QCF: Gears of War Judgment

lanet Sera has been victim to the constant siege of the Locust for years now, and the COG has seen better days -- or have they? What if we were taken back to the beginning? To a time where the government sovereignties was still a thing and military tribunals were held to determine the accountability and actions of a Soldier’s survival on the battlefield? For determining judgment, if you will…

Epic Games takes a backseat this go around. From the fine folks from People Can Fly comes the fourth installment that explores where it all started with the snarky Damon Baird and flamboyant Augustus Cole on the frontlines.

While the Gears of War formula has set a standard for third-person shooter-driven gameplay, it’s done little to stray from its foundation, in turn expanding upon it in every way Epic Games could with GOW3. Since the early days of PPR, I have personally endorsed the idea of a Baird/Cole centric campaign on multiple occasions, so the concept of Judgment should be just the sort of answer I’ve been clamoring for, right? People Can Fly have expressed their understanding for this like-minded sentiment among returning players, and had their work cut out for them from the very start of the endeavor. Judgment presented to justify yet another entry that could appeal both to fans and newcomers.

In the end, the fourth installment introduces some unique twists in the established formula that help stretch the legs of GOW in a direction that makes for some fun moments, but the overall experience unfortunately displays the franchise’s age at its worst in the process.

The changes made for Judgment easily make up the highlights of this new venture. The control layout has been littered with very subtle utility changes that work to dramatically change response time for the increased intensity of Judgment’s combat. Gone is the D-pad mapped layout and third weapons slot. In its place is one-button quick exchange between selected loadouts, along with a button centered just for grenades instead of loadout selection that allows for simultaneous tactical fire.

These changes show just what exactly lies in store for a player when they boot up the campaign, a thinly-veiled contest of ability that’s unrelenting. The locust are more aggressive and make little room for error, and the game capitalizes on rewarding a player for the amount of skill they employ when reacting to the locust assault. Every execution, ally revival, or assistance towards an enemy kill awards you with score, along with penalties towards said score for being downed. The tally accumulates within different sections of the chapters of play, and affects the grade for all the levels in play, your profile for online combat, and the score counts towards earned experience for your player profile.

This presents an entirely different approach to play, as you’ll find yourself being much more conscious of your decisions instead of the bull-in-a-china-shop mindset, considering that death is no longer just a minor annoyance but a significant consequence instead. This whole new focus on progression makes Judgment feel more like a giant alien shooting gallery in contrast to the narratively driven tone of the campaign. And while it’s a great addition, the superficial nature of these mechanics and the fluff they add can only sustain to entertain so much before they feel old. This new direction is great for Gears veterans.

Though the knowledge of GOW’s demand for tactically-minded strategy is no secret, regardless of a player’s exposure to the series, Judgment throws players into the thick of it without any proper build-up. In contrast, let’s look back at the introductory stages from the previous titles.

Even though they all had their own designated tutorial section, the pacing and design between arsenal, architecture, and enemy type/artillery, new or established, still had a balance for placement, and were key for producing the proper buildup like a child who slowly wades into a swimming pool. Judgment kicks you into the deep end of that pool and assumes that you can swim with its design. The level design is the laziest component since the architecture is practically a stock design in contrast, and the flow simply involves repetition of corridors, trenches, arenas, and so-on. Aesthetically, they’re amazing, but the nooks and crannies of multiple paths that spiced up the advancement are gone in favor of more shooting.

Narratively, Judgment also digs itself into that “playing favorites with the fans” hole, as it plays the setting up years before -- and I mean years before -- the first entry takes place. The fiction present is a bit thick for first comers entering the series, and Judgment forgoes the effort of adding any substantial context. Even for fans, seeing the formation of the Coalition of Ordered Governments after the Pendulum Wars and the UIR coming to a truce; it all feels like a foil simply to advance the plot and nothing more. Seeing Baird before he became Cynical or Cole wet behind the ears as a soldier doesn’t really hit anything remarkable. I mean, it was enjoyable, but considering that People Can Fly did a phenomenal job with Characterization in Bulletstorm, it’s a bit confounding that they struggled to really do anything short of ordinary with established fan-favorite characters.

Believe me, I know It sounds like I’m ripping into Judgment, and that’s not it -- it’s a good Gears game. I’m simply ripping at the fact that it does little to be a Great Gears game.

The waves of varied mobs do add some zing for those who have already been conditioned to the series’ dynamics to enjoy some of the spontaneity with scenarios including variable locust mobs, but the sense of Déjà vu feels like a post-mortem from GOW 3. Judgment does a great job reiterating what makes the series great, but hardly adds anything to the process.

I can still recommend the game for fans of the franchise as long as your expectations are kept in check, and bargains keenly researched before jumping into its retail admission since it hardly warrants it.