Other core mechanics will remain unchanged for Xbox One title

Aug 4, 2014 14:46 GMT  ·  By

The new Gears of War experience for the Xbox One might be at least one year away from launch, but the development team at Black Tusk is currently exploring which elements of the franchise they might replace with more modern concepts and which are crucial to the nature of the series.

Rod Fergusson, who has returned to the series after working on BioShock Infinite, tells Polygon that “With Black Tusk, we have to show that we have a legitimate claim to this IP and be able to show we know how to do it right before we do it differently. So I think there's a combination. It's about finding the right things to change.”

When it comes to elements of Gears of War that no studio would dare to cut because the loyal fan base would be furious, the list seems to be pretty long.

The game maker adds, “I think the cover system, there's a feel to a Gears of War game that I've yet to find in another game where it feels the same. Whether it's the fluidity, the weight, the heaviness to the characters, the way that it feels like to be in cover, the roadie run character, those sorts of things.”

Ferguson admits that there are also elements of the third-person shooter that Black Tusk is currently evaluating in order to then replace them with more contemporary solutions, but he did not offer a clear list.

Gears of War was one of the series that Microsoft has used to show the quality of graphics and gameplay that its home consoles could deliver, and the company will probably aim to do something similar with the Xbox One experience.

This means that Black Tusk will have to walk a fine line and keep a lot of the defining elements of the experience, including those mentioned by Rod Fergusson, while also finding some innovative elements that can attract new blood to the series.

The studio will also have to decide what part of the history of the universe it wants to explore, and which of the familiar characters will return and which of them will be replaced with new faces.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of time to decide on these important questions, as the new Gears of War title for the Xbox One is only expected to be launched in 2016, with an official name set to be revealed next year.