#Gears of war 4 campaign length series

However, this does represent the titleвЂ™s biggest flaw вЂ“ a dearthВ of storytelling.

ItвЂ™s not Shakespeare, but it doesnвЂ™t need to be. Learning how COG initiatives have affected the planetвЂ™s recovery turns the bad guys into good guys and vice versa, making everything (somewhat) new again. It turns out the COG were never really good people themselves they were just the protagonists. In fact, theyВ quickly learn that JD and friends have goneВ AWOL, flipping the dynamicВ entirely. In terms of story, GoW4 is a bit thin, but still enjoyable.В Set 25 years after Marcus Fenix removed his battle-worn bandanna and pondered life without war, the game immediately reminds players that thereвЂ™s still a long way to go before healing.ДЄs JD (son of Marcus) Fenix, players are thrust into a narrativeВ that indicates all is not well with the seriesвЂ™ beloved COG soldiers. It was extremely satisfying a decade ago, and itвЂ™s just as rewarding now.

Most important? The return of the distorted guitar riff that tells players a section is complete. The improved dialogue (featuring 100% fewer dude-bro one-liners) is well-acted and engaging when given the chance. Gunfire and environmental sounds are realistic, and only get better with a good set of headphones. In turn, traditional Gears hiccups like collision detection, вЂњstickyвЂќ cover spots, and clipping are mostly eliminated, with only the most visually demanding sections causing any issue. Lighting, shadow, weather effects, and everything else are presented in such rich, deep detail, players might just take a few unexpected deaths while admiring the landscape. Even newcomers will quickly master gun swaps and grenade attacks in a level or two.ДЄs expected, GoW4 is a visual marvel, showing vast improvements over the public beta from just a few months earlier. GearsвЂ gunplay is weighty enough to give gamers a sense of impact, but itвЂ™s also extremely nimble, allowing them to rotate between available weaponry using the D-pad, through what may be the best weapon-selection mechanic in the industry. Though repeated bouts of the hide/shoot/hide/shoot mechanics would seem to be redundant, Gears manages to avoid it through diverse environments, interesting enemies, and the ever-so-satisfying вЂњsplatвЂќ of a headshot. Snapping in and out of cover is intuitive and responsive, and before long, players will be ducking and firing with ease. Using conveniently placed obstacles as barriers, players move their muscle-bound characters from shooting gallery to shooting gallery, taking out enemies with a wide range of futuristic armaments.

#Gears of war 4 campaign length series

GoW4 isnвЂ™t trying to get players to cry, to call their moms, or to boost downloads of melancholy ballads - itвЂ™s just a gutpunch of aВ shooter, and one of the best experiences available on Xbox One.ДЇor those new to the party, GoW4 is the latest in the Xbox-exclusive, third-person shooter series that helped define cover-based gunplay. This new approach is more direct and focused on the trigger. Fans of the series will likely have the same response, because GoW4 not only recaptures the wow factor from the original, but also tightens its focus - something badly needed after Gears 3 bludgeoned players with bromance, tragedy and daddy issues, and Judgment baffled them with a sheer lack of purpose. Hyperbole? Perhaps, but a month after first removing the shrink wrap, IвЂ™m still finding things to praise. By the time I finished the campaign, I was excited by the new tweaks, but still thankful that my beloved вЂstop and popвЂ™ cover-based gameplay made the transition to Xbox One in perfect condition. A few minutes after that, I began peppering my thoughts with positive profanity. These are the words I uttered aloud just a few minutes into my Gears of War 4В experience. WTFВ I never thought Gears would sink deep into microtransactions. LOWВ The story might be too scaled back for its own good. HIGHВ The best, most enjoyable GearsВ since the seriesвЂ™ debut.