'Gears of War 4': New protagonist introduced in heart-rending new trailer

A new trailer for "Gears of War" has been released, effectively tugging at the heartstrings of fans who have been following the shooter franchise since day one. With Disturbed's version of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" playing in the background, the clip tells the story of new protagonist JD Fenix.

JD Fenix is the son of Marcus Fenix, the protagonist of the first three "Gears of War" installments. The "Gears of War 4" trailer has all the ingredients in a tried and tested "Gears of War" trailer.

In fact, it undoubtedly pays homage to the first "Gears of War." The trailer for the original shooter (embedded below) has Gary Jules's cover of "Mad World" playing in the background and possesses the same vibe and theme as the new one.

The "Gears of War 4" trailer switches between scenes of the young Fenix's childhood memories and the present. There's the young JD, running towards his father and helps him plant a tree that will go on to be the symbol of their relationship.

For the most part, fans are treated with scenes featuring the old JD wielding a gun as he runs away from monsters pursuing him under the pouring rain. The downpour eventually knocked down the tree, which the present JD used as a shield during his run-in with an threatening creature.

Thanks to the preview's poignant theme and classic vibe, fans walked away happy, and the hype for "Gears of War 4" is definitely greater than it ever was.

"Gears of War 4" is set 25 years after "Gears of War 3."The Coalition

Up until now, not much is known about "Gears of War 4." After the upcoming third-person shooter was first introduced by Microsoft in last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the company kept quiet about it.

There is, however, information about the characters. JD Fenix is voiced by "Spartacus" star Liam McIntyre. Describing the "Gears of War 4" lead, the actor told Game Informer, "I'm the legacy, because my dad is Marcus Fenix."

"JD's a soldier and a bit of a freedom fighter, and in his heart he's a bit of a renegade. He's different from Marcus, but he's still that heroic archetype," he continued.

JD runs away and joins COG militia. Shortly after, he leaves the organization for a reason that gamers will discover as they explore the game.

"Gears of War 4" will be released Oct. 11.