Premise/Story
E-Day takes place 14 years before the original Gears of War, during Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde invaded the surface and massacred untold millions. The game opens with Marcus and Dom honoring the dead as earthquakes and tremors shake the city, with no one knowing the cause. That uncertainty doesn’t last long, as the Locust emerge from underground and throw everything into chaos.
What begins as an ordinary night at a bar quickly turns into a gruelling three day long fight for survival, as humanity finds itself facing an enemy it never knew existed. The suddenness of the invasion gives the story a sense of helplessness, as people are getting massacred at every turn, the COG scrambles to contain the situation and we see how Bravo Squad came to be.
Gameplay
The way the game starts is honestly brilliant, forcing players into melee only combat sections to encourage its use right from the get go. Melee has always been a key part of Gears of War, thanks in large part to the iconic Lancer chainsaw, so introducing players to it this way is a clever design choice.
The melee mechanics themselves aren’t particularly deep, and outside of the chainsaw, they feel fine enough. The chainsaw is incredibly satisfying to use, but I wish there were more execution animations instead of just one per enemy type.
While melee is important, it’s obviously not the main focus. That would be the guns. There’s a decent selection to choose from, and thanks to the supply caches, you can stick with your favourite loadout throughout the campaign. My only complaint is that there are only two pistols, and the Striga is so unbelievably strong that it feels like the only viable option.
The shooting is some of the most satisfying I’ve experienced in a third person shooter. The feedback feels great, and the sound design for headshots and gore is downright addictive, making every kill feel rewarding. My favourite weapons are the Longshot, Striga, and Prototype Lancer. The Longshot in particular has always been a joy to use, and something about nailing a perfect reload after every sniper shot is indescribably satisfying.
The movement is very weighty as usual but feels a bit lighter and more responsive in E-Day so it should be alot easier to get into the franchise without it feeling too cumbersome, it never bothered me personally because it strikes a balance between being accurate and enjoyable.
The boss fights were very cool and heavy on the spectacle while also being mechanically fun and pretty challenging, friendly AI can be annoying and constantly get downed but at least they will go through hell just to revive you so it kinda balances out, Final boss was a bit too ridiculous though.
Progression
As mentioned earlier, E-Day has Supply Caches, and their purpose goes beyond simply choosing your weapons. Unlocking weapons is straightforward, as picking them up throughout the campaign is enough to add them to your arsenal, but modifications are a little more involved. Scattered throughout the game are Hard Cases that reward exploration with mods for your armour, active abilities, and weapons, allowing you to tailor your setup to your playstyle. I found this aspect of the game really fun, as you can put together some truly devious builds, like auto reloading on headshots mixed with ammo refunds on kill on headshots is just hilariously strong with the Longshot.
Structure
The game is split into five acts, each comprising several chapters. Most chapters are linear, with some side paths leading to collectibles and upgrades, but others are much more open. You can explore large portions of Kalona throughout the campaign, with most of the collectibles concentrated in these expansive sections. There are also optional objectives, which aren’t particularly exciting on their own but do a good job of adding life and world building to the city.
Unfortunately, despite how rewarding these open sections can be, they often feel like a drag. They disrupt the pacing if you choose to engage with them, and the experience can feel a little too much like ticking off a checklist. While the map has no icons, approaching collectibles triggers visual and audio cues, which often left me scouring the area for whatever I was missing. Exploration is technically optional, but skipping it means missing out on many of the fun mods I mentioned earlier, heavily incentivizing you to wander around for far longer than you’d like.
Atmosphere
Walking through the open levels is at least made worthwhile by the dreadful atmosphere and horrific scenes scattered throughout. One of my biggest “whoa” moments was seeing dozens of bodies piled up and tangled together in a revolving subway a genuinely disturbing sight that gives real weight to the scale of the Locust invasion, everywhere you look, it’s all disaster and chaos.
Characters and Writing
Both aspects are executed beautifully. The chemistry and camaraderie between the members of Bravo Squad feel genuinely human and realistic. Alongside Marcus and Dom, we’re introduced to Cadet Lucas and Specialist Carter. I particularly liked Lucas, whose character development was handled very well, but Carter felt underdeveloped and honestly boring for most of the game. Marcus and Dom are as great as ever, though I wish we had more scenes to flesh out the characters.
Still, the interactions are consistently entertaining and feel grounded. Outside of Bravo Squad, the Twins, Zee and Tai, are other highlights, with solid writing and entertaining personalities across the board. Carter is the one exception for me.
Presentation
Gears of War: E-Day is easily the most visually impressive Xbox first party title. The lighting is photorealistic, and the textures, animations, and character models are all top tier. The sound design is impactful and weighty, perfectly complementing the game’s feel, while the score is solid overall, with a few standouts, particularly the main menu theme and the track that plays during “The Fall of Kalona.”
FINAL VERDICT
Gears of War: E-Day is everything I wanted from a new Gears game. It recaptures the atmosphere, desperation, and camaraderie that made the original trilogy so special, backed by some of the most satisfying shooting I’ve experienced in a third person shooter. Kalona is a hauntingly beautiful setting, the presentation is phenomenal, and the combat offers plenty of room for experimentation. Unfortunately, the open sections can drag on for too long, some characters deserved more development and the ending was a little abrupt. Still, these shortcomings don’t diminish too much what is otherwise a fantastic return to what makes the franchise special.
GEARS OF WAR E-DAY - 8.3/10 - GREAT