[00:03] years since the last new mainline Gears of War game. And as one of Xbox's marquee franchises, it seems a lot is riding on the upcoming Gears of War Eday. I recently played roughly 10 hours of its revamped multiplayer. And yep, it
[00:17] of its revamped multiplayer. And yep, it sure is Gears of War. refreshing for reasons you may not exactly anticipate. The meaningful changes I've noticed so far are perhaps
[00:32] more subtle. Specifically, the refined control scheme, which shined in both the versus new Horde Siege modes I played. There's a lot to dig into, so gear up for my breakdown on how the big chunky boys from Cog are back.
[00:50] Siege mode since that's where I spent exciting thing that'll carry Gears Eday's multiplayer component.
[01:03] the series has traditionally controlled. The A button is fully dedicated to taking cover and moving around cover now, as well as dodge rolling and now sliding. While sprinting, aka the artist formerly known as Brody Run, is now
[01:17] mapped to the left stick click. And the Y button is dedicated to vaulting, mantling, and jumping. Yes, you can actually jump in a Gears of War game. It took quite some time for me to rewire my brain since we've all been so used to
[01:29] the A button controlling all of these actions depending on the context in acclimated with the new controls, I can't really go back.
[01:43] was pretty standard fair with two modes on two maps. Team Deathmatch works like it usually does in Gears games where two teams of four, Cog versus Locust, have 15 cumulative lives to live. And once a
[01:56] team hits zero, their respawn gets disabled as each player gets one more disabled as each player gets one more life before elimination in that round. Cleansed. >> Conquest is the normal control point
[02:08] marked territory that moves across the map as each point gets held down until one team holds it for long enough. The two maps in the beta, market and symmetrical map design with close quarter shootouts dictated by lanes,
[02:23] sight lines, and cover spots to take advantage of and flank your opponents. advantage of and flank your opponents. >> Excellent work.
[02:35] system is still very much the bread and butter of mode, as is the usual shotgun meta. basically sprint then go into a slide as you hipfire a Nasher into opponents before dodge rolling out of danger. It's not exactly interesting
[02:49] it's still decent fun to give it a whirl for a bit. And let's be honest, it for a bit. And let's be honest, it wouldn't be Gears PvP without it, right? >> However, what my time with PvP highlighted is that despite still
[03:02] feeling like you're controlling big ass dudes slamming into cover, you're a lot more nimble thanks to the new movement system. vault over cover spots easily, and get into a sprint without much friction,
[03:17] loosening up the flow of gears without losing its identity. Whereas before, I itself, where the A button would too often not do the thing I intended to do, panic-induced situations where split-second decisions matter. There's
[03:32] verticality since you have a dedicated jump and mantle action with the Y in a game that's all about positioning and angles, it adds a dimension to the Gears combat formula for both what you can do as a player and how maps are
[03:46] generally designed when they don't have to be as flat.
[03:59] show, the brand new Horde Siege mode. The series pioneered the wave-based PvE multiplayer formula with its horde mode back in Gears of War II, and it's been a staple ever since. But instead of loading into a confined singular level
[04:12] specifically built for a horde mode, Horde Siege matches spread objectives and enemy waves across a much bigger map where everything happens at once.
[04:25] Eday's story takes place. And these are the ruins left in the wake of Emergence Day when the locust attacked. So, right off the bat, there's a thematic coherence between the campaign story and the multiplayer mode itself.
[04:41] match, and each team is given their own starting point and objective locations. defending a rig from waves of Locust, but teams have optional side objectives usually involve destroying a set of Locust assets as they spawn into the
[04:57] additional rewards and inmatch currency for gear and defenses. decide when to initiate the fight. And once you do, you're locked into
[05:11] defending that position until you fend off all waves. Siege missions to pick from. Blitz gives you one main objective against three
[05:23] you one main objective against three waves. >> Normal Siege gives you three objectives against three waves each. And standard Horde gives you one objective against the full 10 waves.
[05:40] to extract after the final wave to get helicopter will fly in and land at different locations while you try to survive an indefinite wave of even more locusts, which heightens the stakes and
[05:53] keeps you fighting until the very end of the match. Look alive, we have an armored crew back in play. >> It's almost open worldish and has the slight vibe of a persistent world as multiple teams are playing in any given
[06:07] instance in parallel. While you don't necessarily share objectives, you'll waves of locust in the distance or next door. It's cool to see, but it could be enemies toward you, especially when you're in between waves trying to
[06:21] prepare for the next one. In a pinch, though, you can naturally wants to help mow down your Locust, lest they become targets themselves.
[06:36] you never really know what positions you'll have to defend when queuing into a match, forcing you to adapt to the surroundings of each key area around Colona as objectives get assigned. I played about 6 hours of Horde Siege
[06:50] of the same tasks, but it still felt fresh, especially in the normal siege mission type since part of the deal is running across Colona as you're fighting to survive each moment. I imagine some folks will prefer the more mechanical,
[07:03] clear-cut nature and defined spaces of the traditional horde mode, but so far I feel like this is a more dynamic take that really complements what Gears has that really complements what Gears has historically done well.
[07:18] triedand-true Gears gameplay, and with my usual combo of Nasher and Longot remembered, and tossing a frag into a Locust Hole to nip the wave in the bud is as satisfying as it's always been. Nice one.
[07:32] >> The affforementioned qualities of the new movement system also shine here. mode as opposed to a versus match is very different due to the chaotic movement patterns of actual players, but for the purposes of PvE, repositioning
[07:45] and getting between cover feels smoother than ever, which is important because Locust Hordes seem to barrel down at you at an alarming rate in each wave. And in anything I've seen in previous Gears games.
[08:05] It isn't too challenging. But when multiple berserkers and those new hulking tanks five times the size of a boomer pile onto you all at once, it's >> Target is down. >> Frantically repositioning and making the
[08:20] seemed to be the remedy. And once I came to grips with this, I was able to get through a full 10 waves consistently.
[08:32] not quite as intricate as Gears 5's Horde mode in terms of character classes elements like building barricades and turrets for defense. You still earn currency based on performance, but so far it's mainly for building turrets in
[08:45] predefined positions or restocking on ammo at supply caches. As a reminder, this is a beta, so the progression system, unlocks, and rewards are subject to change. Don't mind if I do. What I see now though is a more
[08:58] simplified class system with assault, breacher, marksman, and medic having their specialty. But I am looking forward to the attachment and upgrade deeper into it when the full game comes out.
[09:17] to see and do, which isn't something I would have necessarily said about a Gears game in the past. This has been the longest gap between major entries. multiplayer suite that has the legs to sustain the series for the long term.
[09:31] And we won't have to wait long since Gears of War Eday fully emerges on October 6 for Xbox Series X and S and PC.
[09:44] Xbox, check out my review of Halo Campaign Evolved, or tune in to our weekly podcast, Unlocked, where we had a lengthy discussion about the Gears Eday with IGN. >> All accounted for. Good. [music]
[09:58] Control, this is K0. We're heading back to base. Excellent [music] work out there. Time for a little RNR. You earned it.