There are a bunch of games celebrating Halloween, and Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition announced that its shooter is, too. The latest Gears of War game sees a remix to its Dodgeball multiplayer mode, in addition to a themed gear pack and the return of pumpkin heads.
Pumpkin Ball is the new Dodgeball variant that reduces respawn protection and respawn times to one second. The Coalition describes it on its website as "a faster paced Dodgeball experience where the dead don't stay dead for long." In normal Dodgeball, teams of five try to eliminate the other team by killing each other. Downed teammates can be brought back only by killing an opponent and surviving for five seconds.
Five of the "darker" maps from Gears of War 4 can host Pumpkin Ball matches. These include Fallout, Forge, Harbor, Impact, and Lift. Players can earn bonus XP rewards in Pumpkin Ball as part of the game's Halloween celebration. Additionally, pumpkin heads make their return exclusively to the new mode and feature a new design inspired by Gears of War 4's Juvie enemy. You can see it in the image above.
Those interested in new gear have the Halloween Elite Pack to look forward to. It launches on October 27 and is a variant on the Elite Gear Pack, which includes a guaranteed card of Epic or Legendary quality. Any Legendary card from the Halloween pack is exclusive to the Day of the Dead Legendary Collection. It's available until November 1.
The Coalition recently detailed some of the changes it plans to make in future updates. These include harsher rage-quitting penalties, louder teammate footsteps, and various fixes. You can see the full list here.
Gears of War 4 received a score of 7/10 in GameSpot's review. Critic Mike Mahardy said, "This is a shooter teetering on the edge of something greater, but despite the improvements it makes to the storied franchise, its missteps hold it back. There is inspiration here, and creativity in the way Gears of War 4 rethinks its multiplayer modes. But the lackluster campaign and technical issues are blights on an otherwise exhilarating shooter. The result is a whole that doesn't reflect the quality of its often stellar parts."
You can get a wider view of the game's critical reception in GameSpot's review roundup.