Gears of War: E-Day Campaign Review

Gears of War: E-Day is set during Emergence Day, fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War, as Marcus and Dom, along with a host of other Gears, face off against the first wave of Locust. They’ll have to fight and survive against the unknown as they scramble to save civilians scattered throughout the city.

Gears of War: E-Day is a third person action shooter where players will be able to use a myriad of weapons to take the fight up to the Locust. Returning players will notice that The Coalition have made a few tweaks in terms of controls. Given that our protagonists are younger, their movement is a bit more nimble. Running has been delegated to pressing the left joystick instead of holding A. Marcus and company can now jump and climb up reasonably high surfaces. There’s also a useful slide mechanic to dodge enemy projectiles.

Another difference is that the game is semi-open world. Some acts/chapters will take place in the middle of the city, Kalona, where Gears will need to complete objectives. But in between main targets, you’ll be able to explore the area and find optional objectives which more often than not involve saving helpless civilians.

Given the open-world-ness of the game, you’ll sometimes come across Supply Caches which will allow you to replenish your ammo, change up your gear and also equip mods. Yes, weapon mods. Scattered through the city are hard cases which contains mods that can be used to upgrade your weapons. For example you’ll be able to use a scope for the Breechshot or larger mag for the Lancer. You can also apply mods to your armor and tactical gear, such as Adrenaline Shot and Sonic Disruptors, that you’ll unlock progressively.

Mods are also obtained by completing side-quests. Familiar weapons are back such as the Lancers, Gnashers alongside new ones that are sure to become fan favorites. As expected, the game has a plethora of collectibles to find along with the aforementioned hard cases. Your radar will notify you when near one whereas for collectibles, you’ll get an audio cue when there’s one in your vicinity. Also this game is a great case for split-screen. The game holds up and plays flawlessly in local co-op.

Gears of War: E-Day looks great as is the first one built using Unreal Engine 5; showing the increase in details and overall visuals. Character models are highly detailed. The Locust also got an overall visual overhaul. While keeping the same features and characteristics from earlier games, the details have been highlighted. Although the lip-synch isn’t always inline with the words being said. The atmosphere is also top notch. It’s incredibly tense and due to the open world-ness, you have to keep on your toes as you never know where enemies could be. The new enemy variety is great and will keep you on your toes more than even before. It brings back the horror tension from the first game. The soundtrack, crafted by The Coalition’s own Adam Lastiwka, also amplifies this sense of tension.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Gears of War: E-Day, but a few nuisance. If you’ve mostly played the Gears mainline series (Judgment had a different control scheme), you’ll need a bit of time to adapt to the controls; even 8 hours in, I still tried to hold A to run (force of habit) and that got me in trouble a few times. There’s also a new enemy type, referred to by the Gears as a flying ball sack, that is incredibly annoying. When you see it, you’ll know.

Gears is back baby! Gears of War: E-Day is definitely in my top 3 games of the year. It takes a winning formula and improves it in so many ways. The new controls feel smooth and allows for great movement. The open world feels seemless and meshes well with the Acts/chapters structure. The story is riveting and it’s non-stop action. The mix of familiar faces and new characters blend well. Whether you’re a first timer or returning Gears player, Gears of War: E-Day is a well-paced action packed game with an griping story that will keep you busy for hours. Definitely a must play game.