Gears of War: Judgement Aussie preorders to receive in-game bonuses

Epic Games' cover-based shooter Gears of War: Judgment may not be out until March 19 next year, but fans can place their preorders at Australian retailers from today.

Preordering grants Aussie customers exclusive access to the in-game weapon the Classic Hammerburst, which is described as an assault rifle that is "highly accurate, with a six-round burst."

In addition to the Classic Hammerburst, fans who preorder through EB Games and JB Hi-Fi stores will receive a "Young Marcus" and "Young Dom" character skin, respectively. Microsoft confirmed that more details on retailer-exclusive bonuses will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Set before the events of the Gears of War trilogy, Gears of War: Judgement is a prequel that takes players back in the timeline to the immediate aftermath of Emergence Day. Developed by Epic Games in conjunction with Bulletstorm studio, People Can Fly, the project focuses on series soldier Damon Baird and will not feature Kinect functionality.

For more on Gears of War: Judgment, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.