Gears of War series of games

This is what sets the Gears of War series apart. Yes, it is full of violence and bloody murders. In many ways, this series is too cruel and filled with predictable plot moves, but nevertheless, it is very thoughtful and not without meaning. The Gears of War games explore the weakness and vulnerability of brutal men, and do so without sentimentality or silly clichés.

GEARS OF WAR (2006)

• Platforms: Xbox 360, PC

Even after more than fifteen years, the first Gears of War game is still quite impressive. The co-op campaign is still one of the most exciting and terrifying of any gaming platform. This game was, and still is, great because the co-op mode wasn’t rushed into the mix, but was expertly crafted to provide a wonderful experience for those who prefer to take on hordes of monsters together. Of particular note is the Nightfall chapter, where Marcus and Dom fight the Krill using ultraviolet light.

This is a dynamic and exciting game. Its only noticeable drawback is its inconsistency with modern expectations from a top-end series. It’s a great game, but compared to subsequent installments it may seem a little dated. So you probably wouldn’t stick with it if you had to choose one game for the rest of your life.

GEARS OF WAR 2 (2008)

• Platforms: Xbox 360

If we ignore the terrible gray-brown color scheme that turns the image into a homogeneous mess, we have before us the defining and by far the best part of the Gears of War series of games. Its plot centers on Coalition fighters fighting to save the city from a giant worm. Yes, it’s a little over the top, but it works. The plot is quirky and a little silly, but it’s also enjoyable. In the second part of the series, many signature gameplay features appeared in the series, for example, chainsaw massacre, helping comrades, Horde mode, and much more.

Some missions are simply incredible, and the chapter inside the worm deserves special praise. The multiplayer here is also outstanding, and it was this, and not later versions, that was taken as the basis for the creation of subsequent parts of the Gears of War series of games. For a game that came out fifteen years ago, Gears of War 2 is impressive.

GEARS OF WAR 3 (2011)

• Platforms: Xbox 360

Many fans of the Gears of War game series simply admire the third part. The game became their absolute favorite, and has remained unsurpassed ever since. This is partly due to its emotional impact. In the first two parts, a lot of time was spent on the relationship between Dom and Marcus. And now in the third part this connection is broken. Frankly, it can be heartbreaking.

Otherwise, Gears of War 3 does not match the level of previous parts in terms of dynamics, plot and characters. The gameplay here is as brutal as always, but the story seems a little pointless. The story of the search for Father Marcus is not nearly as exciting as it could be. The hero’s romance with Anya is no better, often overly sweet.

GEARS OF WAR: JUDGMENT (2013)

• Platforms: Xbox 360

The decision to deviate from the established plot and release a non-numbered installment was definitely interesting. Perhaps the main goal was to shake up the series a little. However, it didn’t quite succeed, and the lead roles of Baird and Cole and a number of unknown characters are a bit annoying, especially after the emotionally charged Gears of War 3.

The weapon system has also been changed, and that’s also a bit of a bummer. Switching between four guns has always been a popular feature of the Gears of War series. There are also significantly fewer runs between covers, which reduces the tension and dynamics of the game as a whole. The fact is that this shooter was not developed by Epic Games, as was the case with the previous parts of the series, but by People Can Fly, which slightly shifted the vector of storytelling and gameplay – and not always for the better. However, this game is worth playing if you want to experience new adventures in the world of Gears of War.

GEARS OF WAR ULTIMATE EDITION

• Platforms: Xbox One, PC

In 2015, Gears of War was re-released on Xbox One and PC as a remaster, subtitled Ultimate Edition. It included all previously released content that was missing in the Xbox 360 version, the graphics were improved, and the game was adapted for modern platforms and screen resolutions. In addition, Xbox for Windows Live was cut from the PC version, which caused many problems for players. The game can be purchased from the Windows Store and is available for free to Xbox Game Pass owners.

GEARS OF WAR 4 (2016)

• Platforms: Xbox One, PC

The development of Gears 4 was given to the studio The Coalition, which leads the series to this day. Its most important feature is the action twenty-five years after the events of Gears of War 3, new main characters and a new round of history in a war-torn world. Therefore, players will not only have to return to the world where their faithful partner Dom died, but also participate in a conflict with the aging Marcus Fenix. There’s a slight Solid Snake vibe to this, especially from the later Metal Gear games, but that can never be considered a flaw.

This is not to say that the newcomers did not cope with their task. Yes, in some aspects Gears of War 4 does not live up to some of its predecessors, but overall the authors managed to implement the usual dynamic gameplay, the brutality inherent in the series and impressive action scenes. This is the first game in the Gears of War series to be released on PC after a long break since the release of the first part, and apologists for this platform were definitely happy about this fact.

GEARS POP! (2019)

• Platforms: PC, Android, iOS

Microsoft once even tried to master the niche of mobile platforms by introducing the multiplayer strategy Gears Pop!, in which players, controlling “puppet” people, had to fight in PvP battles on thematic maps. However, the attempt was unsuccessful: the game failed to attract a large audience, as a result of which the publisher decided to close it in the spring of 2021.

GEARS 5 (2019)

• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

For the first time in the series, the main role is given not to brutal men, but to a girl named Kate Diaz, who first appeared in the previous part. She will have to reveal the secret of her family, which is inexplicably connected with the appearance of the Locust and the war that has been going on in Sera for many years.

Gears 5 introduced not only a female protagonist but also an open world – relatively open since it is still divided into large zones, the transition between which is carried out according to story chapters – but still giving more freedom than previous releases of the franchise. By controlling a sailboat sliding through the sand and snow, players can explore locations, complete side quests, and unravel the mysteries of the game world.

As before, the game’s campaign can be played in co-op. There are also cooperative modes “Horde” and “Escape”, as well as competitive multiplayer. The Coalition also released extensive story DLC for the game.

GEARS TACTICS (2020)

• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

If until now all the games in the series belonged to the same genre – third-person shooters, then Gears Tactics has expanded this list: before us is a tactical strategy, the action of which takes place 12 years before the events of the very first Gears of War, and the protagonist is Gabe Diaz, the father of the main character of the fifth part.

Gears Tactics isn’t a must-play game, but it’s still very important to understanding the story and sheds light on key events in Sera’s story. It’s also an amazing tactical game that manages to retain the dark charm of the main series, while also introducing new gameplay elements and showing the game world from a different angle. Typically, the game was released first on PC, with a version for Xbox consoles following a few months later.

WHAT’S NEXT?

After the release of Gears 5, nothing was heard about the series for a long time. There is definitely a new part in development, but we don’t know when it will be released. According to rumors, The Coalition studio, responsible for the last few games in the line, is working on a sequel, which could be released in 2024 or 2025.

Journalist Nick Baker on the XboxEra podcast reported that a potential Gears of War 6 is ” later in development than expected,” and also noted that the game will likely feature an open world, which would be a logical progression from the semi-open environments of Gears 5.

In addition, you should expect that the new part of the series is created on the Unreal Engine 5 – given that all the titles were developed on the Unreal Engine, it would be strange to expect the use of any other engine for the next game.

IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY

Gears of War was not the first game with an over-the-shoulder camera and the ability to “stick” to cover: Resident Evil 4 beat it with the first option, and the 2003 shooter Kill Switch beat it with the second. However, it was Gears of War that popularized these two aspects, with which it later became associated.

The series also confidently followed the fashion for brutal characters, without changing it throughout its existence. Gears of War is about the roar of chainsaws, men and women who don’t back down in the face of danger, and the feeling of having a partner on your side in multiplayer gameplay. It was for these components that millions fell in love with her.