G’day there guys and gals!
It’s well known among many gamers that the Gears of War
franchise improved and popularised two
great mechanics, known now as Cover and
Wave mechanic. Every Third Person controlled game has followed in their
footsteps, and every game to feature wave-based fighting has been inspired by
the series. Gears of War 4 is a continuation from the ending of the main series
five years ago; set twenty five years after the end of the Locust war, humanity
struggles to survive as the elements and incredibly low population has forced
them to live together in shelter. And while groups of Outsiders still remain, a
new threat has reared its head from the depths of nightmares, with only a group
of deserters to uncover this latest atrocity.
Players control James Dominic “JD” Fenix, the son of previous protagonist
Marcus Fenix, who travels with childhood friend Del Walker and Outsider Kait
Diaz, planning a raid on a new home for humanity, Settlement 5. These events
set in motion the rest of the game, focusing on the conflict around Kait and
her journey to save her mother from humanity’s new enemy, the Swarm.
While the former Epic employees at Coalition had developed Gears of War Judgment, this is the first sequel game in the series; while fans and newcomers can nitpick where they please, I cannot deny this new addition to the series is one hell of a return.
While the former Epic employees at Coalition had developed Gears of War Judgment, this is the first sequel game in the series; while fans and newcomers can nitpick where they please, I cannot deny this new addition to the series is one hell of a return.
First and foremost, the gameplay; while the gameplay itself
doesn’t offer anything terribly new, what is does offer is an improved version
of the previous game’s mechanics. This goes double for the enemies, as their
movements are quite similar to previous renditions, but more about that later.
The gameplay is smooth and easily handled, especially for anyone who has played
a Third Person title. Newcomers may have some issues with full controls, but
the tutorials there definitely do come in handy from time to time. The addition
of new enemies and weapons definitely do help and the huge sandbox areas for
each mission are fairly well crafted.
While certain Swarm do act similar to previous enemies (Juvies react like Lambent Humans, Drones act like Locust, etc), the addition of DB robots, Pouncer, Snatcher and Carriers add a breath of fresh air into the newer enemies types, especially with the new weaponry the DBs provide. The campaign also features Windflares; wild tornado-like spouts of swirling wind, carrying thick dusted air and lightening, killing anything that comes close to its strikes. These moments in game are incredibly fun, but repeat in a same pattern; fight through two waves of enemies against the wind, race to a building to escape the lightening. It is a shame that these don't show much variation (the exception being midway through), but they are both terrifying and exhilarating.
This brings me to the storyline itself, and it is fairly well crafted. Kait's personal mission of redemption and JD's tasks do add a lot of meaning into the story itself, but the ending itself lacks the heaviness of the upcoming conflicts the world will face. In place of this is a gigantic reveal (one that I won't reveal) that is truly a jaw-dropping moment, and mostly resembles the ending to the original game. In saying this, the story is well thought out, executed efficiently and adds a good mix of both light hearted and devastating moments.
Voice acting in game was incredibly well done, especially by the newer members to the cast. Special mention to Liam McIntyre, who completely drops his Australian accent and performs fantastically. The original cast also return to their roles where needed, and do so in heart-warming nostalgia, bringing both familiarity to returning veterans and insight to newcomers.
While certain Swarm do act similar to previous enemies (Juvies react like Lambent Humans, Drones act like Locust, etc), the addition of DB robots, Pouncer, Snatcher and Carriers add a breath of fresh air into the newer enemies types, especially with the new weaponry the DBs provide. The campaign also features Windflares; wild tornado-like spouts of swirling wind, carrying thick dusted air and lightening, killing anything that comes close to its strikes. These moments in game are incredibly fun, but repeat in a same pattern; fight through two waves of enemies against the wind, race to a building to escape the lightening. It is a shame that these don't show much variation (the exception being midway through), but they are both terrifying and exhilarating.
This brings me to the storyline itself, and it is fairly well crafted. Kait's personal mission of redemption and JD's tasks do add a lot of meaning into the story itself, but the ending itself lacks the heaviness of the upcoming conflicts the world will face. In place of this is a gigantic reveal (one that I won't reveal) that is truly a jaw-dropping moment, and mostly resembles the ending to the original game. In saying this, the story is well thought out, executed efficiently and adds a good mix of both light hearted and devastating moments.
Voice acting in game was incredibly well done, especially by the newer members to the cast. Special mention to Liam McIntyre, who completely drops his Australian accent and performs fantastically. The original cast also return to their roles where needed, and do so in heart-warming nostalgia, bringing both familiarity to returning veterans and insight to newcomers.
Sound effects are well ranged and clear, with the noises of the Swarm incredible; Snatchers and Pouncers are equally terrifying and fascinating, their screams definitely attributing well to the atmosphere. Musical score is satisfactory to this, creating harsh and strong melodies in the storms and the strings in respect to the original scores of the series where necessary. Finally, graphics have been improved immensely and while the cutscenes do have significantly better touches to lighting and textures, in game is still impressively well done.
For those interested, Multiplayer also makes a triumphant return as players are absolutely flocking to the new Horde 3.0. For the uninformed, Horde is a team based multiplayer system where players fight against waves of enemies and attempt to survive for as long as possible. They aren't stuck with weapons and simple items this time, as Horde 3.0 offers the Fabricator; a new device in the Gears universe that creates objects. By collecting power from killed enemies, players can charge the Fabricator and set up barriers, turrets and more in order to survive the waves and their bosses.
Playing in separate classes (Engineer, Heavy, Scout, etc) creates the need for teamwork more than ever, as players' roles come into effectiveness the better their teamwork handles, and this holds up in gameplay too. Aside from Horde, we also have the Multiplayer modes that ease out the Horde onslaught. Team Deathmatch makes an appearance, with standard 5v5 fight. Dodgeball and King of the Hill also return, with Arms Race, Guardian and Warzone following, each having their separate modes to compete on. Sadly speaking, these final three modes are hard to find a match in, but I cannot hold that against the game itself, as players tend to prefer the latter.
Playing in separate classes (Engineer, Heavy, Scout, etc) creates the need for teamwork more than ever, as players' roles come into effectiveness the better their teamwork handles, and this holds up in gameplay too. Aside from Horde, we also have the Multiplayer modes that ease out the Horde onslaught. Team Deathmatch makes an appearance, with standard 5v5 fight. Dodgeball and King of the Hill also return, with Arms Race, Guardian and Warzone following, each having their separate modes to compete on. Sadly speaking, these final three modes are hard to find a match in, but I cannot hold that against the game itself, as players tend to prefer the latter.
The Gears series has had a special place in my heart for quite some time, with Gears of War 2 still one of my favourite all time games. The fight against the Locust has been well transformed into a new fight against the new COG. I did not experience any technical issues during my playthrough, which does account greatly in Microsoft and the Coalition's name. There are some upset by the usage of microtransations, but of course, these are all optional and can be earned in game with a crafting system that allows you to burn multiples and take back the Scrap needed to craft new cards for each match. My only real critique is in the Multiplayer, where you must return to the main menu in order to find new matches, forcing you to quit after each match, whereas this lacks in Horde after multiple failed rounds. This becomes tedious after the first few hours, but I digress.
While the campaign itself is slightly shorter than the rest in the series, it is by far an improvement into the series. I wouldn't go as far as to say the game is perfect; like many titles before it, it does have its flaws, but The Coalition has listened to its fanbase and has responded greatly to criticism. I await eagerly to see what happens next in this new battle for Sera.
While the campaign itself is slightly shorter than the rest in the series, it is by far an improvement into the series. I wouldn't go as far as to say the game is perfect; like many titles before it, it does have its flaws, but The Coalition has listened to its fanbase and has responded greatly to criticism. I await eagerly to see what happens next in this new battle for Sera.
Gears of War 4: 9/10
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