Summary
The Locust, the classic, subterranean mutant Seran race, will finally return to Xbox consoles inGears of War: E-Day. Set at the beginning of the 17-year-long Locust War,E-Daywill focus on the emerging friendship of series protagonists Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they struggle to fight against the sudden Locust threat.
WithGears of War: E-Day’s new emphasis on horror in the early days of the Locust War,E-Dayneeds to feature three classic forces of the Locust Horde in new, unique ways to be truly horrifying. These types include the kryll, wretches, and berserkers, each of which could really increase the game’s scare factor.
The Horrifying Creatures of Sera’s Hollows
The world of Sera is home to dozens of unique subterranean creatures, many of which would be tamed, altered, and forced to fight humans alongside Locust forces.E-Day’s announcement trailerhas already showcased one such creature, the gigantic spider-like corpser which the Locusts use to create many of their emergence holes. Besides the corpser and common Locust drones, it’s currently unknown which of the classic Locust ranks and creatures will return or how they’ll appear inE-Day. One creature that should return to help set a more horrifying tone is the kryll.
Kryll are small bat-like creatures that often fly in massive groups containing up toa million kyrll in a single kryllstorm. Given that the kyrll are subterranean in nature, they are extremely sensitive to light and can often burst into flame if they come in contact with ultraviolet light. However, once nightfall begins, the kryll will descend on any living creature and rip them to shreds instantaneously like flying schools of piranhas. The locust even managed to use kryll in conjunction with the flying, ink-seeping nemacysts to protect the kryll from light and put entire cities in perpetual darkness.
The Human-eating Wretches
While the kyrll and nemacysts dominated the skies in the early years of the Locust War, other creatures dominated the ground — particularly the chimpanzee-like wretches. These roughly three-foot-tall creatures may seem weak at first glance, but the wretches' strength comes from their sheer numbers. Wretches will often attack COG soldiers and civilians in massive packs which could easily overwhelm even the most skilled soldier if not careful. The wretches are especially gruesome in their attacks, with many found ripping civilians and soldiers apart and consuming their remains, such as the remains of miners found atthe Lethia Imulsion Facility inGears of War 1.
The Unstoppable Berserkers
Perhaps the most terrifying creature in the Locust Horde’s arsenal was the berserker. Unlike the other Hollow creatures,berserkers are actually female Locusts. Standing 10 feet on average, these massive creatures have the strength and speed to tear down walls and columns in mere seconds by simply running into them. While the berserkers are blind, they make up for it with their incredible sense of smell and hearing, with them being able to pinpoint soldiers’ locations even from miles away. To make matters worse, berserkers are adorned with nearly impenetrable hides with the only way to destroy them being by weakening them with a flamethrower or obliterating them with Hammer of Dawn strikes.
The Hollow’s Horrors in E-Day
WithGears of War:E-Day’s new leaning toward the horror genre, The Coalition should highlight the terrifying nature of each of these creatures in the upcoming prequel. The kryll and nemacysts could putE-Day’s city in total darkness and make it difficult for players to traverse city streets without being swarmed by the flying kryll. Likewise, since the COG would be unfamiliar with wretches, Marcus and Dom could encounter groups of struggling civilians who become overwhelmed and quickly consumed by vicious packs of wretches.
A berserker could be used asE-Day’s recurring boss. If The Coalition wants the Locust to be truly horrifying, they could utilize a single berserker similar toNemesis inResident Evil 3: Nemesis. Marcus and Dom could encounter a berserker early on in the game but would be unable to damage it and be forced to escape, possibly through city buildings or the sewer. They could encounter the berserker repeatedly throughout the game and could only be able to defeat it in the final mission when they acquire the Hammer of Dawn. This could provideGears of War: E-Daywith intense suspense, as players will never know when the berserker will pop up, and they’ll be hopeless to stop it.
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.
