Game Review 'Gears of War 4': Mixed bag

Way back in 2010 when I got my first ever Xbox 360, I remember walking out excited with the console under one arm and clasped tightly in the other were two games that would reintroduce me to the wonderful world of gaming. They were Gears of War and Halo 3. The original Gears of War was my first ever online multiplayer experience, memories which I cherish most dearly even to this day. The exhilarating feel of getting a kill with a chainsaw through the lag that plagued Indian online gaming back in the day has yet to be matched. Then came the colourful and beefy characters of the games themselves.

The roided up macho men fighting tooth and nail against the locust hordes were always a fun backdrop for the loose and somewhat bland story, but let’s be honest here, I don’t know too many people who like the Gears’ story all that much. Sadly though, the multiplayer aspect of the game also slowly started dying out with each new iteration, with judgement being an all-time low. So, when the Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta was announced, I was skeptical. The hope was that the game would finally manage to capture the greatness that it once had and would instill that feeling of awe and wonder that gamers once felt while playing the awesome Team Deathmatch on the original Gears of War. Well, after having spent a considerable amount of time on the Beta, I have to say that it was sort of a mixed bag for me. Being a closed beta, finding a game proved to be the biggest challenge, at least early on but once in game the lag wasn’t as bad as I had imagined, but it did factor in.

However, when the game worked, it felt wonderful. I am pleased to say the grayish brown colour palette that Gears is famous for makes a triumphant return and frankly has never looked this amazing. Thanks to the improved hardware in the Xbox One, the game runs extremely well, with movement to and from various covers feeling very smooth and precise. The game did make some sacrifices in terms of textures to help ensure we get a smooth 60 fps multiplayer experience which makes a phenomenal difference to the Gears Of War 4 multiplayer. The issue I felt that bogged this Beta experience was that Team Deathmatch got old rather fast because most maps on offer felt quite similar, with shotguns dominating most altercations. Being a closed Beta, finding games on other game modes was a challenge that eventually proved to be insurmountable.

The thing is, if you’re a Gears veteran, this is more of the game that you know and love with a tweaked movement system that makes it feel much more responsive. If you’re new to the series, well, you’re certainly in for some crazy fun times ahead. All in all, the Beta did serve its purpose. It whet our appetites and piqued our interest in the upcoming game. After playing through several hours of the beta, I seriously am looking forward to see what Gears of War 4 brings to the table.