‘Gears Of War’ Goes Mobile With ‘Gears Pop’ Starting This Week

“Gears Of War,” that game that puts players in the shoes of Marcus Fenix as he shoots and chainsaws enemies to oblivion, goes mobile with a cute and kid-friendly version titled “Gears Pop,” coming this week.

“Gears Pop,” which is due for release on Aug. 22, looks like a combination of “Gears Of War” and Funko Pop toys -- small collectible toys with oversized heads similar to what animé fans know as “chibi.” Familiar characters like the aforementioned Marcus Fenix, Carmine, Kait Diaz, General Raam and more, are transformed and given small bodies with large heads.

Gameplay

While the game is set in the “Gears” universe, it doesn’t play like the other titles. Whereas “Gears Of War” from the first installment until “Gears 5” all feature third-person cover shooting gameplay, “Gears Pop” puts all characters in a multiplayer battle arena with an overhead view.

Players need to play out their units and push forward until they defeat the outposts and the leader at the opposite end of the field. Players need to command their units to take cover in order to avoid enemy bullets. As they succeed in gaining control of covers found in the field, their “territory” increases.

As the player's “territory” widens, he will be able to progress in the round quickly. For example, he can call out heroes like Marcus or Clayton near enemy territory or spawn wretches that will attack enemies hiding in covers.

Each character has a unique characteristic. Marcus, for example, quickly runs under cover as fast as he can and is likely to last longer because of it. Kait, on the other hand, simply ignores all covers and enemies that hide in them and proceeds to attack the nearest outpost.

Destroying an outpost will give players one point. If time runs out and both camps have the same score, the game enters “sudden death” mode where the first to destroy an outpost wins the game.

Thankfully, players will be given the “Hammer of Dawn,” an ultimate ability that can be be used repeatedly, but needs to be charged over time. This weapon can change the tide in any battle. Players will need to time their use of the Hammer of Dawn so that it can effectively destroy enemies.

Release

“Gears Pop” will be released for Android (4.4 and newer) and iOS (iOS 10 or newer) on Aug. 22, 2019.