Gears of War Judgement - Review

Fresh off the back of completing Gears of War 3 myself and Nolls decided to play Gears of War Judgement, the fourth installment in the Gears of War series. I had only played it once before when it was first released so was excited to see how I felt about it the second time around, especially after playing Gears 5.


There are certain combinations of food in my opinion that go really well together. A classic for me is lasagna, chips and garlic bread.  It's a heavy meal and a lot to eat through, but I'm always up for the challenge. As I sit here with my slightly swollen stomach (okay it's very swollen) I find myself asking was it worth it? The answer is yes, every time.  Playing Gears of War Judgement I found myself asking was it the right combination of things and would I be left swollen or feeling sick?

Story


Gears of War Judgement is split into two campaigns; Judgement and Aftermath.  Judgment focuses on Kilo Squad, made up of a young Lieutenant Baird, Private Cole, and introducing Cadet Hendrik, and Private Paduk. Cadet Hendrik who is in training to be an Onyx Guard, Private Paduk who is from the Republic of Gorasnaya who doesn't like taking orders and has more than a few bones to pick with the COG.


The start of Judgment sees all members of Kilo Squad in handcuffs and each giving their testimonies.  Each character provides another piece of the story and the pieces combined show their journey to take down General Karn. Aftermath takes place during the latter half of Gears of War 3 when Baird and Cole are sent to find reinforcements.  They meet a not so happy Paduk and try to convince him for help.


Overall the story works really and it was interesting to see a younger Baird and Cole and the introduction of new characters Hendrik and Paduk.

Visuals


The visuals are a lot more vibrant and sharper than in the previous installments of Gears of War. Don't get me wrong the game still looks dark, but fire and the overall lighting effects stand out much more than before.


There are a number of missions that are outside during the day and these look really good especially in the Judgement campaign where there were still some buildings intact, and for a moment give the illusion of an abandoned world rather than a desolate one. The world feels more real than it has previously and can really see the impact war has had on it.


It's clear the visuals are starting the move towards a more vibrant look and not quite as dark and moody. Who said darkness had to look dark anyway?



Music


Part of what makes up the Gears Of War Universe is the music, dark, moody and very often intense. This sound is created by Steve Jablonsky, who along with creating the music of Gears of War has also created the sound for Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands and Command and Conquer Tiberium Wars.


The soundtrack is just under an hour but Jablonsky makes every minute count.  It is hands down the best Gears of War soundtrack to date. He managed to create both a new and familiar sound which really adds to the overall experience of the game.


This is one of these few times where I give top marks to the soundtrack.  Every track was perfect and worked so well. If a Lancer was pointed at my head and I had to pick one track that stood above the others I would have to say 'Jacked'.

Gameplay


While the core gameplay in Gears of War Judgement is similar to the others in the Gears of War series this one makes a few tweaks and changes along with throwing in an interesting curveball.


The weapons are reliable, sawed-off shotguns and retro Lancers feel a little inaccurate but they are supposed to be. Not since Gears of War 2 have I used my chainsaw so much, it makes me smile every time I revved it up.  I used the Retro Lancer a lot as well because even though it does not offer the best accuracy I really got into using the bayonet, and while awkward to use it is quite satisfying killing a locust with one.


The cover system continues to be solid for the most part but can glitch on occasion, this means you don't always slide into cover as smoothly as you may like. The cover feels a lot more temporary in many cases as similar to Gears of War 3 it is more destructible.


Gears of War 3 made you feel you were fighting for your very life, Gears of War Judgement does that same thing which creates an intense and satisfying experience.  In the Judgement campaign, there is a Star System for each section with a maximum of three stars to be gained.  It certainly pushes you not to be lazy and give it your all.  However, if you find this too easy you also have the option of adding a declassified mission to the mix, it can be anything from stronger enemies, little ammo, or there is a time limit.  While it is jarring to start with we got into the groove pretty quickly. The only downside is that they did not continue this with the Aftermath campaign.


Overall the gameplay is varied, offering more challenges, new enemies and a few new weapons too!






Final Thoughts


So, after ten hours how did we feel?  Pretty good.  The story was really good and fleshed out some of the characters. The visuals were a lot more vibrant and sharper and it will be interesting replaying Gears of War 4 to see how they compare.  The soundtrack is easily the best to date and certainly adds to the tension.  The gameplay is fairly solid with only a few minor hiccups.  This one gets a solid 4 out of 5

Gears Of War 3 - Review

Over the last while I have gotten Nolls (wife to be and an all-around awesome person) into Gears of War.  We finished Gears of Wars 2 recently and she was eager to see how the story ended (well for this trilogy anyway). I played Gears of War 3 when it was first released and at the time I felt a little underwhelmed, maybe it was because Gears of War 2 was so good. There was just something about 3 that just didn't quite do it for me, so I was curious how I would feel this time.


I like cakes, pies and generally anything that is bad for your health. One pie that I can be a little on the fence about is deep-dish apple pie.  If I am in the mood for deep-dish apple pie and eat it I'm usually amazed how good it is, but if I eat because it is the only thing available I'm generally underwhelmed.  I guess it just depends on my mood?  Playing Gears of War 3 I wondered was I in the mood for deep-dish apple pie?

Story


Last time on Gears of War it was decided that the best course of action was to sink the last major city in an attempt to stop the Locust.  Now, months on, Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole along with other COG and survivors are living on a ship.  The Lambent, the enemy of both humans and the Locust is slowly taking over the world. The Locust are adapting to the surface quickly and have already started amassing their forces. This time it is not just a war, it's a fight for survival for all life.


The story focuses on many interesting points, like life before the Locust and how so many of the COG used to just be civilians. Queen Myrah while slaughtering many humans is simply trying to help her people avoid extinction from the Lambent.


Overall the story is good, if not a little sad.  The world now is extremely bleak and really feels like extrication is imminent. I think maybe my reservation when playing it last time was that it really feels like the end of something. When something feels so good it can be tough to see it come to end.

 

 Visuals


The original Gears of War had very dark and gritty visuals, these were then massively improved in Gears of War 2.  For me, the visuals in Gears of War 3 have not evolved beyond Gears of War 2.  That doesn't mean they are bad.  There is a huge focus on character designs, the bulkier armor has been slimmed down.  This time everyone is wading into the fight, Anya is ditching her formal outfit for COG armor, we are also introduced to new characters, Sam and Jace. The Locust have more rugged armor and look more beat up. The Lambent have so many different forms, the stalks which birth enemies, enemies that can evolve into multiple forms and if that was not bad enough they also like to explode.


Overall the visuals haven't improved much from Gears of War 2 but the new character designs and variety of new enemies make it a lot of fun to look at it.



Music


The music in Gears of War 3 is dark, it feels more than just about war but also loss and the reminder that the world hangs in the balance. American composer Steve Jablonsky created the score along with Gears of War 2, Gears of War Judgement, Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands and Command and Conquer Tiberium Wars.


The soundtrack runs at close to ninety minutes and features some really great tracks, my favorites being; 'Restless', 'Meanwhile Below Deck', 'Bridge Too Far Indeed', 'Deadland Dance', and 'Corpser Ambush'.

Overall Jablonsky has helped create a very distinct sound for Gears of War that is easily recognizable. The soundtrack in my eyes has as big of a part to play as the story, visuals, and gameplay itself.

Gameplay


Personally, I have always found the gameplay in the Gears of War series to be pretty solid. Gears of War 3 is no exception. It plays in third-person and continues to work well. The big change for me is the cover system - there is a lot more to hide behind but there is also more destructible cover.


There are a lot of old familiar weapons, along with some new ones like the Retro Lancer which, instead of a chainsaw, has a giant blade stuck on the end of it.  It can be a little unruly to pull off a kill with the blade but when you can it is a lot of fun. The executions are back in force, each weapon has its own unique execution.


There are truly dark moments in the game, seeing not only destroyed areas of the world but also how close everything is to the end.  Each battle feels like you have to prevail and push forward, not only for your survival but everyone else's as well.

Overall the gameplay is solid, things feel tougher than before but all help drive the point home as to how bad things have become.





Final Thoughts


 So, after around fifteen hours how did I feel?  Pretty good.  The story is dark, gritty and enjoyable and a good ending to the trilogy. While the visuals may not be much stronger than Gears of War 2 the new character designs of allies and enemies alike look really good.  The music is strong and Jablonsky has helped create a very distinct sound for the Gears of War series. The gameplay continues to be solid, offering some new challenges. Overall this one gets a solid 4 out of 5

Gears of War 2 - Review

At the end of last year, I played Gears 5 and I was surprised as to how good it.  Playing it reminded me of the first few games in the series and I had the desire to play them all again, but this time I would have a partner in crime to play with (Hi Nollsy!). We already completed the original Gears of War together, and as  I reviewed it previously there was no point doing it again.  But with Gears of War 2, I never reviewed it and was looking forward to it.


I like Snickers, there are reliable, tasty, a good bit of bite and they have nuts! The only thing better than a normal Snickers is a peanut butter one or an ice-cream one. Being honest, if it is a Snickers bar of any description I don't think you can go too wrong.  Playing Gear of War 2 I found myself asking was it as reliable as a normal Snickers or was it even better?

Story


The first installment of Gears of War introduced us to the Gears Universe but was sparse on a lot of details.  With Gears of War 2, it really builds up the Gears Universe and answers a number of questions along with asking a few more. At the end of the first Gears of War, it was thought that the Locust might be beaten, it turns out this could not be further from the truth. The Locust are eager to take over the surface of the planet, but before doing that they want to sink all the cities. But why? Well, you will have to play to find out, I'm not telling you.  There is more effort gone into character development , and not only between Marcus, Dom, Baird and Cole.  We also see Dom struggling to try and find his wife and Marcus hoping to find his father who seems to have a deep knowledge of the Locust.


Overall the story is really good and focuses on so many different things without it feeling jumbled.  There is a real sense of feeling like you are a team.  There are some highs but many sad lows which left me feeling a little emotional.  The story of Gears of War 2 is it all it could be and more.

Visuals


The Gears of War world is dark and gritty, not only because of the damage done by the Locust (and the humans) but also because the buildings have a very industrial feel to them.  When I found out we would be spending some time underground I was a little nervous.  Not because I'm afraid of the dark but because in the first Gears of War I found it a little tough on the eyes and while there were some cool visuals the lighting was so low it made it hard sometimes to work out where you were going.  This time is very different it well lit, you can enjoy the underground rivers and some of the Locust architecture which is very standout and ornate.  There are many more types of enemies this time, they are big, bad and won't go down without a lot of bullets.


Overall the visuals look really good and the developers have taken more risks and it has paid off.  The world feels much more organic than the original Gears of War and we felt more engaged with it.



Music 


The world is dark and the music in the game is a great reminder of this, and when it isn't doing that it provides some great battle music that helps you keep pushing forward.  The score is put together by American composer Steve Jablonsky. He has a rich body of working including; Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, The SIMs 3 and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. On top of this, he also penned the scores for movies such as Transformer, The Island, Pain and Gain and a host of TV series.


The score is almost two hours longs and features some great tracks, my favourite being...all of them. It is one of the rare cases where I enjoyed the whole soundtrack. It is perfectly suited for the game and helps add to an already enjoyable experience.

Gameplay


The gameplay is in third-person and the mechanics are much improved in Gears of War 2, the cover system is much stronger and responsive. The weapons feel more varied and the constant looming of battle helps keep you on your toes.  The Lancer weapon now has a chainsaw that feels much more responsive than the first Gears of War.  There is now a range of weapons including the Hammerburst, Poison Grenades, along with bigger weapons like a minigun and mortar canon.


Down but not out. This is big thing in Gears of War 2, your allies will pick you up if you are down but enemies will also help each other.  This time you can carry out executions on downed enemies which can vary depending on what weapon you have. It's pretty fun and nasty at the same time especially with the noises being made.


There are some larger enemies like the Brumak and Reavers which offer tough resistance but offer more fun when you can actually use them yourself. Yep, that right you have a mount, kind of, it is short-lived but a lot of fun.


Outside of the main campaign is Horde Mode which sees you take on wave after wave of enemies. It can be done solo but is not as much fun.  There are a number of maps to pick from Avalanche being my favourite by far.  If you just want some mostly mindless fun for a short time this will suit you down to the ground.


Overall the gameplay is awesome and much improved over the original.




Final Thoughts

So, after twelve hours or playing how did we feel?  Pretty damn good. The story was really good, as were the visuals, music and gameplay. I am really happy and getting to play it with someone else was a lot of fun.  Gears of War 2 still holds up well and gets a solid 5 out of 5