10 Video Game Prequels Nobody Asked For

9. Gears Of War: Judgment

God of War: Ascension
People Can Fly

If there's any series that really never needed a prequel game of any kind, it's surely Gears of War.

But in 2013, People Can Fly were enlisted to deliver Gears of War: Judgment, a prequel which attempted to answer a question nobody was asking - "What was Damon Baird's backstory, anyway?"

Though a completely competent third-person shooter, Judgment basically felt like a "straight-to-video" Gears of War game, lacking the narrative thrust and face-melting intensity of the three prior Gears games.

It didn't help that Baird wasn't remotely likeable enough to hang protagonist status upon, and the game never really persuades that he was the right choice.

Ultimately Judgment is best remembered for its acclaimed multiplayer mode OverRun, but as an addition to the Gears canon it's disappointingly piecemeal and, worst of all, lacking in memorably bombastic set-pieces.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.