Gears of War 4's Final Game Has Huge Differences From the E3 2015 Demo, Analysis Says

Gears of War 4 was first shown at E3 2015 and featured some key differences with the final game. Many of these have been pointed out in a new analysis by tech outlet Digital Foundry.

The first thing Digital Foundry notes is the story differences between the two versions. The E3 demo featured JD and Kait hunting a monster, while in the finished game, both Marcus Fenix and Del are present and the squad comes to the locale for a much different reason. It's also easy to notice that the location is constructed similarly in both versions, though the final release is more brightly lit.

Digital Foundry notes that shadow placement has changed. Shadow maps present in the E3 demo are not there in the final game, though the tech outlet believes this was an artistic change as the shadows can be seen throughout many of the game's other instances. Also noted is the flashlight's specular highlights, which stand out more in the finished game especially in the Xbox One S's HDR mode.

One big difference is the way the trees react to the weather once it takes a violent turn. In the demo, the trees blow more wildly, while the final game makes it look like a much lighter breeze. The architectural destruction, however, is very similar in both instances. The sequence of events is different, as a car blows away in front of you while you're crossing the bridge in the final game, but it doesn't happen in the demo until you've already made it across.

There are other differences in the lighting, animations, and scenes, including when players encounter the monster seen in the E3 demo. You can watch the full Digital Foundry video here or in the embed above to see all of the differences.

Gears of War 4 received a score of 7/10 in GameSpot's review. Critic Mike Mahardy said, "This is a shooter teetering on the edge of something greater, but despite the improvements it makes to the storied franchise, its missteps hold it back. There is inspiration here, and creativity in the way Gears of War 4 rethinks its multiplayer modes. But the lackluster campaign and technical issues are blights on an otherwise exhilarating shooter. The result is a whole that doesn't reflect the quality of its often stellar parts."

It releases for Xbox One and PC on October 11, but you can play it right now if you paid for the $100 Ultimate edition. And since Gears of War 4 is part of the Play Anywhere program, if you purchase the game digitally on Xbox One, you'll get the PC version for free and vice versa.