I love Gears of War – it’s the first game I’ve ever played through on every difficulty level (even collected all my Cog Tags). Sawing through Locust with my Mk 2 Lancer Assault Rifle was rewarding on a guttural level – and it was a pleasantry that later extended to GOW 2 and 3.  These games have always closely mirrored Halo to me, as both shooter franchises tackle an intense interplanetary war over three games (GOW even has their own version of The Flood with The Lambent).

Now Epic seems to be going the Halo: Reach route with Gears of War: Judgment – a prequel chronicling the first Locust attack on Emergence Day. For people familiar with the previous games, it’s looking like Baird and Cole are going to be your stars. Judgment revs up for Xbox 360 in 2013.