To anyone on the fence, I would suggest renting it first to see how you like it. The game isn't TERRIBLE, but it plays a bit differently than previous Gears games. I can honestly say it is NOT worth the initial $60 price tag. $30 is probably a more appealing price point. The game includes 4 maps for MP (1 free to download with Execution mode) and 4 maps for the new Overrun mode. The MP loadout has been changed to one main weapon (rifle or shotgun) and a Snub pistol. So no more Lancer/Hammerburst/Retro Lancer with your Gnasher/Sawed-off shotgun. However, there IS a special event playlist this week that spawns everyone with a Gnasher and second gun of choice.
All 3 previous Gears games shipped with 10 maps on the disc, and Gears 2 even had 5 free maps with new copies. If you were really into Gears MP in past games, just be aware that the map rotation will get old...FAST. All MP modes (minus Overrun and Survival) are COG vs COG--red vs blue. In Free For All everyone is a blue COG. With the exception of Overrun, you do NOT play as the Locust in MP games. It's a bizarre game change and not a good one, in my opinion.
Horde mode has been replaced with an inferior Survival mode (which is basically the COG half of Overrun with 10 waves of bots). It's not completely terrible, but it's not a Horde replacement. The game mode restricts you to 4 character classes and instead of surviving (you know...staying alive like Horde mode) you are defending Locust E-hole plugs and generators. Again, it's the COG half of Overrun mode...with bots instead of human enemies.
In a nutshell, Gears of War: Judgment is a decent game with too many changes to warrant a full price. If this had been a budget release at $30-$40, I don't think the game would've been AS disappointing. But considering the fact that the game comes with "8 maps" (4 for MP and 4 for Overrun), a half-hearted Horde stand-in, no Locust in MP and a 1600 MS points season pass for content that should've been included in the game...it's easy to see why people were/are disappointed.
Buy it now if you want it, rent it if you're not sure or wait for a lower price drop. I'm sure it'll be $20 by the end of summer. *Sigh*
[quote name='MSUHitman']If you want to hear an absolute ravaging of the new Gears on a technical level of how broken and blatant cash grab this game is, listen to episode 175 of my podcast from the 1:53:18-2:09:00 marks. NSFW language in that segment.[/QUOTE]
Ravaging?

?
If by "ravaging" you mean "slightly misinformed rant that I could've saved 15 minutes listening to" then...sure.
*1:58:40-1:59:38--With the exception of Free For All, everyone IS red or blue COG in MP. A few of the skins slightly alter the colors and you may not initially realize that someone is a teammate from a distance. But saying "everyone's the same colors"? Really?!
*2:01:33--2:02:51--The A.I. is a bit "iffy" on the lower difficulties, but the game adjusts accordingly on Hardcore and Insane. If the Locust DID kill players while they were down, there would be people saying the game was "unfair." Tickers will still explode and kill you regardless though. On Insane, the COG bots are pretty good at taking out enemies (minus the occasional stupidity). But they are nowhere near as incompetent as you make them seem.
*2:02:53-2:03:03--You FORGOT that the game only had 4 maps?! #-o

s Okay...
*2:03:57-2:04:14--The season pass includes TWO map packs and TWO game modes NOT three. The first map pack will be priced at 1000 MS points, so chances are the second pack will be the same price. VIP season pass players get the first pack today and everyone else gets it next Tuesday.
If I wanted to be a douchebag, I'd say "2:04:39-2:04:47 summed up my feelings on your 'ravaging'," but that's not the point. And I don't mean any offense by all of this.
The reason I pointed these things out is because most of my comments are simple bits of info that you could've written down for your Judgment segment. I do agree that the game shouldn't be above a 3/5 (2.5/5 or 5/10 was my personal rating). And IGN gave it a 9.2 if you still forgot. Shame on them.
If you want people to take you seriously, a 15-minute rant with misinformation is not the way to do it. If I'm a listener who knows nothing about the game, you've painted a picture that's WAY more extreme than the game actually is (the "there's no red vs blue" comes to mind). And as a person who knows how the game plays, you haven't given me a perspective that I can take seriously with the information flubs. Credibility is key, and you want to (or should want to) give your audience the feeling that they are listening to a guy who knows what he's talking about. Your podcast plug didn't do it for me. Sorry.

You guys seem like you have a nice, laid-back show going though.