Since its explosive debut in 2006, Gears Tactics.
But as it happens, there was another project which seemingly sought to steer the franchise in an even more radically different direction; before it was canned, that is. Even after over a decade, not much is known about this Gears spinoff for Xbox 360. Yet, there are at least a handful of interesting tidbits surrounding this game that never was.
Epic Games Was The Would-Be Developer
The Gears Of War series has been ed around to a few studios now, each of which brought some alterations and unique spins to the series' formula. This ing of the touch began with 2013's Gears of War: Judgment, developed by the Polish studio People Can Fly, before being handed to The Coalition as well as Splash Damage. The latter team handled the recent XCOM-esque spinoff, Gears Tactics.
A decade ago, however, the franchise was still solely in the hands of its parent company, Epic Games, who was in the process of developing this project with series lead Cliff Bleszinski still at the company. While little is still known about this unrealized project, there are no doubt fans who would have been interested in seeing one more Gears project from the franchise's original developers.
An Alluring Logo
There are few visual details available when it comes to this canceled title for Xbox 360. However, a trademark filing by Epic Games, complete with the logo above, was reportedly discovered by the gaming outlet Siliconera.
Of course, this logo reveals almost naught about the game it's meant to represent — but it certainly does the job of enticing potential players with its minimal-yet-sleek design.
Its Reveal Was Pulled From The VGAs At The Last Minute
Reportedly, Epic Games was set to show off a Gears of War project for the Spike TV Video Game Awards in 2011. The announcement was touted by Cliffy B as being "...awesome. You're going to love it. It's not what you're expecting."
As it happens, this hype was never realized, as Exile — which is presumably the project in question — was yanked from the show at the last minute. Little more is known of the details, other than then-executive producer Rod Fergusson's comment that "the VGA announcement delay comes from Microsoft, not us."
Was Set To Have An E3 Showing
Along with pulling the showcase from the VGAs just hours before the show, this would-be shooter for Xbox 360 was apparently going to be shown at E3 2011 as well.
No details or commentary on such a showcase has seen the light of day, save for a graphic that adorns the cover of the gaming magazine Xbox World.
Cliffy B Remains Tight-Lipped About It
Despite the potential this unique spin on Gears may have had, Epic Games and Cliffy B himself seemed all-too-eager to forget all about this mostly unknown project and keep it shrouded in mystery.
In a comment to GameSpot, then Epic Games design director says "let's just bury the hatchet now. Gears of War: Exile was an unannounced game that I can't give any details about that has since been canceled."
It Was Meant To Be A Kinect Game
Perhaps the juiciest bit of information regarding this largely unknown title is that it was set to be a Kinect game. This was no doubt meant to showcase the then-new motion camera and offer a more hardcore gaming option for a device largely catered to an expanded audience.
In 2011, Microsoft's Kinect was still a star attraction, so it would have made sense to use it as a platform for one of the biggest 360 franchises.
Possible Connection To Gears Tactics
As it happens, Gears of War: Exile wasn't to be the only Kinect-based title in this hit series. In fact, also has its roots as a Kinect title. This begs the question, could the games have been related or have some degree of overlap?
This is a question that will likely remain unanswered. Still, it stands to reason that there may have been at least minor similarities, given both games were seemingly developed around the same time for the same platform.
Its Demo Used A Modified Version Of Gears Of War 2
Aside from a logo, the only visual piece of evidence from this mysterious Gears project is a snapshot of exclusive demo footage that seems to show a man controlling the movements of franchise star Marcus Fenix. This demo reportedly runs on a modified version of Gears of War 2.
Seeing as the most recently released game in the series is this aforementioned hit, it makes sense that Epic Games would utilize this engine at least to begin their new project.
It Was Going To Be On-Rails
Seeing as Gears of War: Exile was meant to be a Kinect title, it makes sense that this was apparently set to be on-rails. While this is speculation, there's a good chance the game would have resembled the slew of rail shooters that are prominently featured in arcades. It likely would have had players using their hand motions to aim and shoot their imaginary Lancers and snipers.
Though the potential for a fun, exciting experience seems to be here, it's difficult to imagine an authentic feeling Gears experience sans the nuances of covering, precise aiming, and snappy active reloads.
Would Take Place During The Events Of Gears Of War 2
Along with running on a modified Gears of War 2 skeleton, Exile was reportedly set during the dark, turbulent events of Gears of War 2 as well.
It's hard to deny the potential of using motion controls to blast one's way through the Jacinto sinkhole and Riftworm once again, taking out Locust forces along with scurrying hordes of Lambent.
