The Coalition’s Gears of War: E-Day is nearly upon us, especially for Premium Edition owners who can start playing on October 1st. If you’re still on the fence, however, our review goes live on the same day at 6 AM PT, thanks to Xbox providing access.
It’s a bittersweet occasion, especially with the franchise’s 20th anniversary happening in November. But even if it follows 2019’s Gears 5, the development team is going back to the series’ horror roots, with the narrative kicking off on Emergence Day. As Marcus Fenix and Bravo Squad, players must venture through Kalona to fight back against the Locust. However, as the 14-hour campaign rolls on, the severity of the conflict becomes quickly apparent.
In terms of gameplay, Gears of War: E-Day is making some of the biggest changes yet. Along with sliding and hopping over gaps to flank opponents, it introduces Weapon Mods and new Active Reload mechanics, while removing the iconic wall-bouncing. Versus fans can look forward to new modes like Demolition and Crucible, and Horde gets the brand-new Siege mode, where 12 players team up over large maps to complete objectives.
Check out our feature for all the latest details or learn more about the PC requirements. However, be warned: Only GPUs capable of hardware ray tracing will work.
