The folks over at VGLeaks claim to have screenshots from an alpha build of what appears to be a Gears of War RTS they’re titling Gears of War: Tactics. While developer Epic Games has previously hinted at the possibility of making a Kinect-only Gears of War title, nothing has ever been formally announced.
According to VGLeaks, “In Tactics you can take the control of four players. Draw a path with your finger until the place you want to move the character and later you choose an action (or make and action and move later, like you want). One by one or groups, you have the control.”
There is a gallery of screenshots available on their website. If this is legit, it does seem within the realm of reason for the Gears franchise to expand into the RTS genre; there are certainly enough enemy types and friendly units to make factions out of. My only criticism would be limiting the audience to folks who’ve purchased a Kinect. Although, if recent rumors are to be believed, Microsoft could be trying to get developers on board with the idea of creating every new Xbox game with Kinect integration in mind. Still, why not have Kinect-enabled features, but also allow for a traditional controller setup? Perhaps that’s what they’re doing, since we really have very little information to go on. Depending on how far along the project is, in relation to when these screenshots were taken, there’s a possibility more we’ll be revealed at this year’s E3.
I’m a fan of RTS games, but there have only been a small handful of console RTS titles worth playing. It’s my personal experience that the PC is more often than not the ideal platform for all my strategy needs. Maybe offering Kinect integration is just what the doctor ordered though. A little gesture control and voice commands could potentially make the experience a lot smoother.
How many of you would be interested in playing a Gears-themed RTS? Would the idea of Kinect integration make you more or less inclined to give it a try? Be sure to share your thoughts below in the comments.