Review
When Gears of War 3 ended, we had hoped that this would be the end of the harsh and costly war that has been at the centre of the series and that hopefully, our heroes that we had grown with would finally be able to find peace. After everything they had lost and endured you would think they’d earned it but sadly this is not the case. After Gears of War 3, Epic Games sold the series and eventually, it fell into the hands of Black Tusk Studios, now called The Coalition. Helmed by Gears of War veteran Rod Fergusson, The Coalition would carry Gears of War to the Next Generation of Xbox consoles and while it carries a lot of the spirit, it doesn’t seem to take the risks that could elevate the series for the new generation.
Taking place 25 years after Gears of War 3, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) has been reformed and is making excellent strides in trying to rebuild their world but even with the Locust gone, it seems humanity will always find a reason to split from itself and continue to fight, not surprising since that’s all they’ve done as a species for a very long time. Choosing to live outside of the COG are the Outsiders, several large groups made up of many stranded and other survivors of the Locust war who still don’t trust the COG for their past and even current actions.
In this recovering and untrusting world, we follow in the steps of JD Fenix, the son of the distinguished Marcus Fenix and Anya Stroud. Following the young soldier are his squadmates, Del Walker and Kait Diaz. The trio would make for an interesting team as both JD and Del are former COG and Kait is an outsider. One would thing that there would be some tension but after having known each other for a while, there is already a close bond formed with the 3, compounded by their distrust of the COG. When their outsider village is attacked and their loved ones are taken, including the Outsider leader and Kait’s mother Reyna, the trio are forced to delve into the nightmare that had been long thought dead but has risen again.
Putting down the Locust for the first time took 17 years and depleted most of the Population of Sera and for the nightmare to have risen again is a worrying prospect, especially to veteran and Gears of War hero Marcus Fenix. Reuniting with the stoic and aged Marcus Fenix, it’s clear that there’s some bad blood between Marcus and his son but the pair quickly move past their differences to pursue the captured villagers. Quickly encountering the new enemy of the series, The Swarm, we quickly learn that the Locust were relatively mild compared to the reveal and horror of our new enemies.
We always knew the Locust were bad and their origins were always murky at best but the Swarm is more simple and shows real creature innovation but is sadly held back by the gameplay conventions of the series. The swarm mark an interesting evolution to typical enemies that we face but sometimes they don’t lean too much into these new enemies and what they’re capable of. Enemies like drones are all too familiar but other enemy varieties like pouncers and carriers are in short demand and bring a fresh variety to the story as they provide the crucible with which our new heroes have to be forged in.
As the new Delta seek to rescue the villagers, their mission takes them to some of the more unexplored and forgotten lands of Sera that resonate with the deep history of the planet that has been left behind and forgotten by a world that seems to only look inwards and it shows they are likely to repeat their mistakes. We also learn more about the new members of the squad and that while they may be ready physically to tackle the new challenges of Sera, they are certainly lacking when it comes to priorities and perhaps attitude, though that is expected when the new fighters we are controlling are essentially kids compared to some other characters like Marcus.
The collectibles that are spread out show more about the new COG’s goals and motivations above what any of their actions say and act as a reminder of the old days in the Gears of War lore while also giving a clear message that the old days are behind us and showering us with new knowledge and lore. The environments that are created also echo with reminders the past in more ways than one and provide us with a deeper knowledge of the remnants of Sera and what they have to go through in the ever-dangerous world that continues to evolve in the most lethal ways.
The campaign, while pretty fun and intense in some areas, doesn’t seem to carry the emotional or heroic weight that the past campaigns did. While the initial goals are noble enough, it’s let down by the immaturity and brash nature of some of the main characters. What made the original Delta squad fun to be around was that they had their own personalities that while unoriginal by themselves, made for an excellent team dynamic. The Coalition seem to recognise this dynamic but doesn’t utilise this well in Gears of War 4 as each member of the team is a bit too light and honestly seems to check a category listed from the original squad.
The Verdict
Gears of War 4 does an excellent job at re-gearing the series for the Next Generation of Xbox consoles and players, offering a fun if unambitious campaign. While it’s clear a lot of effort was made into making the new characters distinguished and likeable, it sometimes backfires and gives off the opposite effect. The Swarm are a worthy adversary for the well-respected Gears of War series but I do wish a bit of effort was made to make them more distinguished than the original Locust with only a few additions made to make them more lethal. While there is a clear direction for the campaign, it seems the trek was designed to be more of a historical retrospect which is done masterfully with the beautifully designed environments and informative commentary but feels like it could have been expanded on with more meaningful storytelling. Nonetheless, Gears of War 4 takes the series in a good direction and opens the door to a new and perhaps far more devastating conflict. Whether this is true or not is something for the next game.
Story - The main campaign and story shows some of the best parts of the Gears of War series, with relatively high stakes, action heavy set pieces and some nicely directed emotional moments that show the humanity in the story. Even if it seems a bit directionless at times, the story doesn’t fail to impress as it acts as a tribute to the past events and heroes of the series while also paving the way to the new characters and stories that are to be told. The only thing that lets it down are some pacing issues every now and then along with some sluggish missions - 8/10
Main Characters - The new squad we are introduced to are a good enough bunch but they don’t carry the charisma or even likability that any of the original characters carried with them. The inclusion of Marcus Fenix in the group helps to keep the group grounded in reason when they want to act foolish or recklessly but often he is underutilised and acts almost as comic relief, except this time it feels a little forced. Regardless, the new members of Delta squad have their own merits that can hopefully be fleshed out and show they are able to carry the long standing series - 7/10
Collectibles & Environment - The beautiful environments presented to us are a testament to the people of Sera and the design talents of the developers, showing there are bigger layers to the planet’s history then what has previously been shown in either the Locust war or even the Pendulum war eras. The collectibles found are more about the development and past of the world which complicates the environmental design as they act as a reinforcement of the environmental commentary - 8/10
I give this game 8/10 Locust Crystal shards
