Gears of War: Judgment features class based multiplayer

Gears of War: Judgment features class based multiplayer - a first for the series.

Game Informer magazine (via the Epic forum) contains new information on the recently revealed Xbox 360 exclusive, developed predominantly by Bulletstorm maker People Can Fly with direction from Epic.

On the COG side the classes are the engineer, soldier, medic and scout. Damon Baird is an engineer, and carries a Gnasher and Blowtorch. His special abilities include deploying a a sentry turret and repairing damaged fortifications. Augustus Cole is the soldier, and carries a Lancer and Boomshot. He can deploy ammo crates and can resupply the engineer's Blowtorch ammo. Sophia Hendricks is the medic, and carries a Lancer, Snub pistol and Stim Gas grenades. She can use grenades to revive downed enemies. And finally Garron Paduk is the scout. He uses the Longshot and the Snub as well as a beacon grenade.

On the Locust side the classes are the Wretch, which can leap over hazards, the Ticker, which can eat fortifications and grenades, the Kantus, which can heal friendly units, the Grenadier, which, you guessed it, specialises in grenades, the Bloodmount, which specialises in melee, the Mauler, which carries a shield, the Serapede, which provides ranges support and the Corpser, which can move underground.

The new Overrun Mode is inspired by Team Fortress and DOTA. In consists of two timed five versus five rounds where one side defends a pair of objectives from the opposing side. As the COG, you protect two sealed Emergence Holes and a Hammer of Dawn beacon. There is progression for the player as well as levelling up of single characters.

As for the campaign, Judgment begins 15 years before Gears of War. Baird and his Kilo squad stand trial for transgression against the Coalition of Governments. Testimonies are heard by COG leader Colonel Loomis, who accuses Kilo of desertion, cowardice, trespassing, theft of military tech and treason. The setting is Halvo Bay, the home of the Onyx Guard Academy and inspired by San Francisco.

Gears director Rod Fergusson is quoted as saying: "If you don't betray the customer a little bit, then it's not changing enough and people feel like it's becoming stagnant. But if you betray them too much then you loose them. You've always got to keep it fresh. By being outside the Marcus Fenix story, we're going to have more opportunity to do new things."

PCF is involved in both campaign and multiplayer, but especially the campaign. The Polish studio suggested the story and gameplay.

Gears of War: Judgment will be shown in detail during Microsoft's E3 press conference, set to begin at 5.30pm UK time tonight.