Gears Of War 4 Review: 7 Ups & 7 Downs

Downs

7. JD Is An Incredibly Boring Protagonist

JD Fenix is, of course, the new protagonist of the Gears of War franchise, basically signalling something of a soft reboot for the series, taking place 25 years after the third game.

This is all well and good on principle, except for the fact that JD is one of the dullest player characters from any AAA video game in recent memory. His teammates Del and Kait are much more lively and memorable (not that they're exactly great either), while JD is a bland block of wood, and there's a giant chasm of charisma between himself and his father (made that much more glaring when Marcus himself shows up).

In short, he'll have you wishing you were just playing as Marcus instead, which feels extra awkward as he's clearly positioned here as the new protagonist for at least two more games. Buyer beware.