E-Day has to bring back the Crimson Omen Cog System.
E-Day, the forthcoming prequel to the much-loved Gears Of War series, has much to live up to. Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago will be in the game navigating the aftermath of a terrible loss against the Locust Horde. Though specifics about the game are still under wraps, Gears Of War: E-day has to learn from the mistakes of its forebears, especially the changes done to the Crimson Omen health system in Gears of War 5.
The Value of the Crimson Omen Cog System in Gears of War
One unusual and recognizable feature of the Gears Of War series is the Crimson Omen health system. The system employs a red cog that shows up on the player's screen upon damage. The cog gets more defined as the player takes more damage. The player is down and has to be revived when the cog is totally seen. Although the game's mechanics seem straightforward, the Crimson Omen is integral for its gameplay.
How Gear of War 5 changed the Crimson Omen Cog System?
The Crimson Omen system underwent a major overhaul with Gears of War 5, which made it less appealing and more distracting. Gears 5 turned to an inverse cog instead of the traditional small, central cog, filling the player's peripherals with red and leaving a transparent shape in the middle of the screen. Fans who felt this change was confusing and obstructive greeted it with criticism.
The Crimson Omen Cog as a makeshift reticle
The Crimson Omen cog fulfills more than just a visual guide of health. It doubles as a temporary aiming reticle. Unique combat system of Gears of War is based on blind firing instead of conventional aiming. Though it can be difficult to keep accuracy, blind firing lets players move and shoot concurrently. Here the Crimson Omen cog finds application. Even in blind firing, the center of the screen gets clearer as the player absorbs more damage, which improves aiming reference point. Higher difficulty modes, in which the player characters are more vulnerable and call for more accuracy, make this function especially helpful.
The inverse cog in Gears of War 5: a hindrance to gameplay
Gears of War 5's inverse cog is too big to be a good makeshift reticle. Aiming precisely is difficult even with well defined centers of the cog since they are hard to find. Moreover, the inverse cog's big size blocks the player's peripheral vision, so compromising their performance at pivotal times.
Recovering the Crimson Omen in Gears of War: E-Day
E-Day must revert to the traditional Crimson Omen health system using a small, central cog. This modification would raise the gameplay as well as the visual attractiveness. Originally Crimson Omen gave players a tactical advantage by offering a modest but effective method to increase accuracy while blind firing. In higher difficulty environments, when players need every edge they can acquire, this function is particularly crucial. Returning the venerable Crimson Omen will help Gears Of War: E-day appeal to long-time series enthusiasts and enhance its general gameplay.
