Gears Of War: E-Day Needs To Copy Gears Tactics’ Best Idea

is expected to bring back the series' signature cover-based, third-person shooter gameplay, but there's a new facet introduced by the spin-off that the upcoming prequel would do well to incorporate. Following the exploits of beloved duo Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago on Emergence Day, is almost assured to include some minor timeline inconsistencies, like new weapons and enemy types that are inexplicably absent from games in the series which take place later chronologically. Adopting mechanics from might contribute to such issues, but it would be a minor setback in favor of gameplay iteration.

is unique among the series in that it opts for an isometric viewpoint and gives players control of multiple Gears in turn-based, tactical combat. It's a fascinating adaptation of the series' setting, and takes place roughly one year after Emergence Day, focusing on Gabe Diaz, father of and 's Kait Diaz. While Gabe and a few other characters make up the core cast, a rotating roster of more generic Gears gives the squad a distinct feel. It's how treats its weapons, though, that needs to take cues from.

I’m excited for Marcus and Dom’s return in Gears of War: E-Day, but I’m worried the game will only contribute to the series’ ongoing stagnation.

has a skill tree for each recruited Gear to progress through as they level up, but each squad member also has a customizable loadout consisting of a helmet, chest armor, leg armor, primary weapon, secondary weapon, and a grenade type. While such control over equipment could be interesting in, the customization of weapons specifically would introduce some much-needed variety. In, each character's class dictates their primary weapon type; for instance, a Vanguard character might wield a Retro Lancer, while a Heavy lugs a Mulcher into battle.

As missions are completed, characters level up and earn skill points, which can be used to create more specific archetypes within that class, but the squad as a whole also accumulates a collection