Gears of War: E-Day Review

This comprehensive Gears of War: E-Day campaign review explores how the explosive Xbox prequel returns to the emotional roots of the iconic franchise, delivering refined cover shooter action, deep customization, and thrilling combat against the Locust invasion.

Editor's Note: This review currently covers the story campaign for Gears of War: E-Day in both single-player and co-op modes, as preview access was limited to story content ahead of launch. A finalized review score and full impressions for Versus and Horde Siege multiplayer modes will be added once live server testing is complete.

Gears of War: E-Day Campaign Review - Key Highlights and Overview

To an outside observer, the Gears of War franchise might look like a heavy-metal third-person cover shooter focused on muscle-bound soldiers with chainsaw guns fighting subterranean monsters. Dedicated fans know that while the striking visual flair, tactical cover mechanics, and gratuitous gore are vital parts of the formula, the true secret to the series' two decades of success is its heart. The emotional anchor has always been the deep bond between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, the tragic weight of character sacrifices like JD or Del in Gears 5, and Dom's unending love for his wife Maria.

Heading into Gears of War: E-Day, the central question was whether a prequel set 14 years before the original game could deliver meaningful emotional stakes when players already know the fate of its lead characters. Set on the devastating day the Locust first emerged from beneath the surface of the planet Sera, the campaign manages to carry profound narrative weight. It expands the backstory of Marcus and Dom while pairing emotional storytelling with outstanding third-person combat action.

Before diving into the full details, here is a quick breakdown of what stands out in this campaign:

• Emotional Narrative Focus: Deepens the brotherhood between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago while establishing new squadmates.
• Refined Tactical Combat: Combines classic third-person cover shooting with an all-new Weapon Mod and Tactical Gear system.
• Expanded Weaponry: Features classic guns alongside brutal prototypes, including the origin story of the iconic chainsaw Lancer.
• Dense Level Design: Replaces empty open spaces with organic, highly detailed battlegrounds in the industrial city of Kalona.
• Lengthy Campaign: Delivers a full 15 to 18-hour play-through spanning five action-packed acts.

How Does E-Day Capture the Emotional Heart of Marcus and Dom?

The story opens with Coalition of Ordered Government (COG) soldiers Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago finishing a ceremonial tour. They are honoring their service at the conclusion of the 79-year Pendulum Wars, the global civil conflict that defined their early lives. Both leads are forced to reckon with what comes next after surviving the only lifestyle they have ever known.

Marcus is prepared to re-enlist immediately and hopes Dom will choose to stay by his side on the battlefield. Dom, on the other hand, is eager to finally return home to his wife Maria and their two young children, who have been growing up in his absence. This human tension creates immediate stakes before chaos erupts across the planet.

When Emergence Day strikes, the sudden transition from peace to utter destruction is presented with horror and military precision. Gears of War: E-Day captures the fear, confusion, and shock experienced by the soldiers on the ground. Even though long-time players understand the true nature of the underground threat, watching Marcus and Dom process the apocalypse unfolding around them keeps the narrative thoroughly captivating.

What Is the Role of Bravo Squad during the Initial Locust Invasion?

At the start of the assault, Marcus and Dom encounter ex-Gear Mags Carter and rookie soldier Lucas Reyes at a local bar just as the tremors begin. As the COG scrambles to build an emergency defense, this group of four is officially organized into Bravo Squad. Their dynamic brings fresh perspectives to the familiar lore of the universe.

In many prequel stories, secondary squad members exist merely to serve as temporary background characters for established heroes. E-Day avoids this trap by giving Carter and Reyes genuine character depth. The campaign allocates substantial, meaningful segments to developing their personalities, backgrounds, and motivations within the narrative.

By investing time into these lesser-known squadmates, the story makes players care about the survival of the entire team. Their personal struggles add real emotional weight as Bravo Squad navigates the opening hours of an apocalyptic war.

What Enemies and Boss Fights Will You Encounter in Kalona?

The escalation of the Locust invasion is directly reflected in the evolving variety of monsters you face across the five-act campaign. During the opening hours, Bravo Squad primarily encounters front-line forces like nimble Wretches and Hammerburst-wielding Drones. As the horror unfolds, the underground forces deploy far more terrifying horrors.

The campaign introduces a dangerous mix of new and returning creature designs that escalate the intensity of cover battles. Giant frog-like beasts jump across battlefields while spitting multi-gallon bursts of caustic acid at your position. Heavy units also appear in multiple terrifying forms, most notably enemies armed with the medium-range Gorehook, a deadly chain-mounted hook that can down a soldier in a single hit.

The campaign culminates in impressive mini-boss encounters and full-scale boss battles. These encounters stand out as memorable, white-knuckle fights that demand clever positioning and precise resource management to survive.

One notable issue during single-player play involves the down-but-not-out (DBNO) mechanics. On several occasions throughout the 15 to 18-hour campaign, friendly computer-controlled squad members fail to revive the player. AI allies sometimes stand passively nearby or wander away while you mash the recovery button, leaving you vulnerable to execution by heavy enemies.

Fortunately, players can easily avoid this friendly AI frustration by taking advantage of co-op modes. The campaign supports seamless four-player online co-op as well as two-player split-screen play on a single Xbox console, making squad coordination much smoother with human partners.

How Do Weapon Mods and Tactical Gear Transform Combat?

The arsenal available throughout the campaign provides an exceptional balance of traditional firepower and brand-new custom options. Strategic variety is central to every encounter, with each weapon filling a distinct role on the battlefield. Blasting heavy infantry with the Gnasher shotgun, taking out snipers with the Longshot rifle, or cutting through foes with the chainsaw attachment feels as satisfying as ever.

Alongside classic firearms, the weapon selection features intriguing additions that enrich long-range and close-quarters combat:

• Lancer Prototype: Features the original bayonet design alongside the famous origin story of the chainsaw-equipped model.
• Breechshot: Returns from Gears of War: Judgment, offering outstanding long-range stopping power in a mobile package.
• Incinerator: Functions like an incendiary shotgun, blasting bursts of flesh-melting Imulsion at short range.
• Ripper: Serves as a heavy squad automatic weapon built for suppressing large groups of advancing enemies.
• Torque Bow: Delivers high-risk, high-reward explosive arrows after a charged windup phase.

This extensive arsenal is enhanced by the newly introduced Weapon Mod and Tactical Gear system. Yellow Hard Cases are hidden throughout the environment, containing valuable weapon mods like scope attachments, clip extenders, and accuracy enhancements. Completing optional secondary objectives in the city of Kalona also unlocks these valuable upgrades.

Every firearm features four dedicated mod slots that unlock as you progress. This allows you to tailor weapon handling to your preferred playstyle. Conveniently placed Supply Caches also allow you to swap weapons and modify loadouts frequently before major battles.

Complementing weapon customization is the Tactical Gear system, which enhances your battle armor with cooldown-based active abilities. The Stim ability, for example, emits a localized healing field that restores the health of both your character and nearby squadmates. These customization systems modernize the moment-to-moment combat loop without overcomplicating the signature gunplay.

How Does the City of Kalona Compare to Gears 5 Settings?

The visual presentation across the campaign showcases spectacular environment design. The narrative takes players through the destroyed downtown district of Kalona, dark subterranean caves dug by the Locust, industrial Imulsion refineries, and peaceful mountain peaks surrounding the urban center. The city of Kalona serves as the central hub for much of the journey.

Rather than repeating the expansive but somewhat barren open-world zones seen in Gears 5, the design in E-Day focuses on dense, highly detailed urban battlegrounds. Exploration feels organic and rewarding, with hidden corners containing lore collectibles that detail the world recovering from 79 years of civil war just before the alien attack.

The overall graphical detail on Xbox Series X is impressive, although minor framerate hitches can occur during heavy action scenes in Performance Mode. Due to these occasional stutters, playing on the 30fps Quality Mode is less ideal until future optimization patches arrive.

The pacing of the campaign remains strong right through to the final act. Instead of throwing endless waves of repeated enemies at the player during the finale, the game provides a balanced mix of high-intensity firefights and quiet story beats. The ending delivers a deeply satisfying narrative resolution while leaving ten years of unexplored history before Marcus Fenix's eventual imprisonment.

What Did Reviewers Think of Gears 5 in 2019?

To understand how the franchise reached this point, it helps to look back at previous entries in the series. When Gears 5 released in 2019, it received critical acclaim for expanding both story and multiplayer scope.

It is not surprising at all that Gears 5 is an excellent third-person action game. This iconic series has never really had a misfire, even when changing hands from original developer Epic to The Coalition, and the hot streak remains unbroken. What was unexpected is just how effectively it doubles down on story with a character-focused, consequence-filled tale that plays to one of the franchise's most underappreciated strengths and backs it up with fun, welcome additions to both its gameplay formula and flow. And that is just the campaign: add in a heavy-hitting multiplayer lineup of Versus, Versus Arcade, Horde, and Escape and it makes Gears 5 one of the best and most versatile action-game packages in recent memory. - Ryan McCaffrey, September 13, 2019

You can read the full Gears 5 review for more detailed analysis on how the previous major installment performed.

Gears of War: E-Day Campaign Review - Final Verdict Context

By returning to the origin of the conflict, Gears of War: E-Day successfully recaptures the emotional core that defines the franchise. The brotherhood of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago shines bright alongside a terrifying, lethal Locust horde. The story delivers genuine character depth and high-stakes drama, managing to thrill players even when the ultimate fate of its leads is already known.

From a gameplay perspective, the new Weapon Mod and Tactical Gear mechanics build upon classic cover shooting systems without losing what makes the series iconic. Combined with dense level design, excellent weapon variety, and memorable boss battles, this campaign stands comfortably alongside the finest entries in the series.

As noted at the top of this review, media access was limited strictly to the single-player and co-op campaign ahead of public release. A final set-in-stone review score will be published once the Versus and Horde Siege multiplayer modes are tested thoroughly on live public servers. Early impressions from beta testing are highly promising, particularly regarding the Horde Siege mode.

Ultimately, this initial campaign play-through proves that stepping back into the past was the absolute right move for the series. As demonstrated in this Gears of War: E-Day campaign review, the prequel delivers a triumphant return to form for Xbox cover shooters, setting a high standard for future entries in the franchise.

from IGN India
-via DynaSage