New Gears of War game will be somber, linear and very detailed

A chat with The Coalition regarding their surprise prequel

Gears of War: E-Day. Image: The Coalition, Blur, Microsoft

An iconic commercial for 2006’s Gears of War is heavily influencing the direction of Microsoft’s newly revealed surprise video game prequel Gears of War: E-Day.

That ad paired footage of the dark, gritty Xbox 360 sci-fi combat game with a sorrowful cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” That combo, unusual for game trailers that tended to be more upbeat and aggressive, moved players at the time. The commercial became a classic example of so-called “sadvertising.”

The ad was, arguably, more somber than anything in the actual Gears of War game, though franchise sequels have had enough desperate firefights and shocking deaths that it’s become a Gears brand identity.

Gears franchise director Nicole Fawcette reinforced that in a behind-closed-doors group interview I attended in LA on Sunday afternoon.

She shared what Gears development studio The Coalition says fans have communicated as the core elements of the series:

• “The brutality of Gears”

• “The sadness, kind of melancholy vibe”

• “It wouldn’t be Gears if it wasn’t over the top, kind of an action spectacle”

• “Never fight alone” – a vibe born from the series’ co-op modes (It is also a slogan The Coalition uses in conjunction with an ongoing pledge to donate 1% of franchise revenue to organizations that work on suicide prevention and loneliness)

And what of the new game itself, a new adventure set in the city of Kalona? Here’s what I got: