Prepping for the October 11th release next month, Microsoft and The Coalition released the official launch trailer for Gears of War 4. It features two minutes of in-engine gameplay, with lots of action to boot.

The trailer is narrated by protagonist of the previous trilogy, Marcus Fenix. He explains that after 25 years of war, their world managed to go through a period of peace. However, things didn’t stay peaceful for very long because Microsoft had a brand to milk. Enter JD Fenix and his wonder friends as they fight against whatever new evil has erupted from the core of the planet.

The launch trailer finally gives some details on the story, revealing how a mysterious group came in after the war and started taking people away. This is how Kait Diaz joins up with JD, as she seems to fulfill the role of Dom from the original trilogy who was looking for his wife.

This time around the stakes are a bit different and the cards are staked against the Scooby Doo gang.

Story wise, the trailer does a fantastic job of making everything seem serious and worthwhile. The major problem is that the gameplay that they’ve showcased so far reminds me of a hard PG-13 sci-fi action flick that’s been given the lick, spit and rub from Hollywood producers. Hopefully I’m wrong and all the gameplay footage they’ve showcased so far is not at all indicative of the shallow characterizations of after-school special rejects.

It’s really hard to tell exactly how much of the game will be like the preview footage and how much of it will take itself as serious as the launch trailer. The stakes look high based on the trailer above but previously the three main characters didn’t seem to be all weighed down by the circumstances. We’ll see what’s changed when the game finally releases on October 11th for the Xbox One and Windows 10.