Format: Windows 10
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

In moments with awkwardly clipping alien pods and slimy vines-- particularly in the title's indoor stages-- Gears of War 4 looks nothing more than an incremental update from the original, decade-old release. But in the outdoor areas-- especially those book-ending the campaign-- this latest Unreal engine and the development team's art work are staggeringly rich and photogenic. It's the perfect title through which PC owners can show off the latest batch of superfast video cards.

Kevin Riepl's altogether iconic work in the original title has gradually, as the series has progressed, given way to the kind of generally forgettable works featured here, this time compliments of Ramin Djawadi. The game's voice acting is solid, but the writing and dialogue relies entirely on cliches rather than bonafide character building.

The core movement, firing, cover, reload mechanics, and overall feel are lifted straight from the previous games, and they all still work as well as they did a decade ago. The campaign's level design is caricature-like-- room fight, door, cut-scene, repeat-- but the game's alternative forms of play, including deathmatch (with full bot support!) and the tower defense "Horde" mode, are arrestingly fun.

Gears of War 4 is the very definition of "polished clone", replicating everything a fan of the series would expect, and executing it well. While the game lacks an "Embry Square" or "House of the Sovereigns" moment to call its own-- and this reaches to the storytelling, where the player is given no reason to care about the fate of the new characters-- this is a satisfying cavort if taken for what it is: a blockbuster budget game with a meaty-if-eye-rolling campaign, and a vessel through which enjoyable cover-based multiplayer is conveyed.