How did you play Gears of War? The majority of gamers, according to Epic, opted to “haul ass” around levels, sliding in and out of cover and generally playing with a high tempo. This contrasts with how Epic intended for the game to be played; gamers were expected to have a more consolidate and tactical approach. However, Epic had to alter the play-style as the trilogy went on based on how most players chose to play the game.
Speaking to OXM, Bitmonster co-founder and former Gears of War designer Lee Perry had this to say.
“From a design perspective there were huge shifts in our attitudes internally as the trilogy went on. The most obvious was how the role of cover and lethality evolved after we launched. Being in cover, playing slowly and tactically – that was our intended play style. After launch though, so many players got great at hauling ass around the levels, sliding into cover only long enough to vault away from it, and running around like shotgun samurai. We tried to steer gameplay back towards the initial vision, but eventually realised that these tactics were valid and needed to be factored into the bigger picture.”
Credit to the team for not being stubborn and moulding the gameplay design around how many players liked to play Gears of War. Perhaps Gears of War 4 will be a more fast-paced game as a result.
