SDCC 2012: 'Gears of War: Judgment' Preview And Interview

The war is won and Delta Squad's story is over, but you can't keep a good Gear down. It's only been 10 months since Gears of War 3 wrapped up the Epic Games trilogy, but next year, we'll be taken back to the beginning of the war between the COG and Locust with Gears of War: Judgment, the prequel starring everyone's favorite goggle-wearing smartass, Damon Baird. Having spent a significant amount of hours in the campaign, the plethora of VS modes, and the ever-hectic Horde and Beast modes, what else can we expect from the uber-violent TPS series? I'm glad you asked! We had the chance to play the latest addition to the Gears multiplayer family, OverRun, a combination of Horde and Beast modes where players can take control of both sides and go head-to-head. In addition to the preview, Epic Games' Rod Fergusson took time to answer some of our questions about what to expect next spring.

Epic Games' Rod Fergusson Talks Gears of War: Judgment with us at SDCC 2012.

With three games and countless hours under our belts as loyal members of the COG, it was great to see that Epic can still create something new and exciting. OverRun isn't just a combination of Horde and Beast; it adds a completely new class-based system, giving specific equipment and abilities to the characters. It felt a little restrictive playing as my old friend Baird (the engineer, naturally), since he was limited to a Gnasher shotgun and his repair tool, but the ability to throw down a senty turret at will and repair barriers on-the-fly was pretty damn cool. No more waiting for the round to end to fix up your fortifications. We also learned that in any round of OverRun, COG are always on defense and Locust are always on offense. The kicker? There's no way for the COG to actually win OverRun. You just have to hold out, protecting generators and such, as long as possible. A daunting task? Maybe. Still sound like fun? Hell yes! We also saw that the controls have been changed up a little, removing weapons selection from the direction pad, for example. Everything else, however, felt right at home. I can still active reload with the best of 'em! It is unclear if this will only be a feature in OverRun.

With the promise of an entirely new game mode and a return to the roots of the Gears series, Gears of War: Judgment has the potential to be one of 2013's biggest games. (Still holding out for that Pendulum Wars game, though!) Get ready to grab your Lancer and sling a Longshot. Chicks will dig the Baird on March 19, 2013.