Microsoft reveals the first trailer for the revamped Horde 3.0 mode in Gears of War 4 which shows off classic wave based combat with new twists like character classes.
Microsoft is betting big on Gears of War 4, positioning it as one of its frontline, must have titles for the 2016 holiday season. As the game gets closer to its October release date, fans have gotten great looks at the single player and multiplayer content coming in the title, but Horde mode has remained tightly under wraps. With PAX West kicking off this weekend and the game expected to have a big presence on the show floor, the mode has finally been detailed in a brand new trailer.
Known as Horde 3.0, Gears of War 4’s new rendition of the fan favorite mode mixes traditional gameplay with a few new wrinkles to help freshen up the experience. Longtime players will be instantly familiar with the premise, as it hasn’t changed. Up to five players work together to survive 50 waves of increasingly difficult enemies, including boss waves that arrive at every 10 rounds. The group will face off against the previously revealed swarm monsters and the robotic DeeBees, essentially making this a human versus non-human battle.
Taking inspiration from the Survival and Overrun modes in Gears of War: Judgment, Horde 3.0 now features specific classes including Soldier, Sniper, Scout, Heavy and Engineer, each with a customizable loadout. Players can further customize their character through the use of cards which are unlocked from earned Gear Packs like the one included in the pre-order bonuses. Cards range from modifiers like a damage boost or ammunition increase, to other Horde specific abilities and items.
The trailer, which features the musical stylings of Run the Jewels, also reveals a brief look at the new Fabricator tool. With this device, players are able to create and set down defenses, turrets, and weapons, pretty much where ever they want on the map.
While Gears of War 4 will be handing out free map DLC each month after the game launches thanks to microtransactions similar to Halo 5: Guardians, players will not always be able to play all of the maps that they want, when they want. Instead, The Coalition will be rotating maps in and out, unless the player is a season pass or ultimate edition owner as then they have complete access to each and every map.
Thankfully, Horde 3.0 players who miss out on the post launch content maps, or may not have access to one at that time, can join in with a host who does and play on that specific map. It’s a nice way to keep the community intact, rather than split between those with DLC and those without.
What do you think of the new changes coming to Horde mode? Are you excited to see this staple mode evolving? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments.
Gears of War 4 launches on Xbox One and PC on October 11, 2016.
Source: Xbox YouTube Channel
