Gears of War Judgment Review
Plot/Story:
The plot of Gears of War Judgment is complete rubbish. Sorry I had to say it. Anyway… let me at least explain it out. We come into the story when Lieutenant Baird and his squad (Augustus Cole, Sofia Hendirk and Garron Paduk) are arrested and immediately sent to a courthouse for their trial. (During the middle of the war mind you. Really???) They are arrested for their unauthorized use of a lightmass missile. Col. Ezra Loomis is playing judge. He is by the book and very stern. So in his eyes this is a serious offense that the Kilo squad has committed. The SP plays out by flashbacks based off what each Kilo squad member shares during the trial.
Here are my issues with the plot/story. There isn't one. I love good game play and the Gears franchise always provides that but I love a good story too. In fact… I prefer a good story over game play. Don't get me wrong. I know Gears games are not loved for their plots and stories but they can do better than this. MS needs them to do better than this. I did not care why I was fighting or what the heck I was doing during the campaign once. I was just doing what I was told and that was it.
Characters: Baird was terribly written. He was not funny and not a good leader. He just seemed like he and his squad were just there. None of the characters were interesting at all. They weren't really annoying but they weren't exciting or humorous and the least bit.
Game Play:
Gears Judgments game play is solid but it has been changed a bit. Not dramatically but definitely changed. The game has been changed from less cover based shooter to more of an action 3rd person shooter. I personally do not like that change at all. I prefer the old cover system. I liked the fact that you would get downed pretty quickly if you were caught running around. I also fell like the A.I. was dumbed down for the enemies.
Multiple times I experienced enemies standing next to me as my gun jammed reloading and they didn't even kill me. They just stood near me. It's easier to take down enemies as well. Either they got weaker or I'm just an amazing shot. I'm going to go with… they got weaker. :)
If you liked the previous Gears games you will still like this one. It is a lot of fun to play but I prefer the original trilogy game's play style over Judgments.
The shining star in Judgment is most definitely the MP. There are great modes for everyone. If you like competitive or cooperative you will be satisfied. I can justify my purchase of the game in the MP alone. That is high praise coming from me. My personal favorite mode is OverRun. It takes team work to win not just individual play that I see in a lot MP games now a days.
Presentation/Graphics:
The in game graphics and menus look great but the cut scenes… not so much. They seem foggy and the coloring is band compared to the game play graphics. There aren't many cut scenes anyways and since the game doesn't really have a plot worth caring about I don't see this as a major annoyance.
I've always enjoyed the world of Gears. It's beautifully detailed world and Judgments is as well. Although I find most of the areas you are fighting in are bland compared to the games that came before it.
The Final Word:
If you love Gears then you will like Judgment. The best part of Judgment is the multiplayer. There is a mode for everyone. This is coming from a guy who hates MP in games. :) If you have not played a Gears game before and were interested in Judgment. Then save your moneys or buy the original trilogy. Those games exceed this game in every single way.
Story: 4
Game Play: 8.5
Graphics: 8.5
Final Score: 7