When comparing Killer Instinct vs Gears of War 4, the Slant community recommends Killer Instinct for most people. In the question“What are the best digital AAA PC games available on the Windows Store?” Killer Instinct is ranked 4th while Gears of War 4 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Killer Instinct is:
The game runs well on of spec hardware, meaning there are no dropped frames or other issues if using what the recommended specs for the game are. For being a port there can often be issues with performance, luckily there do not seem to be any here. There are some options available to adjust the games graphics settings, though most are just on off toggles for things like anti-aliasing. The game is also tied to framerate and so is capped at 60fps, though this is often found on fighters so online play is at a level experience for all.
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Pros
Pro Well optimized for PC
The game runs well on of spec hardware, meaning there are no dropped frames or other issues if using what the recommended specs for the game are. For being a port there can often be issues with performance, luckily there do not seem to be any here. There are some options available to adjust the games graphics settings, though most are just on off toggles for things like anti-aliasing. The game is also tied to framerate and so is capped at 60fps, though this is often found on fighters so online play is at a level experience for all.
Pro Good mix of gameplay options
There is a full story mode in the game for those that would like the learn the background and story of each character. There is also a mode called shadow lab, which allows the player to unlock points and bonuses through a shadow fighter styled after their own fights in this mode. The better the learned character is the more one can earn. Lastly there is a Dojo area for those that would like to practice with specific characters.
Playing through all three of these modes should offer a good bit of content that can last the player for quite a while, which is great for longevity of the game.
Pro Great graphics
The game looks quite good, with well modeled characters and stages, making for a great looking game that shows a lot of polish in the graphics department.
Pro Supports local multiplayer
For those that would like to play with friends or family on one screen in the same location, the game does support local multiplayer. This is convenient for when you want to play VS but are unable or unwilling to connect to the internet.
Pro Free to play
The game is actually free to download and play, though character choice is limited (they do get rotated though so you can try out different ones with time). This makes for a really convenient way to find out if the game is to the players liking or if it will run well on their system. Of course there is a season pass available for those that would like access to all of the content for a price.
Pro Easy to find opponents in mutliplayer
The online matchmaking in the game works quite well as it will find opponents within a minute, often within a few seconds. This may be due to the game just getting launched on PC, but is a good sign that the netcode works well.
Pro HUD can be easily repositioned
There is a setting in the game that allows users to change the placement of the heads up display. This is convenient for those that may not like the default placement.
Pro Local splitscreen multiplayer
Nowadays, some titles tend to exclude local multiplayer, focusing primarily on online play but Gears of War 4 is an exception. You can play both the campaign and all multiplayer modes with your friends via splitscreen.
Pro Really fun horde mode
Horde mode is a multiplayer co-op mode where up to 5 players try to survive against waves of enemies. It features regular combat and allows you to build fortifications, which you can do by collecting resources from killed enemies and using the fabricator. This allows you to build blockades, sentries, and various other defenses, giving it a very tower defense-esque feel, which is also a lot of fun.
You can also choose between 5 classes with each class being better at something different. For example, the Engineer can build and repair defenses much faster than others and the Heavy uses stronger weapons that allow him to kill large enemies much faster. As a result, teamwork is very important, so when your squad is co-operating like a well-oiled machine, it just feels incredibly satisfying.
Pro Exciting gameplay
In Gears of War you and a squad of several other soldiers fight against the enemies of humanity, using various weapons such as rifles, a shotgun, and even a weapon that fires saw blades. It's very fast paced and a lot of fun, rewarding not only effective use of cover and accurate shooting, but also quick decision making on when to charge your enemy and take them out with your knife or your chainsaw bayonet. This leads to a lot of very intense, sometimes brutal, and always satisfying battles, making Gears of War 4 a really enjoyable ride.
Pro Excellent visuals
Gears of War 4 has some really outstanding visuals with high quality textures, great lighting, and excellent shadow mapping. This makes all of the armored human characters, monstrous lizard-like enemies, and the various lush landscapes filled with ruins look especially good. All of this is turned up a notch with the help of excellent weather effects, such as rain, lighting, and gusts of heavy wind that carry massive objects over your head, giving Gears of War 4 a very cinematic feel.
Cons
Con Low amount of resolution options
While all the major resolutions are supported, those that use a more niche screen size may have issue finding a size to match 1:1.
Con Direct input seems to be broken or unsuported
While there is a blurb at the bottom of the start screen of the game stating that some arcade controllers are supported, players have reported issue with getting any direct input fight stick working with the game. Sadly there has been no comment about this from the devs nor any date for when they are going to support other sticks.
Con No mouse
It can be easy to see that this was a console port as when the game is booted up there is no mouse icon. Users will need to use their keyboard or a controller to control the menus.
Con Poorly done story
The story has some cool moments, but it mostly focuses on pointless drama and issues that end up feeling like filler because they have no real impact on the story or character building. This coupled with a few plot holes will make you want to press the skip button and just get back into the action.