The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson says Gears of War 4 will be a ‘graphical showcase’ for the Xbox One much like the original was a showcase for the 360.

While most Xbox and Microsoft fans are surely looking forward to the release of Gears of War 4, few know what to expect from the fourth numbered entry in the series. There are the obvious assumptions – tight cover shooter, Locust enemy types, strong heroes – but thus far developer The Coalition (formerly Black Tusk) hasn’t influenced those expectations too much. Until now.

While speaking with Official Xbox Magazine, Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson left Xbox One fans with an exciting tease. Granted, he didn’t reveal anything about the gameplay, story, or scope of Gears of War 4, but he did say that the game will be a “graphical showcase for the Xbox One.”

Fergusson points to the original Gears of War as being a visual showpiece for the Xbox 360 back when it released in 2006 and believes this fourth game will be the same on its new platform nearly 10 years later. Few can deny that Gears of War impressed when it burst onto the scene, setting a new benchmark for cover shooters wrapped in a very violent aesthetic. No matter how players shake it, the game looked good at the time.

Obviously, any time a developer mentions graphics, especially in a manner that suggests “cream of the crop” visuals, gamers are bound to pay attention. At the end of the day, video games are a visual medium, and every gamer hopes that their favorite experiences look good, in addition to playing well.

“Like how the original Gears of War was a visual showcase for the Xbox 360, Gears of War 4 will be a graphical showcase for the Xbox One.”

As far as Gears of War 4 goes, the expectation is that the game will be the premiere Xbox One experience in every sense of the word. Much like Halo 5: Guardians, fans hope that the console exclusive third person shooter will show off the Xbox’s power in a way multiplatform games simply can’t.

As far as how Coalition plans to do that is yet to be determined. What we’ve seen of the game thus far is only a small demo at E3 2015 that, while visually solid, didn’t necessarily blow anyone away. It was a better looking version of Gears of War, but without spending more time with the sequel it’s hard to evaluate the finer details.

Nevertheless, there’s no doubt 2016 will feature plenty of exciting Gears of War 4 reveals, including an E3 2016 presentation packed full of new content. The only way the game can truly live up to claims of it being a graphical showcase is if Microsoft actively shows it off.

Gears of War 4 is slated to release in 2016 for Xbox One.

Source: OXM (via Nerd Leaks)