The story of E-Day has finally arrived! An event that has only been referenced since the Gears of War series began, the campaign can be played solo or co-op with up to 4 friends. The question is: was Gears of War: E-Day worth the wait?
The completely rebuilt-from-the-ground-up gameplay is a return to form, leaning into the series strengths while introducing new mechanics. Known for its tactical squad-based combat, Gears of War: E-Day feels better than ever on both controller and keyboard and mouse. The gameplay also reinforces that you’re part of a squad against tough enemies. So it’s important to work as a team and not rush into a fight alone, regardless of co-op or solo with bots. Although bots sometimes have problems being dumb and not properly helping, overall they perform as they should.
Weapons Customization
Fan-favorite weapons return alongside new weapons, and Gears of War: E-Day has a good variety. As weapons are unlocked, players can play the way they want. New to the series is a weapon mod system. Throughout the campaign, weapon mods can be added via the weapon slots. This new customization gives buff options ranging from extra damage and reloading to healing.
The tactical nature of Gears of War has evolved with an improved movement system, and it feels even sleeker. The franchise has had the criticism of feeling clunky, but the new movement brought a much-needed update. For example, having a dedicated jump button. Another new big addition is the dynamic cover system, where taking cover can move seamlessly between different forms of cover: standing, crouching, or crawling. One other new system is that there is now some destructible cover where the enemies can destroy some cover obstacles.
Level Design
The level design is a mix of classic linear storytelling and open areas to make the levels feel more open. Gears 5 experimented with leaning into larger open areas. Gears of War: E-Day took ideas from the former and made city sections of Kalona explorable with more density. Being able to explore parts of Kalona is a welcome addition, as it makes you realize the stakes of what you’re fighting for. However, one flaw that was encountered is that in certain story sections, you’re only meant to be in certain areas in an open area.
With having more open areas, some side quests are also added throughout the story. Upon completion, it grants a weapon mod. The other way to find weapon mods is in yellow boxes scattered throughout the campaign. These gives players more reason to thoroughly explore the world compared to previous games.
Collectibles
Just like the previous entries, the usual collectibles give more info about the other characters or the world. Due to the world being more dense than before, there are more collectibles to be found in Gears of War: E-Day.
One aspect of the collectibles I wasn’t fond of is how the game displays them when they are nearby. It is nice to have the addition of showing collectibles on the map, but highlighting one when it is near doesn’t make exploration feel rewarding. I’m unsure if there’s a setting that can be toggled on or off, and if it is, it wasn’t obvious.
The Characters
While the story of E-Day has epic moments, it focuses more on the main characters. Most notably, fan-favorite original duo Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago are back, and they are voiced by their original voice actors (John DiMaggio and Carlos Ferro). However, as it’s a four-player story, two new characters are introduced: Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. Everyone gets their moments to shine regardless of whether they’re an old or new character. The new additions didn’t feel shoehorned in and felt like they each earned their place on the team.
The Prequel Story
The larger picture of the story focused on the attempt to save the city of Kalona. Kalona is one of the main founding cities of the COG, the Coalition of Ordered Governments. A lot of the story takes the time to explore this city as it falls apart, creating a tragic story. But the biggest flaw may be within the nature of prequel stories; the audience knows how it’s going to end. This is especially the case for huge fans of the series and know lore from the books or comics.
The story does reward the fans who are lore fanatics. There are references and even a small handful of character appearances who have previously only appeared in the novel Asphos Fields or Pendulum Wars comic arc. It’s really cool to see The Coalition appreciating the extended lore and applying aspects of it in the game, making the world feel more connected. Also, there are lots of other cool details throughout, like the personal map being marked to show the journey so far.
Final Reaction
Overall, Gears of War: E-Day is a new personal favorite of the franchise. It serves as a great introduction for new players while also being a fulfilling experience for series veterans. Although it’s a prequel, it sets a foundation for potential sequels to further explore the early years of the Locust War that I hope are explored someday.
A review code was provided by Xbox for this review. Gears of War: E-Day is available to play via Game Pass, Xbox Series X/S, or PC via the Microsoft Store or Steam.
