According to Xbox's Phil Spencer, Gears of War 4 is making stunning progress, reminding the Boss of back when he first saw the original "Warfare" footage.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer has seen some footage from Gears of War 4 and was reportedly blown away by the game's development. According to Spencer on Twitter, developers The Coalition are making "stunning progress" on the latest game in the franchise.

Spencer also added that seeing the footage reminded him of when he saw "Warfare", the game that went on to become Gears of War, for the first time. While we're not too certain what the Xbox Boss means by this, Spencer has announced in the past that he's interested in bringing the series back to an "epic scale" as well as a darker tone.

Talking with producer Rod Fergusson, Spencer claims he realized that over time, the franchise has become more of a parody of itself than the original "soulful" game that the first Gears title was. He explains:

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Fergusson recently commented that Gears of War 4 would be a "graphical showcase" for the Xbox One system, much like the first game in the series was to the 360. It's possible that this aspect of the game is bringing the nostalgia back for Spencer, in which case it seems that Gears of War 4 may be one of the most impressive looking titles on the market. While the first Gears set a new benchmark for games everywhere, it's looking like the latest in the franchise might do just that again.

Spencer and Fergusson aren't the only people announcing how good Gears of War 4 is looking. Lead designer of the original trilogy, Cliff Bleszinski, teased to fans on Twitter that they're sure to be "very pleased" with the new game. Many fans who want the game to go back to its darker roots may well get their wish with Gears 4, though we don't yet know anything about the plot of the game, other than that it's not a reboot.

The newest addition to the Gears of War franchise will also be returning to its roots, allowing players to play 2-player co-op once more in true Gears fashion. This well-missed feature is just one of the reasons why Gears 4 is one of 2016's most anticipated titles. Other than Nintendo, most developers have unfortunately chosen to abandon the co-op experience when it comes to modern gaming.

Gears of War 4 is slated to release in 2016 for Xbox One. A beta will be available to all those who log in to Xbox Live and play Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before March 1st.

Source: Twitter