Gears Of War E-Day Review – Successful Emergence

In its announcement trailer, Gears of War: E-Day promised a prequel that would take us back not only to the beginning of the Locust War, but to the start of Marcus and Dom’s friendship. The Coalition delivers on that promise, and more. E-Day is a complete return to form for the franchise in every way. It expands the iconic gameplay, while also bringing a story that falls close to the narrative style the classic games were known for.

In Gears of War: E-Day, players take on the role of Bravo squad, consisting of the well-known Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, plus two new faces: Mags Carter and rookie Lucas Reyes. While this squad’s chemistry feels a bit more stoic than previous squads in the franchise, it fits the story’s somber tone. The story feels more serious and high-stakes than the latest entries in the saga, going back to the original game’s storytelling style, atmosphere, and themes.

The introduction of the game alone is one of the best in the franchise, and one of the best in gaming recently. This is where Marcus and Dom meet the new characters, and where the initial attack from the Locust happens. It was impossible for me not to be reminded of The Last of Us’ opening moments while playing this section. The team does an amazing job in transmitting the chaos and horrific moments civilians around the Gears are feeling. Later throughout the journey, some beats can be a bit slow for the new characters, but both get their time in the story to shine and bring emotion to the tale.

Without a doubt, this is by far the best narrative The Coalition has done, and one that can be up there with the original trilogy. This high-quality storytelling continues through the majority of acts of the game, and I was surprised that the team didn’t shy away from having an Empire Strikes Back story and ending, where the antagonists’ forces have their chance at victory more than our heroes. Storytelling techniques are applied well, with squad members sharing dialogue depending on their position, and even appearing first in cutscenes if they are taking point during the gameplay.

The high-quality term easily applies to the gameplay side of E-Day as well. It is very difficult to surpass elements of games that have been cemented with such importance in gaming. One of the recent examples is Halo: Campaign Evolved and how it failed to capture some elements of the original. E-Day, however, is Gears of War gameplay at its best. The cover system is the best I’ve ever seen, with the characters adjusting their position dynamically depending on the cover’s size. The gunplay and animations merge perfectly to bring a shooter game that transmits the fun arcade feeling of the Xbox 360 era of games, now in modern times.

The Locust are in their best element, with an AI that is very engaging to fight. They are smart, reacting to your attacks and looking for ways to take advantage of the cover E-Day offers. They also bring new weapons that expand the series’ arsenal, giving players more options on how to engage the opposition. Many of the game’s encounters feel spectacular and epic, except maybe for the final boss, which for me doesn’t meet the highs of other battles in E-Day.

Level design improved greatly from the latest entries as well. While E-Day takes a semi-open-world approach like Gears 5, this one brings a better design with dynamic side activities. You can do side quests, find upgrades, or simply help out Gears that are fighting around. These are not marked on the map or anything; you just help them and get a thanks as a welcome, which makes the world feel immersive and interesting. It can’t be a Gears game without Co-op, and E-Day brings back the divisions found in those classic shooter cooperative games, where the squad splits in two and players explore different paths.

Another important element in the series has been the Horde mode, and E-Day brings great innovation to the mode with Siege. In this mode, there are multiple squads of players, each doing their own objective in the same sandbox. Players can meet while doing these objectives, which makes the mode a feast if you enjoy a co-op experience. By far the most fun I’ve had in a multiplayer setting in years. However, performance in this sandbox tends to get a bit hectic in the busy areas. This goes for the open sections in the main campaign too. A day-one update did some fixing, but it still requires some work.

Of course, Horde isn’t the only multiplayer experience in Gears of War. The series is also known for its competitive Versus mode, and in E-Day it continues to be a great PvP experience. Thanks to the new cover mechanics, Versus feels more competitive than ever; even if you aren’t that good at it like me, it is impossible not to have fun and find some immersion in it. It also helps that both the Horde and Versus are accompanied by a great progression system full of items to unlock. No Battle Pass or monetization promotions in sight, just like the good old days.

In a AAA gaming world where it’s either a new live service with just one game mode, or an incomplete game, Gears of War: E-Day brings a full package; just like the Xbox 360 games the game is clearly inspired by. It has a great campaign, good co-op fun, amazing visuals and soundtrack, and a traditional multiplayer experience. More importantly, though, Gears of War: E-Day brings a solid foundation for the future of the franchise.

Walter reviewed Gears of War E-Day on PC with his own bought copy. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing, and our score will not be changed.