Have you ever seen or played Gears of War 4? Ever get curious to see how you would fair yourself? Perhaps you want to get back into the series but find your skills to be rusty? No worries we got you!
Gears of War 4 like previous Gears titles offers hectic combat in it’s Campaign, Versus multiplayer, and Horde 3.0 playlists.
Gears of War 4 is certainly not your typical run and gun type of game if you want to come out on top you are going to have to develop strategies. At first glance Gears may look like a complicated game but don’t let the third person shooter aspect frighten you its all about strategy and technique. Patience and consistency are also invaluable skills that every Gear or Swarm should acquire.
I was terrible when I first started in Gears of War 2 my teammates would always carry me like a backpack. Out of consideration for any future teammates I stopped playing versus multiplayer for a bit. I played only in the Campaign, Horde and Private matches against Bots on Casual Difficulty. As I learned the feel for the game I got more confident moved on to tackling Insane difficulty. Eventually I went on to play versus again free from the concern of bringing down my team. Looking back it’s fun to see how much I have improved despite playing for fun.
In today’s strategy guide we are going to do a rundown on Gears of War 4 character mechanics, weapon mechanics, map layout, and team coordination. Understanding and learning these key points are crucial if you want to game with ease. From GOW 2 leading up to GOW 4 I have cultivated strategies that can be adopted by any gamer looking to improve their skills and game with ease in GOW 4.
Character Mechanics
Gears of War 4 seems intricate for those who have never played the game or excelled at it.
Believe me when I first entered the fray back in GOW 2 I was astonished by some of the basics feats of combat such as landing headshots. As time progressed so did my experience with the game and pretty soon I began understanding aspects that MLG players figure out relatively quickly when in comparison.
Every game imaginable is programmed and coded so every action you perform in game was tested at some point or another by the developers. With this in mind any gamer can learn and understand what they programmed and coded. Sounds complicated right but it is not so much about learning the actual script of code but rather learning how it translates in the feel of gameplay. Every gamer does this without even being aware of it. A perfect example is when you perform an action like sniping for a headshot. There are only so many methods you can use to nail that headshot because of how it was coded. Keep this in mind going forward!
Throughout the series the game has changed little in the way of format so transitioning from title to title poses no trouble. Understanding how character mechanics function in this series is very straightforward. Every single player are bound by the same exact movements, speed, and damage threshold.
There is only really one mechanic you have to account for which is body frames. Some characters have a bigger broader body frame then other characters in Gears of War resulting in a slightly bigger hitbox. A good example of this is seen by the comparing male and female characters.
If you find yourself missing shots it could be a number reasons why.
- Reason one is the body frame once you acknowledge the difference in hitboxes this becomes less and less of a problem.
- Reason number two is the inaccuracy of your weapon which varies depending on the circumstance. Character angles, distance between each other and weapon of choice are all variables you have to account for when placing your shots. Any gamer can exploit these mechanics and come out on top it just takes patience and consistency.
- Reason number three is simple you missed which happens better to acknowledge and embrace it. In this way a gamer can reflect what they did wrong and learn from
Learning the character mechanics can help you become more accurate. Being accurate is a good skill to have but won’t get you out of every situation. Hence there is still more to learn that can help expand your strategies.
Weapon Mechanics
Now that you are more familiar with Character mechanics now it’s time to become well versed on how the weapon mechanics in Gears of War 4.
In Gears of War 4 if you plan on playing in one of the Versus menu then I suggest you get familiar with a little mechanic called Weapon Tuning. Weapon Tuning allows every player to pick and chose their play-style. Without proper weapon tuning one sided matches would be even more prevalent with little variety in play-styles.
Both the Social and Ranked playlist abide by Core Weapon Tuning. The competitive playlist abides by Competitive Weapon Tuning. And the private playlist you have free control to switch from Core to Competitive Weapon Tuning. If you want to check the specifics of weapon tuning check out the TC’s official breakdown of the latest weapon tuning update here.
We already discussed how every character can perform the same movements. Not one character is faster then another. Keeping this fact in mind is crucial for landing your shots with your weapon of choice. With every weapon all you have to do is trace or predict your shot based off of your opponent’s movements. It’s easier said than done and takes some patience and consistency to master.
Learning how and when to utilize each weapon helps give accurate shots meaning. Which grants gamers a better perception along with judgement. This allows for a deadly combination of skill and strategy on the battlefield. Yet that will not matter if you have no knowledge of where the weapons or enemies spawn.
Map Layout
Learning the map layout for each game type and map can help to shape a significant advantage over your opponents.
Advantages such as…
- Knowing where the Power Weapons spawn which help controlling the map.
- Noting where the enemy spawns because Spawn Points can help anticipate their moves.
- Learning the angles so you can get out of every situation around the map. Unfortunately the best way to learn this is to play the game yourself.
I find that some players fail to understand the need for a strategy. Learning the map layout is a good starting point. Every match begins with everyone at their respective spawns from there whatever happens next is up to you and your team.
Strategizing from the map layout and from your teams TAC-COM can prove detrimental to the other team. If you have teammates who understand basic Gears of War instinct then all you need to do is choose what you want with the opening play.
Learning the map layout allows to choose from your options in a more efficient manner. For example in King of Hill sometimes it’s better to secure a Power Weapon instead of capturing the ring but the other team could possibly spawn where you are going. Knowing where the spawn points are can help you make the decision in whether it’s worth the risk or not.
Team Coordination
There is something to said about teamwork. Gears of War 4 certainly is a game that showcases teamwork at its best and at it worst.
Team Coordination can be executed through three different methods in this game. Using a your preferred headset with a functional mic is by far the best way to coordinate with your team. It is the quickest way to relay and receive information. Using the team chat is another method of communicating with your team. Although a bit clunky depending on how fast you type you may want to wait for the most opportune moment to type in the chat. The last method involves using TAC-COM reading the movements of your teammates and adapting accordingly. It takes experience to achieve as a team and as a member of that team. Yet proves its worth to me time and time again.
Heck most the matches I lose is because my teams synergy simply was not there. Communicating and coordinating with your team could mean the difference between winning or losing. It is a strategy after all. We see it used in the big leagues for a reason.
Get a Feel For The Game
To be honest the best strategy you can can come up with is get a feel for game which essentially is instincts for the game.
The best method to achieve this is by playing the game. Honestly you can learn all kinds of strategies but they won’t matter if you have no experience to back them up. By playing the game yourself you experience the game and gain basic instincts for the game.
I often see gamers of all kinds experienced or not need some kind of warm up to get back into the game. Warm up games definitely something to consider. They certainly help me perform better in Ranked matches if I do them beforehand.
In the beginning I said that patience and consistency are invaluable skills for any Gear and really any gamer. The capabilities to remain calm, patient and analyze will help you come out of even the most inopportune situations.
Strategize & Game With Ease
Gears of War 4 mechanics allow for all kinds of play-styles. At the same time the balance set forth gives ample room to strategize and counter what your opponents are dishing out.
Understanding character mechanics will help with your accuracy which can help back up any strategy you attempt. By understanding the weapon mechanics you make yourself into a master of arms. This allows you to be as versatile as possible and form a devastating presence on the field.
To maximize the success of your strategy knowing your map layout ahead of time will help formulate a good starting point and gain an advantage against the other team. Team coordination is going to be essential in helping to shape to that advantage.
Before all else you are going to need to gain basic Gears of War 4 instinct for yourself if you want to come out on top every match. Get the feel for the game. Play around with the different weapons in the game. They are in the game for a reason so don’t be salty about the Retro Lancer if you managed to get killed by one it’s probably because lack of strategy.
Overall be yourself and have fun! You can learn all the info in the world on how to be best but you’ll never learn how to be the best you without proper development. Good luck out there and keep your head down unless you want to end up like Anthony Carmine.