Some of my fondest memories of the Xbox 360 are from the
Gears of War series. The earliest of which is waking up from a nap on the couch
to my brother playing the first GoW.
I remember how excited I got when I saw
him destroy a Locust with a gnasher. Gears of War 2 brought horde mode, which
was me and my friend’s favorite thing when it came out. The new Gears of War
Judgment does nothing for me. Not because it feels old, but because Epic changed
so much that it doesn’t feel like a Gears game anymore.
Judgment takes place 15 years prior to the first game.
Instead of running around as the badass Marcus Fenix, you play as the
wise-cracking Damon Baird.
Along with Baird there is Thrasher Ball player Augustus Cole. New comers Sofia
Hendrik and Garron Paduk make Kilo Squad. The game starts off with Kilo Squad
being arrested for many charges by the 80’s pornstar mustache wearing Ezra
Loomis.
The game is broken down into each Kilo Squad members’ testimonies about
their actions that may have caused a lot of people to die. The way Epic chopped
up the campaign makes Judgment feel like it’s nothing but horde mode with some
what of a story. Judgment was meant to feel young, and they succeeded with
changing the formula of the overall game play.
To flesh out the story, Epic uses
the Declassified system which puts certain stipulations on the mission, like
only using shotguns or having thick fog to cover the battlefield. Going through
the Declassified missions help raise your star rating- by collecting stars you
can unlock multiplayer skins, videos and Aftermath mode.
Another trick Epic throws in is the
Smart Spawn system. This is actually pretty clever because every time you play
a level over again, a lot of the Locust change. The first time you play a level
you may encounter crawlers, and the next time you try to go back and get 3
stars you get blown to hell by a boomer. And speaking of feeling young, Epic
threw some Just for Men all up on the Gear’s heads, because Judgment is
extremely beautiful. There is so much attention to detail, from each Kilo
members outfit to the flames burning down buildings. This game will make you
wish you could scoop up a lancer and join the fight. Sadly, this is where most
of Judgments pro’s end.
Judgment’s AI is horrendous. Your team members are some of
the dumbest asses ever- if you’re not within 5 yards of someone when you’re
downed, you’re finished for which isn’t good because when your downed, your
star meter depletes. The enemy’s AI isn’t all that smart either, running straight
at you just waiting to get blasted to bits. I have no problem helping them but
what’s the fun in that?
The Gears story never really caught me, it was mostly the
multiplayer. Gears multiplayer has been known for its tactical team oriented
style. From laying down cover fire so a team member can get close enough to
blow them to bits with the gnasher, it was all-in-all about working as a team,
something it had over the CoD games. Judgment totally throws that out the
window to try to bring in something new and fresh and it completely fails.
Modes like Team Death Match felt like a CoD rip off that’s not as fun. You see,
Epic changed everything from the loadout, which in the original you had a
assault rifle, shotgun, pistol and grenades, to where multiplayer only allows
you to have only 2 weapons. That’s where multiplayer gets all fucked up.
Everyone is running around not in cover, using shotguns. It’s just not fun. Not
only that but the already extremely strong grenades are newly sticky for some
reason, so when dodge and shotguns blast from your enemy, you’re most likely
going to be hit with a sticky grenade. Not only that, but downing an enemy is
no longer in multiplayer. This allowed you to use an enemy as a meat shield or
a moving bomb by jamming a grenade in them then kicking them towards their team
mates. By taking this out it removes another level of strategy from the
multiplayer that is already boring as hell. Active Reloads are no longer
present, the reason Epic removed this is beyond me. Multiplayer is extremely
thin on modes as well, only having 4 modes: Team Death Match, Free for All, Domination
and Over Run. Free for All is one of the new modes that puts 10 Gear members
together to use everything (mostly shotguns) and anything to destroy each
other. Domination is your traditional Territories mode, hold down one spot for
a set amount of time, rinse, repeat. The new Over Run mode is Epic version of
Rush mode from Battlefield, destroy the Gears E-Hole cover then move on to the
next area. You play as either the Locust or Gear members.
Each side has
different classes that have different jobs on the battlefield. On the Gear side
you have Baird, who acts as your technician that throws down turrets and
repairs your fortifications, Cole, who is your heavy gunner, Padok, who acts as
your scout and is equipped with new sensor grenades that show the enemies
location, and Sofia, who is your healer of the team that totes shiny new
healing grenades. On the Locust side you have your Ticker, which is the fastest
way to bring down the Gear’s fortifications. Grenadiers act as your heavy units
so you can push into your enemy lines when you find an opening. The Kantus Locust
is your healers. Take down enough Gear’s and you can purchase second tier Locust
(Corpser’s, Mauler’s, Rager’s, and Serapede) to help in your mission.
Our Honest View gives, Gears Of War Judgement 2/5. Judgment was a huge disappointment to me. Epic tried too hard
to make things new and exciting but failed by falling on the pretty young
faces. If you’re a fan of any of the previous Gears, don’t buy this game. With
downing, active reloads, control changes, and missing multiplayer modes, Epic
shot themselves in the foot (thank god they don’t use active reloads anymore or
it would hurt) and when the next Gears arrives, it’s going to take a lot for
them to get this fan back.
Replay Value: Moderately Low
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| By: Nevill Adeyeye. |
Similar Titles:
- Gears of War
- Bulletstorm
- Crysis 2
