Improvement, the Gears of War Way

Upon its 2006 release, Gears of War became a hit among the Xbox 360 community almost immediately. While the gameplay was sound, it was criticized for not introducing anything truly groundbreaking or “new” into the third-person shooter genre. Well, Gears of War 2 it out, and it has been met with much of the same criticism. So what improvements can be made to the series if, (more likely when), Gears of War 3 is released?

#1. Story

Who cares about the story in Gears? Well, you might be surprised how many people actually listen and pay attention to the dialogue and narrative. With the novel Aspho Fields (a prequel to the series) and the on-going comic book series Hollow (which takes place between the first and second game) gaining even more popularity, you’d think the games would have taken more time to develop the plot. While the first game had a fairly simple plot, it was used well, detailing just what was going on around you without distracting too much from the war itself. However, Gears 2 took a step backwards. With double the hokey lines and a romantic sub-plot that could be summarized essentially as “WHERE’S MY WIFE?”, it seems a little lackluster this time around. So when Gears 3 rolls around, here’s hoping they keep a singular focus, like the first Gears, rather than what they did in Gears 2.

#2. New Weapons

The biggest disappointment, for me at least, was the lack of anything new-feeling in the weapons department. For a majority of the game, I found myself sticking to the Lancer despite my willingness to use something else. The fact that they included all the favorites from the last game is a nice touch, but it just isn’t enough. Not to mention I wasn’t able to pick up my favorite weapon, the Hammer of Dawn, until the very last chapter. Though the gorgon, scorcher, ink grenades, and the ability to use a shield (be it made of metal or of meat) were nice additions, it seemed they could have thought up something a little more original than what they gave us, especially considering the time and care they gave this game in development.

#3. Environment

Underground tunnels and demolished landscapes: this is pretty much all we’ve seen from the Gears series, and while it is relevant to what is going on in the games, it seems like there could be more. Being on a distant planet in the future, you would assume there could be more to see in the world, even if it is in ruins. While some levels show definite inspiration in their design, most seem more or less copies of earlier levels. I can understand having a majority of the game set in tunnels and ruins, but it would be nice to see something else for a change. A good example of an inspired, albeit so crazy it made gamers around the world pause to say “WTF,” is the Rift Worm. Generally a disgusting environment that took a complete 180-degree twist on what was going on in the game, the level was quite a revelation and something I really did not expect. After about halfway through the level, though, it became rather monotonous; however, it still showed more promise than simply traversing throughout another dark cave.

For the most part, Gears of War 2 is exactly what was expected: a violent, action-packed, fairly well-balanced third-person shooter that provides great online multiplayer capabilities. As a single player experience, and as far as adding anything truly new to the genre, it falls short. Fans will continue to play the series expecting nothing more than what they’ve gotten before, with a few new bells and whistles tacked on, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, with the technology, money, and avid fan base backing up the series, here is hoping that when Gears of War 3 is inevitably released, there will be enough new content and additions that it will feel like a completely new experience. I won’t be holding my breath, but oh well—at the very least, it will give everyone another game in which to shoot everything in sight.