New Gears of War: Judgment Details Are In, Revealing Class-Based Multiplayer [E3 2012]
Gears fans have been in a buzz since Game Informer let fly the announcement that a new Gears of War title is in the works over at Epic Games. The new title is called Gears of War: Judgment, and over the weekend some details have slipped through the cracks, including a couple of images via Game Informer.
Since then it looks like more information was delivered to fans, just in time to kick off E3 2012 this year. People Can Fly is down to develop this title, set as a prequel to the first original game. Epic will still have a hand in the matter, though they’ll be taking somewhat of a backseat to the ride. In Judgment players will watch as Cole, Baird, and the rest of the Killo Squad being put to trial for transgression against the Coalition of Ordered Governments.
The game will also take place in Halvo Bay, which happens to be the home of the Onyx Guard and appears as a modern day San Francisco. Judgement will remain a third-person shooter, despite People Can Fly’s most recent title, Bulletstorm, being an FPS. This is where Epic comes in, as they’re dedicated to making sure the game still remains a Gears title.
Though we’ll see both Baird and Cole, new faces will appear for us to see in the game. While Baird is working his way through the Gears ranks, we see a more serious side of him than before. As for Cole, he’s making his transition from Thrashball star to loyal soldier of the COG. New faces include Garron Paduk, who is a refugee from the Union of Independent Republics. He comes from the other site of the Pendulum Wars and offers a new perspective on the entire storyline. Garron is also quick-tempered, and likes to do things his way. The second newcomer to the series is Sophia Hendricks. She’s a cadet from the Onyx Guard Academy and does things by the book.
Here’s where the differences come in. With Gears of War 3 we saw the integration of Fortifications and other items in the game’s multiplayer modes. Things will be switching up yet again with Judgment’s announced class-based multiplayer system. There will also be a new gameplay mode called “Overrun,” which adds a Team Fortress feel to the game. It will have COG soldiers going up against Locust infantry, somewhat similarly to the Beast and Horde modes in Gears 3. When it’s described, Overrun looks more similar to the Dead Space 2 multiplayer to me, which is really fun.
Here’s a breakdown of the classes in multiplayer that we know of at this point:
COG Classes
Engineer
- Example character – Baird
- Weapons – Gnasher Shotgun
- Gear – Blowtorch (repairs damaged Fortifications)
- Special Abilities – Deploys a sentry turret
Soldier
- Example character – Cole
- Weapons – Lancer and Boomshot
- Gear – None
- Special Abilities – Deploys ammo crates for fellow players
Scout
- Example character – Garron
- Weapons – Longshot Rifle and Snub-Nosed Pistol
- Gear – None
- Special Abilities – Tosses a Beacon Grenade
Medic
- Example character – Sophia
- Weapons – Lancer and Snub-Nosed Pistol
- Gear – None
- Special Abilities – Can throw a Stim Gas Grenade to revive allies
Locust Infantry
Wretch
- Can leap over hazards and climb perches
- Scream ability stuns players
Ticker
- Eats and damages Fortifications, Grenades
- Can detonate to deal damage to opposing players
- Has a speed boost
Kantus
- Equipped with the Hammerburst Rifle
- Can heal friendly players
- Rides Bloodmounts
- Has a chain heal ability
Grenadier
- Equipped with Lancer
- Can ride Bloodmounts
- Throws Frag Grenades
Bloodmount
- Uses melee attacks against enemies and Fortifications
- Can reduce the cooldown of a rider’s special ability by 50%
- Can carry a mounted Kantus behind cover while his Heal cools down
Mauler
- Equipped with a Flail and Boomshield
- Destroys Fortifications
- Has a Spinning Spike Shield ability
Serapede
- Can eat through Barriers
- Can spit poison at enemies for ranged support
Corpser
- Destroys Fortifications with heavy melee attacks
- Escapes combat by burrowing underground
When it comes to single-player there isn’t much to go on. We’re still awaiting more information from Microsoft’s press conference which is being held right now. As it looks, the multiplayer appears like it will be fun but I’m not sure I’m on board yet. I’m afraid that these classes will be set and locked, and in order to play using the Gnasher I’ll have no choice but to be the Engineer. It looks like People Can Fly is trying to turn the game into a multiplayer-based title, which isn’t the heart of the Gears series. I’ll have to see more before I can reach a final verdict on it, and more is on the way.
