Gears of War is synonymous with blood, chainsaws, endless hordes of enemies, heart-pounding combat, storytelling intensity, and tough, hyper-muscled men capable of wrecking whatever they catch. Thanks to these details and the great work that the different teams have done in each installment, the Xbox exclusive video game saga has become an indisputable icon in recent years. But if the constant successes reaped since we met Marcus Fénix for the first time in Gears of War 1 (2006) weren’t enough, the company has moved on with Gears 5 . Bigger, more complete, more bloodthirsty and more everything.
What’s new in the COG
While it is true that the Gears of War saga has endured the passing of the years as a champion, the developer studio has wanted to get out of the mold a bit with this installment. The Coalition , who took the reins with Gears of War 4 , has shown that it has adapted perfectly to the tone of these video games and, therefore, they have been able to create a new product but respectful with that essence that fans have to feel for enjoy it .
The first big change we come across is the main character of the game. In the previous installments, and without being the only one, the great protagonist was Marcus Fénix but in Gears 5 the legendary COG hero has taken a step back to make room for Kait Díaz , an outsider we met in Gears of War 4 and who is presented as a powerful, skillful and decisive character (what it takes to survive in the fight against Queen Myrrah). Marcus. JD Fénix, Clayton Carmine and company will continue to be present and will be our Lancer brothers in the hostile world that awaits us.
The rest of the changes focus on the mechanics of the game . Let’s start by talking about the map: much larger than the previous ones, interconnected and semi-open, so the exploration gains relevance and becomes a new element to take into account . To move through the barren lands of Gears 5 we will use a skiff, a light vehicle that will allow us to advance more quickly and will serve as an arsenal and base station. Collectibles, legendary weapons (called relics in this case), and the freedom to roam and choose what mission to do and when to do it are increasingly widespread elements in AAA games, and for good reason. RPG features and customization are also incorporated through JACK, a drone that will accompany us to provide us with some support and that the player can handle in cooperative modes.
Improve accessibility, enrich the experience
The Coalition wanted to expand the player’s options in every possible way , making playing Gears 5 feel familiar but new at the same time. While its classic mechanics was (in the words of Otto Ottosson, multiplayer and accessibility leader of the project ) “kick the door and start shooting”, in this new installment the player will see his range of action and maneuverability expanded, being able to introduce elements similar to strategy and stealth . Ottosson calls it Player Initiated Combat , an add-on whereby enemies don’t detect characters right out of the box and the player gains some time to decide how they want to deal with them.
But if The Coalition has wanted something, it is to amplify the experience and the possibilities of the player , on the one hand with a multiplayer mode that goes beyond what we already knew and on the other with a concept of enhanced accessibility and inclusion that is completely different from what was seen. previously. Seeking to improve the experience among players, Gears 5 expands its Horde and Confrontation modes (9 different modes) with two new types: Map Builder and Escape. In addition, the interaction between players will be enhanced with the alliance system (the continued relationship with other players is rewarded), operations (a system similar to that of the Battle Royal seasons) or the new difficulty modes that seek to better reflect the variety of level that the followers of the saga can have.
“ The market is always changing . There are developers out there making amazing products and when we see how we made Gears 5 we think what was the next thing Gears of War could aspire to, “Ottosson explains while trimming his beard. The answer to this desire to expand is especially noticeable in Escape mode, a countdown in which the squad will have to infiltrate a base full of enemies and set off a bomb without dying trying (or jumping into the air) . “The Hordes mode lasts 3 or 4 hours, while an Escape game can finish in 20 minutes and is an experience as intense as the Confrontation mode but without having to face other players (…). Offer something new ”.
In this mode, the conditions are even more adverse than what Gears of War has us used to. “You have to optimize the way we deal with enemies. There is a countdown, a table with the best times and bonuses according to headshots, executions… You have very little ammunition and the way you play and take advantage of these incentives is very important. It is more important to master the gameplay and the possibilities than the different ways of dealing with shootings ” . Otto Ottosson tells us that the Gears 5 universe and the possibilities it offers will continue to grow and grow in all its ways.
But their work goes beyond the multiplayer mode, since the team of Ottosson and The Coalition has set out to make the world of Gears of War more accessible to the gamer community. “This serves as an equalizer, when you’re in the game everyone is the same . It is an excellent way to bring people together and we believe that by opening it up to more people, video games will also be better ”. “I spoke with people who do not have the same facilities as me as a gamer and I realized that we can do a lot of developers to make games more accessible. We are beginning to improve this aspect of the games and we have a long way to go, but I think Gears 5 is a good start, “he concludes.
What would Carmine do?
And what would Clayton Carmine have to say about all this? This mythical character has been present in all the installments and has the particularity of having been saved from death, unlike his brothers, thanks to the support provided by the players. Jesús Barreda is the one who gives him voice in the dubbing for Spain and, although he admits that “I have played it little because it got me older”, he knows the complexity behind the history of Gears of War like few others. On the great virtue of this saga and why it likes it so much, Barreda is clear: “I think it is very well scripted, the story is good and it is well written. Out there you find very churresco video games and when the main idea of the title is good, it is well written and on top of that you develop it well technically, surely the game is going to be good. Then you may like it or not, but the basis is that the story is good, well written and develops well ” .
Although they are rarely seen, video game dubbers are the key to making the story believable and immersive. The passion and commitment they put into their performance make a succession of cinematics an epic epic with a soul of its own . “The public values the work of the dubbers and especially of video game dubbers, especially if it is done well, as in this case in which all the dubbers, who are my colleagues, are very good. The voice of the protagonist is Olga Velasco, who has spent all her life doubling and doing very important things and here she is, doing a great job with this video game that she will surely have been great ”.
More than three million players in its first week
Gears 5 has become the best Xbox launch in recent years. In just a week, and counting those who got the previous access, the game already has 3 million players and continues to grow. The gamer community has known how to respond and reward the effort of a saga that has known how to renew, grow and retain loyalty. The roar of the Lancer cutting through the air will accompany us for many years .
