Gears of War 4, is a newly released, third person shooter video game published by Microsoft Studios and developed by The Coalition.
The fifth instalment of the Gears of War (“Gears”) series, this iteration is set 25 years after Gears of War 3 and follows JD Fenix (the son of Gears series regular, Marcus Fenix) as he and his companions, Kait and Del, fight off monstrous enemies and the Coalition of Ordered Governments (or COG for short), an organisation that has turned evil since the original Gears trilogy, to save their loved ones.
Compared to its predecessors, which provided gamers with a captivating plot in addition to wise-cracking jokes and tough-guy attitudes, Gears of War 4 somewhat lacks depth and intrigue in its narrative. With a plot that is largely predictable and character interactions that appear forced, it is tough to truly compare this version of Gears with its predecessors. Perhaps this is more due to Gears of War 4 coming under the purview of new studio, The Coalition. However, the inclusion of Marcus Fennix and the relationship he has with JD acts as a small saving grace for the narrative.
Visually, Gears of War 4 is stunning and beautifully crafted. Not only are the graphics on point but the battle sequences such as bullets being fired through the air, destructive forces like heavy storms and a whole host of other gripping action simulates an almost realistic subterranean war zone to power through.
The initial campaign gameplay can feel repetitive and lacklustre with JD and gang tearing through simple enemies with rather average weapons in simple point and shoot situations. For an experienced gamer, this can become frustrating. Once overcoming this though, Gears of War 4 does introduce new mini-bosses that arrive in waves, requiring a change in approach to combat sequences, delivering a new experience that is welcomed. In addition, Gears of War 4 includes a new Horde mode that provides more variation to the standard gameplay as per previous games in the Gears series.
Horde mode is fun, allowing players to purchase new artillery and defenses from a portable station, using the currency called Power, to build strongholds that are able to withstand the wave of destruction that is unleashed by the mini-bosses. In this way, gameplay becomes exciting as players are required to leave their safety barricades every so often to gather more Power; whether to do so between each wave or wait is a strategic decision players must make.
The Horde mode also allows for multiplayer action as it introduces various character classes and requires a team of up to five to be filled by varying classes. These variety in roles within each team allows for more cooperative and strategic multiplayer scenarios that make Gears of War 4 more interesting.
Horde mode, however, isn’t the only aspect of the game that makes it appealing. The Versus section of the game allows for smoother control over characters and provides a noticeable improvement towards gameplay when playing against other real life players. There is also a Dodgeball mode, that’s right, Dodgeball, in which players are allowed the chance to tag their team-mate back into action upon being eliminated. This is done by simply taking out an opponent. This kind of gameplay puts players in complete control, allowing them the ability to turn the tides of gameplay, for example, from being singled-out, alone and cornered against multiple other opponents, to evening out the playing field by tagging team-mates back in.
Gears of War 4 certainly makes its mark as a multiplayer upgrade from its predecessors, however, it is yet to be considered as being remarkably different. Instead, it is more or less a safe sequel, which keeps most attributes relatively similar to the previous games in the series. In a way, the lack of drastic improvements and changes allows gamers the opportunity to be reminded of the formula that made the Gears series great in the first place. Not only that, but Gears of War 4 is a treat for newbies to the series and to those who have not experienced hardcore multiplayer gaming.
Whilst considered lacklustre and unremarkable as a sequel, Gears of Wars 4 is still fun, visually spectacular and a perfect game to Play Anywhere*.
*Xbox Play Anywhere is a new feature in which digital Xbox games are available to play on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs at no additional cost.