Gears of War books on the way

By Robert Purchese Published 21 July, 2008

"Anya. Berserker. Satellite?"

Epic Games has hired British author Karen Traviss to write three Gears of War novels.

The first story is subtitled The Battle of Aspho Field. It is not about children that break off Mercedes badges but events that happened before the first Gears of War game. Epic feels there are many questions still to be answered, apparently.

Marcus' and Dom's relationship will be put under pressure as the truth about Dom's brother Carlos comes out. Dun dun DUNN.

"After finishing the first Gears of War game, players were left wanting to know more about Delta Squad and the events leading up to Emergence Day," said Epic boss Michael Capps. "This trilogy of novels opens up whole new worlds of storytelling opportunities, and will add even more context to the upcoming comic book series, game sequel and motion picture."

Karen Traviss has previously written some Star Wars books as well her own Wess'Har series of stories. She has nothing to do with Gears of War 2 or the Gears of War film, incidentally.

The Battle of Aspho Fields is due in the US at the end of October. Orbit UK will be publishing the books here, although a date is yet to be sorted out.

Gears of War 2 is released worldwide on 7th November.

Pop over to our E3 hands-on with Gears of War 2 and chat with Cliff Bleszinski to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kinky_mong #1 4 years ago

    "After finishing the first Gears of War game, players were left wanting to know more about Delta Squad and the events leading up to Emergence Day"

    Really? All I was left wondering was "Why was this piece of crap given all-round brilliant reviews?"

  • effinwooly #2 4 years ago

    i think your name sums you up ^^^

    i dont mind you disliking the game (wasnt a massive fan myself) but at least explain your reaons

  • Lexx87 #3 4 years ago

    It wasn't given all round brilliant reviews, check out the EG review you idiot.

  • penhalion #4 4 years ago

    Gears was a fun game to play but, not many real people i.e. non-reviewers thought it was brilliant. Worth the purchase? Yes. Brilliant? No. Will most of us buy gears 2? yes.

  • LeD #5 4 years ago

    I thought it was brilliant. I really enjoyed it, and it wows me even now whenever I put the game disc in. EG gave it an 8, incidentally.

  • retr0gamer #6 4 years ago

    Gears of War had a story?

  • Zomoniac #7 4 years ago

    I thought it was brilliant, but the story was a load of bollocks. Currently doing my second playthrough on insane and am skipping the cut-scenes, they do nothing for me, and I would never, ever skip a cut-scene on Halo.

  • Xerx3s #8 4 years ago

    RWAAAAA!!! *SNORT* /chainsaw AWWW MAN!! /chainsaw /red page signifying blood *SNORT* THIS MY KINDA SHIT!!! /chainsaw HELL YEAH! /end

  • Xerx3s #9 4 years ago

    GoW was brilliant in a nobrains/semi tactical/slowpaced shooter that was awesome in coop/MP. Not exactly the stuff for good literature.

  • mattigan #10 4 years ago

    I would, they didn't make any sense either

  • neilka #11 4 years ago

    There's no way they'll be able to top the touching and poetic masterpieces that are the Doom books.

  • the_dudefather #12 4 years ago

    "F YEAH!!" exclaimed Marcus, after killing another locust

  • GamesConnoisseur #13 4 years ago

    Gear of War ...a great narrative game with a very absorbing multi-layers plots? Never thought it was so!!

    It was and still is a great visually game with a strong injections of macho, a sort of a rich man's Army of Two but with a great co op and tight fights.

    There is nothing like this before it came along, and cover system being emulated in other games since, I look forward to the Gear of War 2 to let out my primitive male ego, but dont think would appreicate the books that much!

  • Setaro #14 4 years ago

    As some one said, Gears of War had a plot?

    Honestly, I got like half-way through the game and gave up. Half way through I still didn't know whether the game was set on Earth, Mars, Planet Hicksville or what. I didn't know who the Locust were or why they had invaded. Despite the fact the gameplay was entertaining, without ANY narrative to speak of I couldn't be bothered to play anymore. Plus the quasi-Fascist overtones didn't sit well with me, as they're only ever good if you do it Starship Troopers-style and make it a satire.

  • penhalion #15 4 years ago

    @Setaro

    Your probably the only other person to notice the quasi-Fascist overtones to the games. A while ago I pointed out that the new shield had strong Nazi overtones to it for some strange reason, even incluing a black cross in the center. It's strange because the game is clearly meant to be all american in feel.

    I'll still get Gears 2 but, I must admit it's made me very wary of just what message the game is trying to send.

  • kinky_mong #16 4 years ago

    i dont mind you disliking the game (wasnt a massive fan myself) but at least explain your reaons

    Well here's the reasons I gave in the Left 4 Dead release date comments...

    "Who am I kidding, there was lots of things that put me off Gears of War! A cover system that rarely worked (Cover and run should be on seperate buttons!) Supposedly brilliant HD graphics presented in a wide range of greys and browns, and for one level gold was added! A plot and cast of characters so moronic it makes Starship Troopers look like Citizen Kane! And although it's unfair to judge the game on the people who make it, the fact that Cliffy B is a grade A self-satisfied shithorn makes me hate it even more."

    It wasn't given all round brilliant reviews, check out the EG review you idiot.
    EG gave it an 8, incidentally.

    Well there we go, I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that an 8 is a great, pretty much must buy game.

  • Chupakun #17 4 years ago

    Perhaps Marcus will ponder about the true meaning of war and realize that behind his muscular exterior he is a gentle soul and looks towards Dom for brotherly guidance.

    Or it'll be a narrow tome consisting mostly of pages full of gore and swearing.

  • crazyhorse174 #18 4 years ago

    And explain about the ''quasi-facist'' over tones. Because I didn't see that at all. But then europeans are little pansies today and don't really like the macho types that Gears of War had, and would no doubt prefer emo, uber liberal ''soldiers'' who keep trying to get the locust to sign a peace treaty despite the fact they keep horribly murdering their ''peace emiissarys'', because god knows you might have to fight and get violent.

    And that would be compared to what, the gung-ho, friendy-fire antics of "Team" America?

  • Xerx3s #19 4 years ago

    Threads like these are a good way to supplement the ignore lists.

  • Killing.Spree #20 4 years ago

    nice dude

  • Carrybagma #21 4 years ago

    How awful.

    Come back Trekkies - all is forgiven.

  • oupe #22 4 years ago

    At least it wil be better than the Killzone 2 book :D

  • aldo_14 #23 4 years ago

    And explain about the ''quasi-facist'' over tones. Because I didn't see that at all. But then europeans are little pansies today and don't really like the macho types that Gears of War had, and would no doubt prefer emo, uber liberal ''soldiers'' who keep trying to get the locust to sign a peace treaty despite the fact they keep horribly murdering their ''peace emiissarys'', because god knows you might have to fight and get violent.

    Ooooh, oooh, it's spot the numpty time!
    Edited by 1 at 22/07/08 @ 08:02

  • Darren #24 4 years ago

    Books based on... you mean Gears of War actually had a plot?!? :p

  • DrR0b3rts #25 4 years ago

    Why did we have to go to his Dad's house?

  • mingster #26 4 years ago

    Homo-Erotic Fiction

  • Farzlepot #27 4 years ago

    "Honestly, I got like half-way through the game and gave up. Half way through I still didn't know whether the game was set on Earth, Mars, Planet Hicksville or what. I didn't know who the Locust were or why they had invaded."

    I felt the same, Setaro. Apparently if you were one of the lucky ones who got a collector's/special edition, there was a book in there explaining some things. Which left the rest of us screwed so far as the plot was concerned...

  • eepic #28 4 years ago

    this proves MS provides varied content

    awesome games, books etc.. sony is dooemd

  • BillyBrush #29 4 years ago

    if you didn't like it, you are too much teh dick

    whoo yeah bring it on baby kicks down a door and all that jazz

    touchdown!

  • mukki #30 4 years ago

    geee wiz

    I will read these over and over...

    NOT

    even my geekdom has limits... :/

  • m0thr4 #31 4 years ago

    Who am I kidding, there was lots of things that put me off Gears of War! A cover system that rarely worked (Cover and run should be on seperate buttons!) Supposedly brilliant HD graphics presented in a wide range of greys and browns, and for one level gold was added! A plot and cast of characters so moronic it makes Starship Troopers look like Citizen Kane! And although it's unfair to judge the game on the people who make it, the fact that Cliffy B is a grade A self-satisfied shithorn makes me hate it even more.

    I found the cover and run system really clunky too, but I still enjoyed playing Gears in online co-op with my friends. Even then, we lost interest during the level after the 'gold' one (which did look quite pretty). The graphics seemed to by getting increasingly more interesting up until then, but after you get out of those gold caves, it's back to "Dullsville in ruins".

    Knocking "Starship Troopers" for its moronic characters is kind of missing the point though - the film was a satire on the plastic superficiality of what the writer thought modern-day facist America would become in the future.

    Cliffy B is a bit of a twat though, I'm with you there...

  • kinky_mong #32 4 years ago

    Knocking "Starship Troopers" for its moronic characters is kind of missing the point though - the film was a satire on the plastic superficiality of what the writer thought modern-day facist America would become in the future.

    Yeah sorry that was a bad analogy. Replace "Starship Troopers" with "any bullshit Michael Bay film" for a better analogy.