“Lost Relics” is the new DLC for Gears of War: Judgment coming to fans in June. Packaged inside with the old map of Checkout and the 3 new maps of Lost City, Museum, and Ward for OverRun, comes the new single objective game type, Breakthrough.
Category: News Articles
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 09:00
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A little over a month after Gears of War:Judgment release and we are looking at our first DLC which released today. Call to Arms is free to those that have the season pass, and 1000 microsoft points for those without one. Everything is multiplayer based but it gives you 3 new maps, 6 new skins for characters and weapons, a new multiplayer mode entirely, and of course 10 new achievements for you to hunt for.
Maps
Terminal: The speed and ferocity of the Locust invasion took Halvo Bay completely by surprise. Residents scrambled to evacuate by every means possible, and COG forces were called in to maintain order as martial law was enforced. However, the Locust showed no mercy, and gave no quarter; they swept through train terminals like this one to take advantage of the close quarters and sheer number of defenseless humans trapped within its walls. Sometimes, COG forces could hold the line long enough for a final evacuation, but too many lost their lives in defense of the people and the land they loved.
This specific map is only for the Over Run mode. The layout works well and when I played seemed balanced as far as being defensible, as well as being able to get in as locust. I played Engineer when play COG and it was easy to spot place to throw the turret so it was harder to hit while I repaired things. As locust I played the Ticker to start out with (which was fun on this map as for as places to crawl through and such) and the Grenadier. The grenadier on one side takes a bit more to get at the e-hole cover with grenades than the other, but if you’ve broken down the barriers to that point it doesn’t take a lot to get at the covers minus a few good pushes if you are paired with a good team and against an equally good team.
Blood Drive As casualties started to mount, the staff at Halvo Memorial quickly began what would become the largest triage effort in the history of Sera. Their “Give Blood Today” campaign inspired a global blood drive in support of COG forces and wounded civilians. Sadly, Halvo fell quickly, and the hospital became a battlefront instead of a sanctuary. The seed of hope was planted, however, and government-run Memorial hospitals across the country mobilized to keep the effort alive until Jacinto Memorial was the last standing bastion of hope for the people of Sera.
This map is very similar to the one you have seen previously. Only difference is different swaps on the map, and some extra areas to roam through that provide some great sniping positions. I played a game of Free For All on this map and it’s not too large for a smaller number of players, but it’s not so small that the max number of players will make it too chaotic to actually play a good game.
Boneyard The concept of traditional memorial services had to be suspended due to the constant stream and alarming volume of casualties as Sera fell victim to the Locust Horde. Memorial grounds quickly became boneyards. Unmarked holes became grave sites and mausoleums were filled with the nameless remains of the fallen, their skeletons piled into heaps. Tread lightly, you never know what, or who, you’re walking on, and one day you’re bound to join them.
This map is a bit harder with less people. I played with 6 people rather than 10. You could almost walk past someone and not even notice due to the twists and turns and staircases. It does make for some interesting kills on occasion as well as some great sniper spots. It is a map you will have to watch your back on, or listen for footsteps coming your way. All of the power weapons also spawn far enough apart that you have plenty of fair shots getting your hands on one.
Game Mode: Master At Arms
So, did you have fun with free for all, or want more of a challenge from it? Master at Arms may be the solution. This mode is a variation of Free-For-All where you have to get a kill with each of the 20 weapons available to you without using melee or grenade tactics. This will present more of a challenge, and is a nice way to phase out the melee kills that have frustrated some. I personally am looking forward to see where this game mode goes in the future.
Achievements
You looking at me?: (20g) Win a Team Death match game with the entire team wearing the Car 13 Armor skin (Public/Ranked only)
Like a Boss: (15g) Place First in Free For All on Boneyard 5 times (Public/Ranked only)
Old School Marathon: (10g) Play 10 matches total on BloodDrive (Public/Ranked)
Long Bomb: (10g) Earn the “You’re It” ribbon on Boneyard (Public/Ranked)
Captain Sera: (10g) Earn a killing spree with the boomshield on Boneyard (Public/Ranked)
All Aboard!: (25g) Win Hardcore survival on Terminal with 5 Soldiers
Professional Locust: (75g) Kill 100 enemies with each Locust
Surprise!: (10g) Get a double while emerging as a Corpser (Public/Ranked)
Don’t you die on me!: (25g) Revive 100 total teammates on Terminal as a Medic (Public/Ranked)
BOOSHKA!: (50g) Earn 50 double ribbons with the Booshka on Terminal (Public/Ranked)
Wednesday, 27 March 2013 09:00
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As a gift to the Gears of War fans that attended PAX East this weekend, Epic Games let the fans play Execution on one of the new, unreleased maps Haven. During set times throughout the show they let the curtains open for the public to experience Execution before its upcoming release.
I don’t know how the shipped maps will play out. As far as Haven is concerned, upon spawn both teams were in reach of their own power weapon either a Torque Bow or the Booshka. In the middle of the map a Breechshot and Digger could be found. Personally, I rathered enjoyed this. Neither team was full heatedly open to go rushing for the Digger or the Breechshot. In some cases, if you rushed for the Digger you could get there in a seconds time before the other team. First contact will most likely occur at this location.
Another interesting aspect was the grenade loadout, only smokes and spots were available. This leads to some pretty strategic calls on both teams minds. Do you go all spots? Time them out and nobody can hide? Or do you split them up? The team I was on decided we would split it, 2 run smokes, the other 3 run spots. It was effective and it worked.
I’m not sure if the game type will actually be released as we played it, but in fairness, it played perfectly. Here’s to hoping I don’t have to change up my Haven Strategy too much when it finally comes out.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 08:00
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Tuesday, 19 February 2013 19:57
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A new trailer for Gears of War Judgment has been released today! “The Guts of Gears – Multiplayer,” gives fans a look at the new multiplayer modes, weapons, in-game rewards and gameplay updates that will make it the most intense Gears game to date. The details covered in this video include some samples of the biggest and most exciting updates coming to “Gears of War: Judgment” multiplayer.
Multiplayer modes that are highlighted in the trailer:
- OverRun: OverRun marks the first time that class-based competitive multiplayer has been introduced into the “Gears of War” series. Think of it as a combination of the popular Beast and Horde modes pitted against each other. OverRun is a 5v5 attack/defend game type, where the COG are always defending, and the Locust are attacking… and you have an opportunity to play both as attacker and defender to determine the winning team.
- Team Deathmatch: In this returning fan-favourite, two teams of five players start with a shared pool of respawns. The goal is to take out your opponents and deplete their respawns before your own pool is gone. Perfect for “Gears” veterans and new recruits alike, Team Deathmatch has everyone battling to be the last squad standing.
- Free-For-All: Free-For-All is an “every player for themselves” Deathmatch mode. No teams mean shoot anything that moves. The perfect mode for relieving some stress.
- Domination: Domination is a 5v5 team based competitive multiplayer mode. Teams will compete over three rings placed throughout the map. Control the ring to earn points; the first team to 250 points wins the match.
Not only are there new grenades for any situation you might encounter online, but Epic has also confirmed that players will have the ability to toss grenades without a windup. b=Below are six new additions to the game’s arsenal:
- Sticky Grenades: Like Frag Grenades, these cause lethal damage to opponents, except they stick to targets before detonation.
- Beacon Grenades – The Beacon is a tactical grenade most commonly used by COG Scouts. It electronically marks all enemy targets in its blast radius, and reveals their position for a short time, even though walls and other obstacles of any thickness.
- Stim Grenades – The Stim is an extremely useful tool for Medics and those wishing to play a support role in combat. When detonated, it emits a cloud of medicinal gas that will instantly heal all friendly targets within its radius.
- Markza: Before the Locust invaded Sera, the people of the COG had spent decades at war with the Union of Independent Republics, and the Markza is one of the UIR’s most infamous weapons. This semi-automatic rifle is perfect for medium range combat, with a deep clip and an attached scope that extends its effective range and ensures greater accuracy at distance.
- Breechshot – The Locust are more than just a brute force, and the Breechshot is a shining example of their ingenuity and tactics: the base of the gun is a confiscated UIR Markza that has been converted to inflict massive amounts of damage. The barrel has a larger bore to support a higher-caliber projectile, and the stock has been retrofitted with a vicious blade making this versatile weapon perfect for short to medium range combat.
- Booshka – The Booshka is a devastating grenade launcher of UIR design. It is capable of lobbing smart shells that detonate on direct impact with an enemy, or bounce off walls and other obstacles to detonate off a brief timer.