Gears of War E-Day (XSX) Review

Gears of War E-Day takes us back to where the nightmare begun, fourteen years prior to the original game, as Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago face the terrifying first emergence of the Locust Horde.

Returning to the Beginning

The campaign has been thoroughly enjoyable so far. I haven’t yet reached the end just yet, so I’m not going to pretend I can offer a solid opinion on the entire story, but what I’ve played has that familiar Gears feel that we all know and love. The atmosphere is darker and more unsettling, with the early days of the Locust invasion giving the story a genuine sense of the macabre. Playing alongside a friend is still a great way to experience the action, and the campaign’s co-op options make it easy to share in the carnage.

Combat remains built around cover, picking your moment and making every shot count. However, movement has received a significant overhaul. The traditional Roadie Run has been reworked rather than simply discarded, retaining its recognizable hunched starting amination while introducing a more natural sprint. Sliding, jumping and climbing also add some much-welcome options, opening new routed around enemy positions. It feels more fluid without losing the weight and deliberate pace that makes Gears the game we all know and love.

The rebuilt cover system is another welcome change. Different cover heights and shapes combined with the ability to slide into position and squeeze through tighter spaces, makes encounters feel less predicable. It brings the series closer to modern shooter expectations without sacrificing its identity. Of course, charging blindly into the open remains a particularly efficient way of getting introduced to the business end of a Locust weapon.

Multiplayer Gets Bigger

Horde Siege is one of the most interesting additions to the multiplayer experience. Rather than simply sitting behind a barricade and waiting for the next wave, this mode brings together twelve players across three squads of four. Teams work through objectives while fighting off increasingly dangerous Locus forces, with the ultimate goal of reaching extraction.

Different character classes including Assault, Marksman, Medic and Breacher, give everyone a role to fulfil. Teamwork is essential, particularly when things become chaotic and the enemy start to overwhelm your position. Boss encounters add another level of difficulty, ensuring that simply having a decent trigger finger isn’t always enough.

Meanwhile, versus multiplayer also returns, offering several ways to take the fight to other players. While the traditional ranked 4v4 no-respawn experience has sadly left the building, there’s still plenty of variety in the competitive offering. The updated movement mechanics give encounters a different feel, allowing players to reposition, flank and approach firefights in ways that weren’t possible in quite the same fashion previously.

Still Packing a Punch

The weapons of Gears of War E-Day are another highlight. The iconic Gnasher shotgun remains every bit as satisfying to use as it was in the original game. There’s something particularly enjoyable about getting up close and personal before delivering a suitably unpleasant surprise to an unsuspecting Locust.

The Lancer returns too, complete with its wonderfully brutal chainsaw attachment. New weapons including the Gut Puncher and Incinerator, add further variety to the theatre of war.

Unreal Engine 5 helps bring the world to life, with detailed environments and a suitably grim presentation. The sound design and atmosphere also help sell the scale of the invasion, making the opening days of the Locus conflict feel every bit as catastrophic as they should.

Summary

Gears of War E-Day respects what made the original games so enjoyable while introducing some meaningful changes of its own. The revised movement feels more natural, the combat retains its satisfying brutality, while Horde Siege gives multiplayer a fresh direction. As I said, I’m not finished with the campaign at the time of writing this , but what I’ve experienced so far has been thoroughly entertaining.