Gears of War: What does its future hold?

Go to any gamer and they will tell you that Gears of War is one of the defining franchises representing this generation of gaming.  However, Gears of War’s future seems to be looking bleak.  Although I am a huge fan of the franchise, it is pretty hard to see any type of future for the remaining members of Delta Squad and the rest of the COG.  The release of Gears of War: Judgment did not go over so well with gamers; telling a story that not many fans of the franchise really cared about. The multiplayer also took a step back trying to bring in new concepts like its survival mode and overrun.  It almost looked like a third person version of Call of Duty, which really put distaste in my mouth.  The failure of Judgment has put the franchise in dire straits, however I believe Epic Studios has several options to potentially turn the franchise around.

·         Go back to what made you unique:  The first Gears game is considered by many as the best in the series simply because of the layout and environment players had to deal with.  There was a dark and eerie feeling throughout the campaign that could suddenly morph an uneventful moment into a massive locust ambush.  This combination of survival-horror aspects along with major gun battles is what put Gears on the map.  By revisiting its origins and combining it with the polished gameplay of the third installment, it would give Gears fans what they desire and other gamers a new environment they haven’t yet encountered.

·         If the multiplayer ain’t broke… (don’t change it): Taking out modes like Horde and King of the Hill in Judgment was a terrible decision.  When I went back to the multiplayer on Gears 1-3 just to see how each of them have changed and how enjoyable many of the modes were such as horde, execution, king of the hill, and warzone I could not stop playing. Team deathmatch came later in Gears 3 and its version compared to Call of Duty and Halo was very unique.  You really had to depend on teamwork, picking your spots, and survival more than treading around the map by yourself; going off on your own often led to negative outcomes.  Gears needs to go back to the format of the original trilogy taking subtleties  from each game in order to create the best Gears multiplayer to date.

·         Create a brand new story:  A story taking place many years after the events of Gears 3 would provide major buzz amongst the gaming community.  This would allow additional character development such as Marcus having a child who joins the COG.  Providing a back-story to the new game would also be essential rolling off the situations between Marcus and Griffin in Gears 3 and Baird and Paduk in the Aftermath Campaign from Judgment.  One idea could be that Griffin goes to Halvo Bay and finds Paduk along with the other people and starts a revolt against the COG.  The fighting could go on until the beginning of the new Gears when the locust reemerge trying to take back Sera.  This may sound like a rinse and repeat story but throwing in the right twist would allow this trilogy to differentiate itself from the original.  Marcus being kidnapped or assassinated would bring the shock factor right away to the first game why not use that as a launch point.  Putting a major twist at the end of the game as well would set the tone for the rest of the trilogy.  The situation could be that the new team finds Marcus and he tells them that someone from the COG captured him and it turns out to be a member of your team.  Situations like this would take Gears to new heights.

·         Gameplay:  Very simple, go back to the controls from the original trilogy and bring back weapon and cash swaps from Gears 3.  The original controls allowed players to carry three guns at one time along with grenades; plus it was much easier to plant grenades around the map.  Along with the original controls weapon and cash swapping was a major part in horde for Gears 3. Countless times I would not have enough cash to purchase a silverback.  Players combining money allows purchases of the silverback at times when teams really needed it.  Re-applying these aspects of gameplay into a new game will once again allow players more freedom and easier use of the controls.

Some gamers may say that Gears has no future; however these ideas not only provide a future but would bring the franchise back to prominence.  Gears of War is a major franchise in the gaming world and I see it living well into the next generation of gaming.