I've always adored Gears of War as the sort of anti-Halo. Even though Gears had solid multiplayer, the game always seemed to me to focus instead on great game mechanics alongside a surprisingly engaging narrative. Gears of War showed that a violent shooter with chainsaw guns could also strive to be something deeper. Gears dealt quite well with the losses incurred in war, the troubling structure of the military, and how for those who fight, war never really ends. Replaying this franchise a decade-and-a-half after I originally played these games, I've felt this largely to remain true of this series.

Gears of War: Judgment has ulterior motives, however. With the main trilogy completed, Gears of War: Judgment seemingly exists for Microsoft and Epic Games to show off the multiplayer possibilities that this franchise offers, for those who might have somehow missed that aspect of this series. In order to do this, Gears of War: Judgment essentially turns the game into a series of small battles, each with elements that can changed by the player. The game can be fairly straightforward, but choosing to battle with specific guns, limited visibility, or with a surplus of enemies makes extras easier to collect. Gears of War: Judgment is many player vs. computer multiplayer battles sewn together to give the illusion of a new Gears of War game.

Because of this, Gears of War: Judgment does lose much of what I love about this series. The story is almost nonexistent, centering around a trial against Baird and his team. I remember when this game was being marketed that it was said the player's options would alter the story of the game, and while that's technically true, if the player chooses to add on these various impediments in each level, these choices don't alter the narrative at all. At least Gears of War: Aftermath does attempt to bring back some of that interesting narrative, but it's such a short, extra chapter that it only highlights what was missing from the main campaign.

While literally running-and-gunning my way through an entire game isn't what I want from Gears of War, I did admire what Judgment was doing slightly more on this second playthrough. When I play one of the primary Gears of War games, I often stick to the same few guns, don't alter the difficulty, and pretty much breeze through. Yet Gears of War: Judgment allows me to challenge myself in minor ways throughout the game to make this a bit more difficult. I might not want to play through the game on a harder difficulty, but I don't mind trying to fight for a few minutes with a gun that might not be ideal for the situation. At the very least, Gears of War: Judgment allows me ways to tweak my game and explore all Gears of War has to offer.

Yet still, Gears of War: Judgment is restrained Gears of War, as the franchise isn't pushing itself in ways that are compelling. If anything, Gears of War: Judgment is backtracking, turning this franchise into more of a multiplayer game than an engaging narrative experience. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I always admired Gears of War as the anti-Halo, and Gears of War: Judgment closes that gap in a way I find very disappointing. When I saw that the game was offering me loot boxes and outfits I could purchase from the Xbox store, I was truly let down by where this franchise was heading. I have yet to play Gears of War 4 or Gears 5, but I really hope they don't continue the trend that is started here.