Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log (Book Review)

Gears of War is a series known for having some lovable characters that includes the key members of Delta Squad, Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, Damon Baird and Augustus Cole. However, it's rare for the series to delve deep into character development or a strong narrative, as the action sequences in the game come fast and unrelenting, which leaves little time to learn more about the characters and the world of Sera. With Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log, a new book from Insight Editions based on the game Gears of War Judgment, players get a detailed, behind the scenes look at protagonist Damon Baird and the events during his life that would see him become leader of Kilo Squad and an eventual member of Delta Squad seen in the original trilogy of releases from developer Epic Games. The new book features well over 100 pages of unique content that allows fans of the series to learn more about the main characters in the new video game than they ever knew existed, and Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log makes a great companion piece for anyone that has ever enjoyed the third-person shooter series.

One of the first things fans will notice when picking up a copy of Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log is how comfortable the hardback cover feels in their hands. The book is bound in a soft material that feels great on the hands and features some really nice indentions and textures to touch while reading through the pages of the book. The cover and entire book imitates a journal used by Damon Baird during his time in the military and comes complete with plenty of blood spatters, a label with Baird's name on the front and some special inserts and content on the inside of the book that Baird added to the pages at different points during his life and some of which show plenty of wear to replicate authenticity.

The main content featured in Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log gives players tons of information on the life of Damon Baird. Readers will learn about his reason for joining the military and Kilo Squad in the first place, how being away from his family affected him and how difficult it was for him to get past his parents deaths. The pages also introduces fans of the series to some familiar faces including a few pages dedicated to one Augustus Cole that includes some of the former football players pictures, statistics and even some of his favorite jokes that gets him pumped on game day. There are plenty of other characters scattered around the journal, and there are some special inserts placed in the journal as well that gives information such as profiles of the other important members of Kilo Squad and a certificate of death for Baird's parents. There are also some pretty cool items such as candy bar wrappers and program events for shows Baird attended over the years to give fans an idea of what activities the soldier enjoys during downtime.

The pages of the book are somewhat randomized, but after reading through the entire 128 pages, gamers will have learned a lot more about one of their favorite characters in the Gears of War series and will have gained a lot of insight on the world of Sera and Emergence Day in general. Gamers will also enjoy reading about the various weapons and enemies Baird has encountered during his time with Kilo Squad with some information that just may help gamers while playing through Gears of War Judgment as well. There is a good variety of content contained in the pages of Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log, and it's a nice change for readers to enjoy learning about the game's world for a video game series that often prioritizes shooting up some more bad dudes over allowing fans to learn more about the characters in the game. Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log is a good read that may be just a bit outside the price range of gamers on a budget, but fans of the series shouldn't hesitate to pick up the new book if given the chance.

Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log is now available for purchase from the Insight Editions website and can be purchased for $39.99. For more information on Gears of War: Judgment - Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log, check out the official Insight Editions website.

Book Information:

• Publisher: Insight Editions
• Author: Rob Auten
• Hardcover
• 128 Pages with 11 Inserts
• Release: March 4, 2014

Score: 9 out of 10