14 DAY TRIAL // In the gaming industry some old series have gained the status of cult icons, and gamers of all ages and races remember the good times they spent with them. As such, it’s pretty hard for new IPs (Intellectual Properties) to become popular and to really make an impact on the big number of gamers. But some have achieved that, one of them being Gears of War, which, despite the fact that it was launched only a few years ago, gained a massive amount of fans due to its non-stop adrenaline-filled action and great gameplay in both single and multiplayer modes.
The second iteration in the series was launched before the holiday season, and despite the fact that a lot of people complained about the game, which didn't really deliver a great online experience, it still managed to sell over 4 million units and become one of the best-selling games in recent times. Now, Cliff Bleszinski, the lead mind behind the franchise, comes to talk with 1Up about the development of this new game and how everyone on the team has had a great influence on it.
“Each lead voiced his opinion, and we then hashed through it all and came up with a game plan. It's important to have buy-in from the various talented people that are not only running the project but also helping to build it, and we've found that Epic developers respond when they feel invested. That said, we also left plenty of room for "gotta have it" moments – such as the moments that led to having a Bloodmount or to a dual-chain-saw-staff-wielding boss character. When one builds a sequel, it's incredibly important to walk that line between changing what doesn't work in the original and what needs to be changed for the better of the franchise. Weapons, player movement, cover entry – all of these things go through an additional cycle of balancing and tweaking.”
Although it seems that the whole team at Epic Games really got together behind the title, a lot of users still aren't happy, and, despite the fact that some new updates have been made to the game, a sour taste still remains among gamers. All that's left for us to do is wait and hope that the next game in the series will tie up all the loose ends and really give us the definitive Gears of War experience, much in the spirit of the original title.