The Hate List
Been There and Done That
You never want to alienate your base audience. There are far too many Gears fans who will want more of the same. That said, the Gears of War 4 multiplayer largely feels unchanged from previous Gears of War games. Before you spam me with hate, hear me out. Sure the maps are new, the visuals have received a fresh coat of paint, there are some new mechanics and weapons added to the mix. Yet the way the player moves and controls doesn’t exactly feel innovative or new. The same can be said for the battles themselves. The base weapons, HUD and other mechanics look largely unchanged as well. This Gears of War feels a little too familiar but maybe it’s intentional as the devs want to flush out the basics. Nevertheless, I am hoping some further innovations have been held back for the game’s full release.
Roadie Run Still Makes Me Nauseous
I recognize I am likely in the minority here but I just cannot get a handle on the sprinting mechanics (aka Roadie Run) in the game. It is identical to previous Gears sprinting mechanics, which fans will surely embrace, but as someone who has taken some time off from the franchise returning several years later, I find it makes me a little dizzy and just feels heavy. There are some redeeming qualities about the mechanic, but I could do without the way the camera shifts and bobs as if a cameramen is running behind the character. It was cool years ago but now it just seems old and kind of annoying. It is a necessary evil as without it your character moves like a slug.
Shotgun Far Too Dominant
In almost every match I played, players seemed to have one strategy. That is get as close as possible to the enemy and blast them away with the Gnasher Shotgun. One close blast often resulted in an instant kill. Surely by the time the game launches the development team will nerf it because as it stands now the shotgun reigns supreme in the beta. Maybe it is because the Lancer is so under-powered the shotgun feels so over-powered, but regardless some work needs to be done when it comes to balancing the weapons.
Gears of War 4 is scheduled to be released worldwide on October 11, 2016 for the Xbox One.