(Note: All images are credited to Microsoft)
In truth, we still don’t know very much. All that’s been revealed so far are some screenshots, of which the featured image is one. But these images give us enough to start putting some pieces of the puzzle together, as well as create some interesting new questions.
Let’s start with the featured image (shown here again for clarity):
It shows a COG soldier holding a lancer and simply says “Gears 4.” Because we have a regular lancer here and not a retro lancer, means that this game will not take place during the Pendulum Wars as many had rumored and hoped it would. Also if you look at the COG symbol on the soldier’s breastplate, what was always the skull omen has been replaced with something new. Could this be a new government forged after the Locust wars? We can also tell by the partial face in the screenshot that this is not Marcus Fenix (or at least I can, have I been playing these games for too long? Nah.). This seems to indicate that a new protagonist will take center stage.
Next, we have this ugly little guy. From this image alone, it’s hard to say what it is or what it can do, but it does seem to have some Locust-like features. The webbed tail leads me to believe that this is an amphibious creature, so perhaps the game will take place on the coast.
All right here we go! So the tail’s a weapon, pretty cool in my opinion. Plus there’s some other interesting things here. First, that’s DEFINITELY not Marcus, or anyone we’ve met before. The second thing I noticed, and mainly because avid readers will know it’s something I’ve been hoping for, the atmosphere here is dark and dreary. That’s something we haven’t truly seen since the first Gears of War. Hopefully the majority of the game keeps this up. It’ll be a nice return to form. Finally, our hero here is using a lancer, but he’s not even close to being in full COG armor, and I’m curious as to why that is. He seems to have started to put some on, but the full ensemble is incomplete.
So once again we have a dreary and bleak atmosphere. Yes! I’m stoked at this point. It’s windy and stormy, this is starting to look more and more like a town or city on a coast. Up ahead we can see our partner. That word is important. Partner. In Gears of War 3 and Jud… Judg… Ugh Judgement (sorry that game makes me sick to my stomach), we had 4 player co-op. It made for bigger battles and it was a blast being able to team up with multiple friends at the same time. But here it’s just you and one other, hearkening back to the days of Marcus and Dom. Side note, our hero is still not in full uniform and his partner isn’t either. I’m beginning to think they may be Stranded and scavenged it from fallen heroes.
Finally we get to fully see our two protagonists! This is the first time that the two main heroes in Gears will be male AND female. I think it will create a very interesting dynamic and look forward to seeing how the two interact with each other. Are they lifelong friends? Did they team up for survival only (because I’m not convinced that they’re actually COG at this point)? Also, the female character looks a little like Tea Sama and she’s my Gears buddy, so I guess I’m gonna get stuck playing as BJ Blazkowicz over there.
That’s it for now guys. As I keep finding out new things, you can rest assured I’m going to let you know. So far I’m excited from what I’ve seen. I just hope The Coalition can meet what are very high expectations from everyone. So far, they haven’t disappointed!
Trinity Source Gaming 