Although the series initially became somewhat notorious for its ultra-bulky character models, gruff protagonists, and over-the-top gory shooting and chainsaw action, the Gears of War games hide a surprising amount of narrative depth. Beneath the machismo of its surface, it's possible to find several relevant and thought-provoking themes at play in the Gears of War franchise, with the topic of loss and how humans deal with that loss front and center in nearly every title. Characters in the Gears of War games often find themselves at a crossroads after suffering a devastating loss, and it's how they band together and overcome adversity that makes each game's protagonists true heroes.
It makes sense, then, that Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski's comic, Scrapper, touches on many of these same themes throughout its initial 6-issue run. With the series now approaching release in a collected hardcover edition, Game ZXC had the chance to sit down with CliffyB to discuss the themes that Scrapper has in common with his work on the Gears of War franchise.
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Cliff Bleszinski's 'Scrapper' and Gears of War Share Some Common Themes
Though it features a dog superhero as its titular character, the conflict at the heart of Scrapper is one that is entirely human. Mega-corporation SMITE has created a utopian domed city at the expense of pushing out those incapable of affording life within its confines. In the process of examining this conflict, the comic touches on very relevant real-world issues such as economic disparity and gentrification. Similarly, Gears of War's backstory essentially boils down to a war over resource scarcity between the "haves" and the "have-nots," with an armistice arriving as "too little, too late" before the Locust emerges to destroy life on the planet as its inhabitants knew it.
Regarding the inclusion of themes touching on economic disparity and resource scarcity in both Scrapper and Gears of War, Bleszinski notes:
...People keep using the phrase ‘late stage capitalism,’ and we're at a point where only the rich get richer. I've seen so many threads on Reddit of people in their twenties who are convinced they're never, ever going to be able to buy a house, right? You have outside investors – I think it's BlackRock – that are just buying up suburban homes and renting them out, and we're seeing an entire generation that's going to be renting for life. So what you're seeing is this huge wealth gap, especially in America where capitalism works until it doesn't, you know? The world is getting exponentially more expensive, and Scrapper ’s kind of my statement on it.
Additionally, the existence of these themes in both Gears of War and Scrapper is intentional, with Bleszinski offering up some thoughts regarding gamers' requests to keep gaming apolitical. As CliffyB points out, political and social commentary have been key elements in some of the most widely-regarded and successful franchises of all time, Gears of War included:
So many gamers are oftentimes like ‘get your politics out of my games!’ and I’m like ‘have you played Bioshock ? Hello! Ayn Rand, anyone?’ Jesus Christ, there's like so much there. So much of Call of Duty is about war in the Middle East. Gears of War was about the Bush administration's thinly veiled war for oil. The opening cutscene literally has emulsion pumps. Like, ‘hello McFly!’, you know? Pay attention, people. But, again, you can't be too on the nose with that kind of stuff.
In addition to both properties' motifs touching on relevant sociopolitical issues, Gears of War and Scrapper both embrace the common "found family" theme that shows up time and again in stories utilizing Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey." As Bleszinski puts it, these themes continue to show up in his work because "we all need a little bit of love sometimes." Ultimately, both Gears of War and Scrapper highlight the importance of achieving as a team what would be otherwise impossible alone.
Gears of War
Xbox Game Studios' Gears of War franchise began on the Xbox 360 and instantly became a flagship franchise for the green brand. The original Gears of War trilogy is considered one of the finest in the history of the third-person shooter genre, with the trilogy's intense action and surprisingly touching story moments creating memorable experiences.
The series has had another two solid main series entries since and even a turn-based tactics game.
