Gears of War 4 is the Best Example of Xbox's Direction

Gears of War 4 is an excellent entry in the series and it would seem to be the best example of Xbox's direction for the future of the platform. While Halo has always been the flagship, it seems that Gears of War 4 perfectly hits all the marks of what Xbox is attempting to move towards. With the Xbox One X they're aiming to showcase power and Gears of War 4 will be delivering on what's possible performing at native 4k 60fps multiplayer, native 4k 30fps campaign and HDR. Those on 1080p screens will also get a nice boost in visuals so it's a bit of something for everyone graphics wise. Even those with regular Xbox One consoles get a beautiful looking game as it runs perfectly well already.

It's also a benchmark for their Xbox Play Anywhere program being available on Xbox One and Windows 10 with cross-play on a single purchase. As Xbox aims to provide more of a service style having a primary title like this play beautifully on console or PC is a step in the direction of doing it right. On the in-game side of things the platform has always been pushing online functionality since most titles are multiplayer focused. With that, Gears 4 follows in Halo 5: Guardians' footsteps by providing massive post-launch support and free multiplayer maps to not divide the community content wise.


While I question the maps at times since most are remakes or remixes, it does show a dedication to providing a quantity of content. That's also reflected in the basically weekly releases of new cosmetic items and events for the game. I've continued to come back to the game not only for enjoyment since the multiplayer is competitive and solid, but the fact there's always something new to earn or do. The multiplayer is chalked full of characters, weapon skins and other cards to collect while playing. They've balanced out their pack system too cost wise and it's much easier to obtain a chance at something.

Whether you like the supply crates or not, that seems to be the direction of games and it's alright earning them here. Gears of War 4 is the perfect example of Xbox's current direction. It showcases the power of the Xbox One X to full native settings with all the whistles that are possible. The Xbox Play Anywhere system is in full force with the game working well on either end and connects to the two beautifully through cross-play options. It's a long term online service post launch being packed with new features from game modes to cosmetic items to unlock. With Xbox aiming to be a digital focused platform in the future, no game in their line-up currently displays it like Gears of War 4 does.

Read Why Gears 4 Needs Some New Maps
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