Design Your Game Item

In our game design and productions class we have been assigned to create a new item for one of our favorite games. I also will explain how the new item changes the game's mechanics and gameplay. Warning, the game I've chosen is rated M and the item is very gruesome. 

The Wrapper is the new weapon I have designed for the new Gears of War Judgement installment of the Gears of War series. In the Gears games they had many retro versions of the classic weapons from the beginning of the series. I have created the retro version of the Torque Bow. The Wrapper is an explosive launcher that launches two explosive charges on either side of a steel cable from a crossbow shaped firing mechanism. This weapon has 1 round per magazine and the player can hold a maximum of 8 magazines after starting with 4 total magazines. It is not a starting weapon and can only be picked up in an explosive weapon spawn location, similar to the Torque Bow (rounds will cycle between these two weapons like the boomer and digger do). The perfect active reload for this weapon is near the end of the reload cycle. In order to kill an enemy they either need to be near the charges when they explode, since there is a slight delay once they're on the floor, or if it is a head shot the cable wraps around the player's neck, choking them and then detonating. The weapon takes a few seconds to charge to increase the range similarly like the Torque Bow. The perks to a perfect active reload on this weapon is the charge to increase the range is faster similar to the Torque Bow, plus if you get a headshot with the perfect active reload, you will decapitate the first enemy and carry on behind the headless enemy. The execution for this weapon is to wrap a steel cable charge around the enemy's throat and pull on both charges until the head pops off.

I think this weapon matches the dark theme of gore and violence and will be an enjoyable weapon for players to use in their game experience. It comes with all the features of any other Gears weapon, including reload details, weapon type, execution, and ammo count. These features are also balanced in terms of the timing, skill and luck for each feature.

This weapon will be a great ring clearer in the objective modes. With the delay it should give balance so that the other players can evacuate the explosion radius. The low ammunition will keep the weapon balanced in the deathmatch styled game modes. 

In the campaign it will be introduced during an early mission since the gruesome capabilities of this weapon will be very satisfying for the player. For gameplay in the campaign, the dual explosive shots will be great for clearing lots of weaker enemies of taking down one big baddy. 

Regarding gameplay and game mechanics, this particular weapon with the ability to shoot two charges next to each other at the same time, it can actually destroy certain barriers that normal bullets can't. This changes the gameplay since more of the map becomes dynamic. Certain paths and covers the players get use to can change and make the flow on the online play change mid way through the game. Now the Gears series has done a good job of doing this, but it has been very scripted and only some things could be controlled by the player. For game mechanics, it wouldn't add a new mechanic but it will definitely improve the destructible environment mechanic and the dynamic maps mechanic they provide in the game.