‘Gears Of War: Judgment’ A Worthy Prequel

Gears of War: Judgment, the fourth in the Gears of War series, is worth picking up.

Gears of War, much like Halo, is a flagship series for the Xbox 360. Shooter fans would do well to give it a go. The series is known for its gorgeous graphics, its third-person shooting style, and a cover system that made it a classic.

The prequel to the infamous shooter series, Gears of War: Judgment has you playing a soldier from the Kilo Squad fighting off an alien enemy known as the Locust. The “judgment” part of the title comes from the fact that the gameplay is actually a series of flashbacks, as the soldiers stand trial for their actions. As each soldier explains his case, you play that soldier’s role in the testimony. During these flashbacks, you can even swap characters, making for an interesting twist on the shooter genre.

Gears of War: Judgment rewards players for being fans of the series, as it lets you play the roles of such notable personalities as Damon Baird and Augustus Cole. Straight from the get-go, Judgment plays like its predecessors (or sequels, chronologically), which in the case of Gears of War, is always a good thing.

This title introduces the star system, which rewards the player for their performance. You can speed up earning these stars by activating the extra declassified missions. Declassified missions alter the level, making it more challenging, and therefore more rewarding. However, dying completely restarts the mission. The extra challenge is entirely optional.

Earn enough stars and you’ll unlock a lost chapter from Gears of War 3, called “Aftermath.”

Gears of War: Judgment brings back multiplayer and co-op, so you can bring a friend in for backup, which if they know what they’re doing, is always nice.

The final verdict is that Gears of War: Judgment is definitely worthy of a pickup, as it will probably be the last Gears of War title on the Xbox 360, and it wraps up the series nicely thus far.

What are your thoughts on Gears of War: Judgment?