and
dodge melee attacks at will. Complacency can be deadly. Drones are the more
intelligent, cover-using Swarm, and their AI has been given a punishing
make-over. They're often more aggressive than the Locust foot soldiers, happy
to rush down with shotguns and get into close quarters combat, making use of
the game's new cover-vaulting stun abilities.
Beyond standard enemies, the Swarm also have a deadly
menagerie of new enemies like the vicious, cover-ignoring Pouncers, and the
horrifying player-swallowing Snatchers. Each new enemy requires tactics fresh
to the Gears of War franchise, which stops the game from feeling like a rehash
with a new coat of 1080p paint.
There are plenty of epic set-pieces and boss fights
scattered throughout Gears of War 4's campaign, but I don't want to spoil the
fun. Still, these things are standard to Gears of War, but the fourth entry's
new windflare mechanics give set-pieces an all-new meaning.
For reasons unknown, enormous electrical storms now rage
across Sera's surface, ripping the environment apart with gale force winds and
gigantic lightning strikes. As you traverse to the campaign's mission
objective, JD Fenix and his crew are often caught up in these deadly
meteorological death-traps, but you can use them to your advantage.
Most windflare sequences allow you to use the environment
itself to vanquish your enemies. The wind affects the physics of most guns,
warping the trajectory of projectiles. You can dislodge debris by shooting at
them, sending massive battering rams sweeping across the battlefield to crush
your enemies. The results of a well-placed shot in these scenarios are always
incredibly rewarding, adding a new dimension to the Gears formula.
The fun continues in Gears of War 4's online modes,
including the 60 FPS versus modes and the addictive 5-man Horde mode. I haven't
been able to try too much Versus mode as of yet, due to the small amount of
players with the game so far, but I'm hoping the game's new skill-based
matchmaking system will pair me with players at my experience level. Previous
Gears of War titles have been notoriously difficult to access for newer
players, so these modern systems will hopefully go to some length to alleviate
that issue.
I have, however, played a lot of Horde mode, which I'm happy
to describe as the quintessential co-operative shooter experience on Xbox One.
Horde 3.0 is class-based, giving players bonuses for committing to certain
roles in battle. Snipers deal increased headshot damage and gain perks for
spotting and so on, engineers take charge building and repairing
fortifications, and heavies gain bonuses with explosives, heavy weapons and
manual turrets.
Activities across Horde and Versus mode reward credits which
can be spent on loot called Gear Packs, which contain tons of cosmetic items
and skill cards for use in Horde mode. Duplicate cards can be destroyed and
then put towards specific cards you're seeking, to reduce the randomness of the
system. Upgrading your skill cards and leveling up your classes will be crucial
if you eventually want to go through 50 ranks of Horde mode on insane
difficulty, which, as the name implies, is a challenge best left to the
thoroughly demented.
When you consider the 10-15 hour length of the campaign, the
longevity of the online modes, the fact that Gears of War 4 also comes with
Gears of War 1, 2, 3 and Judgement on backward compatibility, it's impossible
to fault this game on value. It offers such a dizzying amount of raw,
uncontaminated fun, making it such a pleasure to write about and recommend.
Conclusion
Gears of War 4 just feels great. It feels like the return of
an old friend, and The Coalition masterfully weave that nostalgia into the game
without smothering us in it exploitatively — which is something they very
easily could have done. Gears of War 4's greatest moments can be found in
between the lines. They're in the shadows of familiar silhouettes, in the tones
of nostalgic sound effects, in every COG tag you find scattered around the
battlefield, and every ridiculous, over-the-top set piece.
Pros:
Technical showcase for Xbox visuals
Polished to glistening
Satisfyingly gruesome combat
Engrossing story
Heaps of value
Cons:
Could have explored more new mechanics and features
Gears of War 4 is the greatest exclusive Xbox One has so
far, and that's really saying something when you consider the likes of Forza
Horizon 3, Halo 5 and Ori and the Blind Forest. The Coalition has solidified
their guardianship of one of the greatest video game franchises of all time,
and not only proven to the world that the IP is in good hands, but that
Microsoft Studios isn't reliant on Halo to make its mark in the shooter space.
Whether you're a returning fan or a Gears of War newbie, do
yourself a favor and pick up this stunning game as soon as you can.
Gears of War 4 launches on October 11th, 2016 for Xbox One
and Windows 10 as a Play Anywhere title.
