That’s right – we have our very own maps, plus a brand new Execution Mode. We’re a little bit excited.





You may have noticed we’re big fans of the Gears Of War series at Maxim. How could we not be? It’s an action-packed, alien-splatting frenzy of a game whose main weapon is a chainsaw-gun – call us old-fashioned, but that’s almost everything we like rolled into one package (Note to designers: If you want the “almost” removed from that sentence, please include hot wings in the next installment). That’s why we’re insanely excited to be sponsoring the new multiplayer map Haven in the Xbox 360 flagship title’s latest entry, Gears Of War: Judgment. Check out this exclusive preview of Haven below!





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HAVEN



Formerly a tropical oasis, this ancient monastery in the Azura mountains is now a frozen wasteland, thanks to the tectonic shifts on Planet Sera. Featuring an asymmetrical circular layout, the map is a guaranteed blast – all paths lead back to the center, so no matter which route you take, you’re going to be embroiled in a fast-paced, hectic battle. “Nowhere is really safe,” insists Lead Level Designer Jim Brown. “It makes for especially hectic Domination games because the rings are easy to access and difficult to defend.”





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Of course, you can always find yourself a sweet sniping spot if that’s your thing – there are several perfect vantage points with long lines of sight when you’re packing the Torquebow or the Breechshot – but remember, nowhere is completely safe, especially if your opponent’s found either the Booshka or the Digger Launcher (and you just know they’ll be looking for them after the first few times you blow their head off from a safe distance). Fellow Lead Level Designer Dave Ewing suggests that, “securing the Boomshield on the way to the Torquebow perch will give you a nice advantage,” but you’d still better watch your back…





EXECUTION MODE



As well as the Haven map, we’re also deliriously happy about the brand new Maxim-sponsored Execution Mode. In Execution mode, the objective of each team is to kill all members of the enemy team before the time limit runs out. The catch? Unless hit with a one-shot kill weapon like the Booshka, players go into a "Down But Not Out" state and will revive at the end of the bleed-out timer instead of dying. To finish the job, perform an Execution on a downed enemy. This is the ultimate game mode for anyone who’s a fan of all those bone-snapping, head-stomping, Lancer-eviscerating coup de grâce moments (in other words, everybody).



The new multiplayer map Haven as well as Execution Mode will be available as a free download on Xbox LIVE starting April 2nd.



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