Gears of War: Judgment (Video Game Review)

The third-person shooter Gears of War: Judgment has just released for the Xbox 360 and is of the same caliber as all the releases we have seen before. Everyone and their mom knows what to expect from the Gears of War franchise and that is what we get once again. Now that most every game released is like a copy of the original games then it is time to do something a little different. Gears of War: Judgment is unimpressive to say the least.

Gears of War: Judgment is a prequel that takes you back to the events following Emergence Day and the trial of Kilo Squad.  We have our characters Damon Baird and Augustus Cole who are being accused of treason following the battle in Halvo Bay against the Locusts. Players have the ability to play as all of the main characters with new weapons and equipment.

The first downfall of Gears of War: Judgment is the new scoring system which places too many restrictions on the player to the point of wanting to pull out your hair. The game's missions are extremely short and uneventful and tend to focus heavily on the simplest of objectives. You will basically be tossed into areas and told to hold off as long as possible against hordes of enemies. Players would expect extravagant storylines and intricate missions for a game with the Gears of War title but this isn't what is delivered with Judgment. The game's story is almost nonexistent. The story is so badly-written that it is something you would expect out of a fourth grader which leaves a lingering bitter aftertaste long after you quit playing.

Gears of War: Judgment does have impressive graphics and superb sound quality that makes points of utter disappointment a little more bearable. However, a good-looking game does not mean that it plays well, and the gameplay is found to be rather repetitive and stale. Players will finish a mission and then look over their scores. Once this is finished then you go back to the grind doing the exact same things over and over again. Players will feel like they are playing a piece of DLC instead of an entire game with Judgment. The game doesn't have the feeling that it is progressing and you feel as though you are stuck at a standstill.

The characters in Judgment have almost been stripped of what they once were and have become a one-dimensional narration of what they used to be. The game's combat and multiplayer make the game still enjoyable to the point you don't completely hate it. The development of Judgment seems rushed to the point that it destroyed most of the things that were once enjoyable about the series. The multiplayer mode only has a few maps which almost makes it as infuriating as its single-player mode. The OverRun mode does come to the rescue and give gamers some hope, but in the end it just wasn't enough to save it.

Gears of War: Judgment is now available for the Xbox 360 for $59.99. Gears of War: Judgment is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence & Strong Language. For more information on the game, check out the official Gears of War: Judgment website.

Game Features

• Online Multiplayer
• DLC Support
• Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information
Developed by: Epic, People Can Fly
Published by: Microsoft
Available for Xbox 360 (reviewed)
Release Date: March 19, 2013

Score: 5.5 out of 10