While most Xbox and Microsoft fans are surely looking forward to the release ofGears of War 4, few know what to expect from thefourth numbered entryin the series. There are the obvious assumptions – tight cover shooter, Locust enemy types, strong heroes – but thus far developerThe Coalition(formerly Black Tusk) hasn’t influenced those expectations too much. Until now.
While speaking withOfficial Xbox Magazine, Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson left Xbox One fans with an exciting tease. Granted, he didn’t reveal anything about the gameplay, story, or scope ofGears of War 4, but he did say that the game will be a “graphical showcase for the Xbox One.”
Fergusson points to the originalGears of Waras being a visual showpiece for the Xbox 360 back when it released in 2006 and believes this fourth game will be the same on its new platform nearly 10 years later. Few can deny thatGears of Warimpressed when it burst onto the scene, setting a new benchmark for cover shooters wrapped in a very violent aesthetic. No matter how players shake it, the game looked good at the time.
“Like how the original Gears of War was a visual showcase for the Xbox 360, Gears of War 4 will be a graphical showcase for the Xbox One.”
Obviously, any time a developer mentions graphics, especially in a manner that suggests “cream of the crop” visuals, gamers are bound to pay attention. At the end of the day, video games are a visual medium, and every gamer hopes that their favorite experiences look good, in addition to playing well.
As far asGears of War 4goes, the expectation is that the game will be the premiere Xbox One experience in every sense of the word. Much likeHalo 5: Guardians, fans hope that the console exclusive third person shooter will show off the Xbox’s power in a way multiplatform games simply can’t.
As far as how Coalition plans to do that is yet to be determined. What we’ve seen of the game thus far is only asmall demo at E3 2015that, while visually solid, didn’t necessarily blow anyone away. It was a better looking version of Gears of War, but without spending more time with the sequel it’s hard to evaluate the finer details.
Nevertheless, there’s no doubt 2016 will feature plenty of excitingGears of War 4reveals, including an E3 2016 presentation packed full of new content. The only way the game can truly live up to claims of it being a graphical showcase is if Microsoft actively shows it off.
Gears of War 4is slated to release in 2016 for Xbox One.
