Gears of War 4

A new generation faces the Swarm on Sera.

The Coalition and Microsoft Studios released Gears of War 4 in 2016 for Windows and Xbox One. This fourth main series installment, the first not made by Epic Games, is set 25 years after Gears of War 3. Players control Marcus Fenix's son, JD Fenix, fighting the Swarm, a new enemy linked to the Locusts. Critics praised its combat, visuals, and set pieces but found the campaign and writing lacking.

Quick Facts

Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Director: Chuck Osieja
Producer: Walter de Torres
Programmer: Kate Rayner
Artist: Kirk Gibbons
Writer: Tom Bissell
Composer: Ramin Djawadi

Facts from the source article.

Story

Twenty-five years after the Imulsion Countermeasure weapon destroyed all Imulsion on Sera, killing the Locust and Lambent, humanity adapted to new survival methods as fossil fuels became unusable and powerful windstorms called Windflares swept the planet. The reformed Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) built walled cities and declared martial law, but some survivors formed the Outsiders, who live outside COG jurisdiction and raid for resources.

The story focuses on J.D. Fenix, son of Marcus Fenix and Anya Stroud, along with his friends Delmont "Del" Walker and Kait Diaz. First Minister Jinn commemorates the 25th anniversary of victory over the Locust, while an elderly Hoffman recounts past battles. J.D. and Del, having deserted the COG over Jinn's policies, join Outsiders led by Reyna. To help their village, they raid a COG settlement to steal a fabricator, accompanied by Kait and her uncle Oscar.

After battling COG DeeBee soldiers with help from an unknown person controlling machinery, they escape. Jinn accuses them of kidnapping her people and attacks the village. During repairs, unknown creatures raid, capturing Reyna and Oscar; Reyna locks J.D., Del, and Kait inside the power station to protect them.

Development

Development originally began at Epic Games, with selected aspects incorporated into The Coalition's work. Microsoft acquired the franchise rights from Epic on January 27, 2014, and Black Tusk Studios, later renamed The Coalition, took over development. Rod Fergusson, former Director of Production at Epic on Gears of War, joined Microsoft in a key studio leadership role. The Coalition producer Allie Henze confirmed on April 1, 2015, that the game would not release for Xbox 360.

The game was first presented at E3 2015, with Fergusson stating the gameplay reflected the franchise's roots as a "monster game" that is "personal, intimate, dark, and mysterious." The setting took heavy inspiration from Northern Italy. New weapons were inspired by construction equipment, reflecting Sera's rebuilding society. The Swarm enemy faction includes Drones behaving like Locusts, fast-moving Juvies whose screams burst pods containing more enemies, and Pouncers that pin players and fire quills from their tails.

Reception

Gears of War 4 received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. IGN's Ryan McCaffery scored it 9.2 out of 10, comparing it to The Force Awakens and calling it a "franchise reawakening" with a safe but brilliantly executed campaign and meaty multiplayer. GameSpot's Mike Mahardy gave it 7 out of 10, citing a lackluster campaign and technical issues despite improvements to multiplayer modes. Polygon's Arthur Gies scored it 9 out of 10, praising it as a consistent, complete package with excellent solo, cooperative, and competitive options.

Critics generally praised the game for revitalizing the franchise under The Coalition, highlighting strong multiplayer offerings and the redesigned Horde mode, while noting the campaign relied heavily on familiar conventions. Eurogamer described it as "a cautious revival but a very worthwhile one," and PC Gamer praised multiplayer variety while criticizing the campaign as feeling "stuck in 2006."