Gears of War: E-Day embraces a retro approach, delivering a third-person cover shooter experience that feels reminiscent of the Xbox 360 era, albeit with significantly enhanced graphical fidelity. The game does not reinvent the series but introduces minor changes like more open levels and a refined weapon upgrade system.
For those familiar with the Gears of War franchise, the core gameplay loop of intense combat against an invading mutant menace remains. The acclaimed series continues to offer compelling action, with mowing down waves of enemies proving as enjoyable as ever. The story campaign, while occasionally feeling prolonged between its bombastic set-piece moments, is complemented by a suite of competitive online multiplayer modes that encourage skill development and continued engagement.
Back to the Very Beginning
E-Day serves as a prequel, set over a decade before the original game, making it accessible to newcomers without requiring prior series knowledge. The narrative unfolds on 'Emergence Day,' chronicling the initial days of the Locust army's full-scale invasion of the fictional world, focusing on events within the city of Kalona.
The campaign's early hours are particularly strong, emphasizing the more horrific and brutal aspects of the franchise. Long-time protagonist Marcus Fenix, though an experienced soldier, faces an unknown threat alongside his companions, including Dominic Santiago, Mags Carter, and Lucas Reyes, for which they are entirely unprepared.
The city streets are depicted in a state of chaos, with civilians panicking, vehicles crashing, trains derailing, and massive sinkholes appearing. Initial weapon access is limited, but players steadily acquire new assault rifles, snipers, shotguns, and grenade launchers as the story progresses. This leads to a satisfying sense of progression, further enhanced by a continuous stream of unlockable upgrades for each weapon.
These upgrades range from basic statistical enhancements to more profound overhauls that fundamentally alter weapon operation, allowing for interesting combinations. For instance, the slow-reloading lever-action Gnasher shotgun can be transformed with a full-auto firing mode and the ability to replenish shells when stowed. Experimentation is highly enjoyable, and even without upgrades, all firearms offer a satisfying punch with impactful sound effects.
E-Day introduces a few larger, more open environments with optional side missions. While guidance ensures players are always directed toward the next objective, preventing a true open-world feel, there are numerous collectibles to discover.
The placement of these collectibles is not particularly sophisticated, with most easily found without significant deviation from the main path, which the source review notes as a missed opportunity.
Beauty in Destruction
Players are encouraged to explore the game's environments, which are described as absolutely gorgeous. Gears of War: E-Day stands out as one of the most graphically impressive games released, offering a level of fidelity significantly ahead of other recent titles.
The detail is truly staggering, with everything from expansive cityscapes to individual items in an abandoned convenience store rendered realistically and beautifully lit. The source reviewer was consistently impressed by the sheer number of references to in-universe history.
Early segments of the invasion take on a survival horror tone, with the squad investigating blood-covered rooms in seemingly abandoned buildings to understand the unfolding events. These moments are tense and include several effective scares.
This meticulous detail helps Kalona feel like a believable location, with a credible layout of roads and public transportation. The player's journey feels grounded, even as the city streets are progressively reduced to ruin.
However, the campaign does have some less engaging sections. It is notably the longest Gears of War campaign, taking the source reviewer approximately 25 hours to complete with all collectibles and optional side missions. A few hours in the middle could have been trimmed, as some sequences involve facing a steady stream of overly resilient enemies in confined arenas.
While the shooting mechanics are compelling enough to mitigate these drawn-out encounters, a more concise experience would have been beneficial.
Continuing the Fight
A Gears of War title would be incomplete without multiplayer, and E-Day delivers a strong suite of modes. The player-versus-player (PvP) deathmatch mode is excellent, pitting two small teams against each other in kill-focused engagements using campaign weapons. Its simplicity belies its incredible fun factor.
Player-versus-environment (PvE) games are more complex, involving 12 players divided into four squads tackling multiple objectives in large open spaces to earn currency for upgrades and defensive gear.
The teams in PvE modes interact minimally, aside from occasional shared boss fights, leading the source review to question the necessity of a 12-player format. Nonetheless, any opportunity for more of the game's strong combat is welcome. A traditional wave survival mode is also included, which is expected to be a popular choice for casual play among friends.
Combined with a wealth of unlockables, the multiplayer component provides significant enjoyment, even if it doesn't introduce revolutionary concepts.
Accessibility Features
Gears of War: E-Day includes a comprehensive suite of accessibility settings, located within a dedicated menu. These options feature multiple menu narration choices, customizable UI text size, subtitle enablement, speaker name display, and full control over subtitle background color and opacity.
Additionally, distinct content filters are available for gore, profanity, and online chat. Visual settings include a color blind mode, high-contrast mode, and various navigation aids.
