Gears of War is back with a fourth instalment of the hugely successfully Xbox 360 hit.
This time around, there’s a new main protagonist, new characters and new multi-player modes but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to the games before it.
In Gears Of War: Judgement we witness Lieutenant Damon Baird and his Kilo squad standing trial at a military tribunal where they are accused of treason.
The game begins when Baird gives his version of events leading up to the trial.
He acts not only as the game’s main protagonist but also as the narrator as well.
This is the basic premise of the game which leads up to the events of the first Gears of War.
Along with Baird standing trial are his fellow colleagues Augustus Cole and newcomers to the series by-the-book female COG soldier Sofia Hendrick and the Russian Garron Paduk - all of which have their own back story and reasons for joining the COG.
The story is told in traditional Gears fashion with the returning twists and turns however, the Baird narration feels like it’s being read from a text book and carries next to no emotion whatsoever.
Kilo squad also are meant to be a tight knit team however, the communication between them all leaves a lot to be desired.
To be frank, it bored me to tears. The Baird and Cole banter that plagued the other games has been watered down with most of the dialogue being military speech rather than Cole and Baird bouncing off one another which made the older games very entertaining.
The gameplay is typical untouched Gears of War style cover based shooting.
Judgement brings nothing new to the table; however, the stages are set out differently thanks to the new star rating system.
As you improve your speed, accuracy and creativity you gain stars.
Get a certain number during the game and you can unlock new characters, weapons, skins and also Aftermath mode, which is a lost chapter to Gears of War 3.
Multiplayer modes return with two new additions. Overrun mode sees players of two teams, one Locust and one COG.
The COG have to defend five points on a map and if the Locust team take over one, it’s on to the next. It’s similar to Battlefield 3’s Rush mode. Free-for-all speaks for itself and is perfect for players wanting to jump right in.
It’s sad to see the usual traditional story heavy campaign mode being dissected and separated into segments.
It feels the game has split into three parts, beginning the area, fighting hoards of locust then heading to the exit where you are given a summary. This repeats until the credits role.
The regular Gears of War weapons are all here with a few new additions like the Markza sniper rifle.
Visually, Gears of War: Judgement looks great. From beach environments to cramped corridors to town streets, there’s plenty of variety.
Baird and his team along with other COG you will encounter have their infamous armour and look just as tough as they did the first, second and third time around.
It’s disappointing to see no sign of Marcus Fenix.
The game’s main antagonist, General Karn, doesn’t really make much of an appearance to make much of an impact and his exit is as abrupt as his entrance.
Summary
The fourth game in the Gears of War series is a disappointing one. It brings nothing really fresh or new to the formula which, while maintaining the tight and exciting fast paced game play, has been done before - three times. There’s no set pieces but the new multiplayer modes do add some incentive.
Gears fans will find something to satisfy their appetite, but for other gamers, approach with caution.
Gears of War: Judgement
Developers: Epic games, People can Fly
Publishers: Microsoft studios
Xbox 360®
Genre: Rpg
Release Date: 22nd March 2013
Story – 2.5/5
Gameplay – 3/5
Graphics – 3/5
Overall – 3/5
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