Chapter 1: Welcome to Delta

Six months have passed since the detonation of the Lightmass bomb. Six long months, while humanity has waited with hope that perhaps, finally, the grinding war against the Locust is finally over.

But it is not to be. The Locust have counterattacked with even more brutal weapons. Weapons so destructive that they can sink entire cities. The impenetrable stone of Jacinto Plateau has become a final protective shield against the assault of the Locust Horde.

As the story begins, Marcus and Dom are checking a hospital where Anya found word that Maria may be present, just before a Locust raiding party assaults the hospital.

Encounter 01

ENEMY PRESENCE: Wretch, Killer Bottles

Don’t miss the first collectible at this point.

The Lancer

Standard COG-issue weaponry, the Lancer is an effective assault rifle with a brutal chainsaw bayonet attached on the front.

The Lancer easily can be your primary weapon for the bulk of the campaign. You nearly always have access to it, as well as ammo for it.

Snub Pistol

The standard issue sidearm for Gears, the Snub Pistol is a quick-firing semi-auto pistol with good accuracy. It also has a slight zoom, though it is less useful for long-range sniping—the zoom is best for targeting exposed bits of Locust behind cover.

Encounter 02

ENEMY PRESENCE: Wretch

You can find the second collectible in this small room, opposite the direction that exits the tutorial area.

Frag Grenades

Frag Grenades are very powerful weapons, especially against large groups or Locust behind cover.

At the risk of exposing yourself to enemy fire, you can throw grenades with pinpoint accuracy if you take aim, or you can ‘blindfire,’ simply throwing a grenade without sighting its landing.

Throwing grenades by hand at nearby targets or enemies openly approaching your cover works extremely well.

You can also use Frag Grenades to close emergence holes. Or you can stick them to walls by tapping Melee when you’re near a solid surface. This allows them to act as makeshift proximity mines.