Summary
Gears of War: E-Dayis expected to bring back the series' signature cover-based, third-person shooter gameplay, but there’s a new facet introduced by the spin-offGears Tacticsthat the upcoming prequel would do well to incorporate. Following the exploits of beloved duoMarcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago on Emergence Day,E-Dayis almost assured to include some minor timeline inconsistencies, like new weapons and enemy types that are inexplicably absent from games in the series which take place later chronologically. Adopting mechanics fromGears Tacticsmight contribute to such issues, but it would be a minor setback in favor of gameplay iteration.
Gears Tacticsis unique among the seriesin that it opts for an isometric viewpoint and gives players control of multiple Gears in turn-based, tactical combat. It’s a fascinating adaptation of the series' setting, and takes place roughly one year after Emergence Day, focusing on Gabe Diaz, father ofGears 4and5’s Kait Diaz. While Gabe and a few other characters make up the core cast, a rotating roster of more generic Gears gives theTacticssquad a distinct feel. It’s howGears Tacticstreats its weapons, though, thatGears of War: E-Dayneeds to take cues from.
I’m Worried Gears Of War: E-Day Isn’t Solving The Series’ Biggest Issues
I’m excited for Marcus and Dom’s return in Gears of War: E-Day, but I’m worried the game will only contribute to the series’ ongoing stagnation.
Gears Of War: E-Day Should Adopt The Weapon Customization Of Gears Tactics
Interchangeable Weapon Attachments & Components
Gears Tacticshas a skill tree for each recruited Gear to progress through as they level up, but each squad member also has a customizable loadout consisting of a helmet, chest armor, leg armor, primary weapon, secondary weapon, and a grenade type. While such control over equipment could be interesting inGears of War: E-Day, thecustomization of weapons specifically would introduce some much-needed variety. InTactics, each character’s class dictates their primary weapon type; for instance, a Vanguard character might wield a Retro Lancer, while a Heavy lugs a Mulcher into battle.
As missions are completed, characters level up and earn skill points, which can be used to create more specific archetypes within that class, but the squad as a whole also accumulates a collection of weapon modifications.A Lancer, for example, can have its barrel, sights, magazine, and stock replaced, with variants changing the gun’s base stats, but also potentially adding perks to slightly alter the gun’s or character’s behavior in combat. It’s the sort of additional depth expected of a tactical strategy game likeGears Tactics, but skill trees and perks are largely beyond the mainline series, except forGears 5’s Horde and Escape game modes.
It’s possible to collect supply crates in eachGears Tacticsmission, which will provide randomized loot in addition to the mission’s set of rewards for completion.
Weapon Customization Would Set Gears Of War: E-Day Apart
Adding Progression & Variety To Guns
Weapon customization is by no means a new concept to shooters, butthe mainlineGears of Wartitles have never wavered from the loadouts set out by its very first installment. Each player can carry four weapons: two primaries, a secondary pistol, and a grenade type. Heavy weapons can also be picked up off the ground, but must be dropped completely to switch back to one of the equipped four. This has helpedGears' multiplayer adhere to its arena shooter-inspired niche; inGears 5,for instance, every player gets a Lancer, a Gnasher, a Snub, and can select from either Smoke or Flashbang grenades, while all other weapons are picked up from spawn points on the map.
The lead designer on the first threeGears of Wargames, Cliff Bleszinski, previously worked on Epic Games’Unreal Tournamenttitles, which may be partially responsible forGears' arena shooter influence.
Some degree of customization, however, could go a long way in refreshing the weapons that dedicatedGearsplayers have been using since 2006. Addingattachments and interchangeable components also pairs well with the series' signature Active Reload mechanic, providing tactile feedback to the often nebulous stat labeled “Handling” in many games. A Lancer would no longer have to be a reliable, mid-range all-rounder; it could instead be specialized for any number of roles.
This may also help inject new life intoGears' PvP multiplayer, which has long been dominated by the Gnasher shotgun. Bouncing off a wall and hip-firing an enemy into giblets never really gets old, but the added variety of core weapons being even slightly alterable could help establish a new rhythm without completely reinventing the series' multiplayer. Finding new attachments in the campaign could provide nice rewards ifE-DayadoptsGears 5’s “open-world” levels, but unlocking new components by using certain weapons in multiplayer might add a nice sense of progression.
Gears Of War: E-Day Needs One Mechanic Gears 5 Abandoned
Whatever it looks like, Gears of War: E-Day needs to bring back a classic series mechanic that the previous game altered beyond recognition.
Customizable Weapons Do Risk Compromising The Gears Of War Gameplay Loop
E-Day Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Picking Up Power Weapons
There are inherent issues with introducing weapon customization toGears of War: E-Day, however, which may require any such mechanics to essentially be half-measures.Gears' campaign gameplay thrives on constantly switching out weapons, andloading up guns with multiple hard-earned attachments would make players wary of switching things up. It’s always fun to pick up a Boomshot or Torque Bow and use it until the ammo runs dry, but players aren’t likely to do this if it means sacrificing their kitted Lancer or Gnasher.
A nice compromise might be making the Lancer a mandatory weapon, and the only customizable one. This way,E-Daycould blur the lines between the Lancer and the Retro Lancer (the Lancer GL wouldn’t have been invented by Baird yet), and let players choose between a chainsaw or a traditional bayonet.The series' signature rifle could then evolve over the course of the campaign, being built to a player’s liking. It might also help incentivize the continued use of power weapons in multiplayer, while simultaneously making the Lancer more versatile and useful in the Gnasher-dominated firefights.
Customizable weaponry is one of the more interesting mechanics brought to the series byGears Tactics, but it admittedly doesn’t translate perfectly to the third-person shooter gameplayGearsis more famously known for. It works very well in a tactical strategy game designed around incremental improvement between missions, but its implementation could conceivably upsetGears of War: E-Day’s gameplay too much, despite the latent appeal of swapping around components on the series' fascinating guns. Regardless,Gears Tacticsbringing the concept to the series shouldn’t be forgotten, and even a limited amount of customization might go a long way.
