Summary
A lot of fans are excited to return to the Locust War in the upcomingGears of War: E-Day, set during the beginning of the Locust invasion on the surface of Sera. Here, players will be able to play as fan-favorite characters Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they experience the horrors of the Locust for the first time. However, this wasn’t the first third-person shooterGears of Wargame set near the beginning of the Locust War. That wasGears of War: Judgment, a game that could use a remaster to expand new players’ view of the early days of the Locust War alongsideGears of War: E-Day.
Gears of War: Judgment Explained
First released in 2013 as the lastGears of Wargame to be made for the Xbox 360,Gears of War: Judgmentwas the series’ first spin-off gameand the last one to be developed in part by franchise creator Epic Games. According to then Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski,Judgmentis set several months after Emergence Day as the Coalition of Ordered Governments attempts to defend the city of Halvo Bay from a Locust attack led by General Karn. In a series first, players don’t control Fenix as the protagonist, but rather as the sarcastic genius Damon Baird back when he was a lieutenant and leader of Kilo Squad.
In terms of gameplay,Gear of War: Judgmentplays similarly toGears of War 3’s campaign, allowing for four players together in online co-op asBaird, Augustus Cole, and newcomers Sofia Hendrik and Garron Paduk. However, each level is centered around optional declassified mission objectives that often make levels more difficult to complete by restricting available ammo, weapons, issuing a time limit, and more. Beyond the minor changes to gameplay from level to level, the declassified missions added a bit of lore to Kilo Squad’s trial, with most of the game being flashbacks from each of the squad members retold at the trial.
Gears of War: Judgment’s Franchise Influence
Being a prequel,Judgmentwas able to expand much of theGears of Warlore that would continue to be referenced in later games, includingGears of War 4andGears 5. For many fans,Judgmentwas players’ first true exposure to the Union of Independent Republics thanks to Paduk having been a former UIR soldier and often using UIR weapons such as the markza and booshka. The UIR fought the COG duringthe near 80-year-long Pendulum Warswhich ended mere days before E-Day.Judgmentfurther had an unlockable brief campaign called Aftermath which explained how Baird and Cole got UIR reinforcements for the end ofGears of War 3.
Players can use the chainsaw lancer inGears of War: Judgmentdespite the weapon canonically not being made until a year afterJudgment’s events.
The Potential of a Gears of War: Judgment Remaster
WithGears of War: E-Dayexpected to detail events beyond Emergence Day itself, according to The Coalition Creative Director Matt Searcy, a remaster ofJudgmentcould help new players learn early days of the Locust War. Baird even rescues Fenix when he was a part of Omega Squad inJudgment, so players may see that event from Fenix’s perspective inE-Day, depending on how far the game goes in theGears of Wartimeline. Baird and Cole aren’t expected to appear inE-Day’s campaign directly, so aJudgmentremaster could allow players to see what the Delta Squad was up to at this time in Sera’s history.
In terms of release, aGears of War: JudgmentRemaster could be included inthe rumored Marcus Fenix Collection, which is reportedly a remaster compilation of every mainlineGears of Wargame similar to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. If the Marcus Fenix Collection is never made or at least not released beforeE-Day’s debut, The Coalition could add a remaster ofJudgment’s campaign as DLC forGears of War: E-Day, a pre-order bonus, or a season pass offering similar toAssassin’s Creed 3’s remaster inAssassin’s Creed Odyssey’s season pass. The Coalition could additionally release aJudgmentremaster on its own physically, but that should probably be combined withGears of War: Ultimate Editiondue toJudgment’s relatively short campaign.
Gears of War: E-Day
WHERE TO PLAY
The Story of E-DayFourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself. New FoundationsBuilt from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
