Gears of War 4 (PC) Review – It’s About Time

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published in 2016 and has been lightly updated for formatting, spelling, and readability while preserving the original review, opinions, and technical context from that time.

It is about time that Gears of War 4 was released, yet I am conflicted. I was not sure how I felt when Epic Games removed itself from Gears of War development and the title was placed into the hands of The Coalition, formerly Black Tusk Studios. They were new and still unproven, yet this was the company that Microsoft formed to pass the torch to, similar to what it did with 343 Industries and the Halo series.

Though, The Coalition had its work cut out for it, with the last entry in the Gears of War series being seen as a disaster and disappointment. Could this new studio handle the development of one of Xbox’s greatest series? Going further, could it provide a better experience than its last outing on PC, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition?

Game Name: Gears of War 4
Platform(s): Windows 10 (Reviewed), Xbox One
Publisher(s): Microsoft Studios
Genre: Third Person Cover Shooter
Developer(s): The Coalition
Release Date: 10/7/2016 (Ultimate), 10/11/2016 (Standard)
Price: $59.99 (Standard), $99.99 (Ultimate)

Seeing how the original Gears of War trilogy had reached full circle at the end of Gears of War 3, Microsoft wanted to have a new trilogy created, and as such, development of Gears of War 4 started. This was the new beginning, so to speak, one that would replace the old guard and introduce a new set of characters that we would hopefully come to love.

Taking front and center this time around is the son of the disgruntled Marcus Fenix, JD Fenix, along with his friends Delmont “Del” Walker and Kait Diaz. Interestingly enough, JD and Del seem to be the next iteration of the original Gears of War Marcus and Dom tag team, due to their backgrounds. Both are boarding school friends, with Del following in JD Fenix’s footsteps when he enlists in the COG army.

Right from the start, you are sent on a mission to grab a valuable piece of hardware needed for the settlement that our new friends are living in, and it is there that you find out something is not right. Eventually, you are fed more clues that push the story forward, one that ultimately includes both JD Fenix and Del Walker being ousted from the COG army and placed on the opposite side of the fence. Sadly, the grass is not greener on this side, as the settlement does not have much in terms of resources, which results in you being placed on this mission. Times have not been kind to the human race, and twenty years later, we are seeing a different Sera.

As the story progresses, you learn a little more about the characters you will be spending the remainder of the game with, which helps push character development a bit more. I was really enjoying the buildup and was genuinely interested in what caused the duo to either leave the COG army or be kicked out of it. And just when it looked like we were going to find out more about this, the story makes a left turn, and now you are being blamed for the sudden number of missing people from the COG army. This is a bit more severe than just stealing COG resources, especially since the human race is not as plentiful as it used to be and every able body is more important than stolen pieces of technology.

While the story definitely goes on to form a more elaborate tale, I was a tad disappointed with the bridging of the old guard into the new Gears trilogy. It is not news that JD Fenix and his team catch up with Marcus Fenix during the game. And while this is a father-and-son relationship, one that does require a bit more explanation than what is fleshed out in this chapter, I was hoping that Marcus would not be tapped as much as he was. Do not take it the wrong way, I enjoyed Marcus during his time, but that is just it. This is the new guard. Let them have front and center while Marcus fades away into the stuff of legends.

That Lovely Gameplay Is Key

Who are we kidding? We know a large majority of gamers who play Gears of War are not playing for the story. No, they are playing due to the fire and cover system that has been refined to the point of perfection and is so damned fun. If it is action you came looking for, it is action you are going to get, and in high quantities. The Gears series has never been one to shy away from a good gunfight, and thankfully, Gears of War 4 provides the same fast and glorious gunplay that you remember.

Only this time, it cranks things up a notch or two by putting you into some tense situations. Ever dreamed of riding a motorcycle-ish vehicle through a landscape with rocks and trees that only serve to wreck your face? Oh, you have? Well, how about we toss in a huge plane that is dropping mortar onto your path while shooting at you, all while you are dodging to stay alive? Yeah, you have to shoot down the plane, and that is not too hard, is it?

Not enough? Okay, how about running for your life while horde after horde of lifeless robots are coming for you, while you and your friends are trying to avoid being swept away by hellish winds and fried by lightning storms? Yeah, I knew you would like that. That is just a taste of some of the excitement that The Coalition has packed into Gears of War 4, all of which still plays it safe, yet opens up the throttle just enough to make you go, “Well, damn, that was crazy.”

But what good is a new Gears entry without new tools to play with? Of course, when I say tools, I mean guns, and there are a few new additions that help liven up the game. Sure, your favorites make a return, yet the new ones are just as fun to fire off.

Take, for example, one of my least favorites, the Overkill shotgun. Instead of a double-barrel shotgun, this beauty gives you four barrels of destruction. When you press fire, it shoots off two rounds. When you release the button, it releases the other two. So, it could be a tactical weapon or a reign of chaos if you are blindly smashing away. Honestly, I am surprised this is the first time I have experienced a shotgun that acts like this, as it is pretty ingenious. There are more guns to play with as well, but I will not spoil all the surprises. Though, I was not a fan of the reloads this time around, as they seem a little slower. It could be me, but it was definitely slower.

There is also the addition of a move I call “get over here.” Basically, whenever you are behind cover and an enemy is directly in front of you, you can press the X button, and your character will grab them from over the cover and put them into a three-second stun animation. During this time, you can then press the Y button to quickly perform an instant-kill animation, all of which is really satisfying, to say the least. I tried to do this as much as possible.

There is a downside to using this move, as it is not 100 percent guaranteed. If you attempt it while an enemy is there and they happen to move during the grab animation, you will still perform the move. This leaves you open to fire, so there is some risk, but the reward is definitely worth it and fun.

Worried about how the controls handle? Do not be, as the controls are just as refined as they were in previous titles. Just do not expect these guys to turn on a dime because they are not made that way. Sure, they are not built like giant defensive backs like the characters of old, but they still play like them. Still, I am surprised they have not introduced a way to quickly switch directions like other games in the genre have done. Having to do 180s in the heat of battle does not always work. I want instant “who the hell just shot me” abilities!

Co-Op & Online Features

Horde Mode, which is what many will ultimately end up playing long after they have beaten the game, has also been revamped. The goal is the same as ever: survive through 50 waves of carnage by taking out not only the DeeBees, but also any Locusts that appear in your wake. For every enemy you take down, they will drop energy, which can be deposited into your fabricator. In turn, this allows you to create weapons and fortifications to help you last through the waves.

Fortifications also make their return in the form of barricades, mounted turrets, and other assortments of goodies to keep your enemies at bay. Though, just as before, they do cost resources, and this time around, the price is fabricator energy. You will have to pick and choose what is needed if you want to continue to progress. Constantly deploying fortifications will drain it, forcing you to do without, so you will have to plan accordingly if you want to survive.

New to Horde Mode is the ability to specialize into specific roles based on your play style or your team’s composition: Soldier, which is average and good for beginners; Sniper, a long-range killer; Scout, who is faster than all classes and can collect energy faster; Engineer, who can repair fortifications; and Heavy, who deals big damage but is slower than most and cannot survive on their own.

Each class has a purpose and a weakness, all of which will determine how long you survive during your time in Horde Mode. Pick all Soldiers, and you will end up spending more time running back to the fabricator to get items, while an Engineer can save time by repairing your fortifications. A Scout can easily and quickly grab all the energy left on the ground, but they are not able to soak up as many hits as a Heavy could.

Everyone will find a class they can relate to, that much is apparent. The big question, however, is whether everyone can work together to survive the entirety of Horde Mode. That depends on who you are playing with. That said, in my first couple of games, I was able to hit level 32 with a team of randoms before we started getting overrun on normal mode. This was also without any sort of communication, so everything we did was reactionary. Playing alongside friends will likely make your time a bit easier.

Speaking of which, I never encountered any sort of latency or server issues during any of my online Horde sessions. Finding a game was quick, though the loading process was about a minute long while your character and the map loaded in. I would have preferred it being a bit shorter, but at the same time, it lets you get a drink or something while you wait. That is the only time you have, though, as each round is pretty much instant. You get a brief breather during each round, which lets you gather up stuff, and then it is back to killing stuff.

Update: Of course, shortly after the review, I started experiencing server issues that were linked to player synchronization. The wait times jumped up to two to three minutes for every new game. This is likely due to server issues and how the game handles P2P. I have reached out to The Coalition in regards to this, and hopefully, this gets resolved soon.

During my review, I did not get a chance to check out online co-op, and to be fair, I had no interest in doing so. My reasoning was due to Gears of War 4 including a split-screen local co-op option, something that many games simply do not include anymore. This option was also missing in the Windows port of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and as such, I really wanted to check it out this time around. Thankfully, it did not disappoint, as my daughter picked up the second Xbox One controller, and we went to war. I did not notice any dropped frames or downgrade in graphical fidelity, while the game ran without a hitch.

It ran so well that I am a bit spoiled in regard to wanting other games to emulate this. The only negative is that if you are playing on a smaller monitor, you likely will not have the same experience as I did. During the first round of testing, we played on my 34-inch ultrawide monitor, then again on a large HDTV. I am imagining this option was tossed in because The Coalition has acknowledged that PC gaming is no longer anchored to desks, and there are gamers out there, like myself, who do have a PC connected to a large-format monitor or TV. To this, I say thank you! Seriously, folks, this has to be experienced firsthand.

Oh, and if you do play with a sibling or offspring, do not taunt them or tell them they stink at the game. That is a surefire way to lose your co-op buddy. Trust me!

Visuals And Sound

Looking at Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on PC, and then looking at Gears of War 4, they seem like night and day. One is full of muddled textures and dark visuals, and while not completely unattractive, it does not have the wow factor. The other is absolutely stunning.

The environments are full of detail, which gives each location its own unique look. More than anything, there is more color, which is something fans of the series have typically complained about for years. Sure, it is gloom and doom everywhere, but that does not mean everything has to be dark. The world is not dark, and neither should the world that the game takes place in be.

Both the COG and Outsider settlements have been designed to signify their differences, with the COG being technologically superior, while the Outsiders’ digs show that they are scrappers and use every piece of resources they can find to their advantage. While I cannot speak for the Xbox One version of Gears of War 4, on a decently outfitted Windows 10 PC, the game is easily one of the best games I have seen and played in a while. Thanks to Unreal Engine 4 and the relationship with Epic Games, The Coalition has crafted the best-looking Gears title to date.

While Gears of War 4 is not The Coalition’s first outing on Xbox One and Windows 10, it is definitely the studio’s strongest, especially compared to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Windows 10. The game is basically a technical masterpiece on Windows 10 PCs, regardless of which hardware the game is running on. Most recent computers with at least the minimum amount of RAM and a video card with at least 4GB of VRAM can run Gears of War 4 with an impressive frame rate.

This was one of The Coalition’s claims going into this title, and I have tried my best to test this out. On three different machines ranging from high-end, recommended, and slightly below recommended specs, the performance was simply amazing.

On the high-end PC, I cranked it up to Ultra settings at 3440×1440 and was still able to hit a constant 60 frames per second. This was mirrored on the mid-range PC, with the only difference being that the resolution was set to 1080p. Even the lower-end PC managed to stay at 60 frames per second at 1080p, with everything set between medium and high settings. There is definitely some magic being worked here. It shows, and damn, it is impressive.

Oddly absent is the inclusion of HDR, or High Dynamic Range, which is present on the Xbox One version of the title. We have reached out to The Coalition to see if this will be patched into the PC version and will update when we hear back.

Sound-wise, the game is flawless. Every gunshot, every footstep, and even that all-familiar sound of the Lancer as the chainsaw mod is being revved is harmony to your ears. The music, composed by the same person who composed the music for Game of Thrones, provides the inspirational tone for every situation you will encounter. It is a musical tour de force, and it is definitely up there with the memorable themes of old.

Conclusion

Coming into Gears of War 4, I really had my doubts. As I mentioned before, I was not sure if The Coalition was up to the task of carrying the torch and moving the Gears series into a bold new direction. Thankfully, all my fears were disproved with the release of Gears of War 4.

And even though the game still plays things close to the hip instead of going balls deep into new territory, make no mistake that this is a Gears of War title that does exactly what it was meant to do: get you excited and have you smiling from ear to ear.

Gears of War fans, you can disregard what happened with Gears of War: Judgment and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. Gears of War 4 is ready to embrace you with open arms and snuggle you in its lovely, yet strong arms.