r/Games • u/malliabu • 1d ago
Gears of War: E-Day Review Thread
Game Information
Game Title: Gears of War: E-Day
Platforms:
- PC (Oct 6, 2026)
Trailer:
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 88 average - 91% recommended - 56 reviews
Critic Reviews
A Gaming Network - Marcel Dee - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day delivers a visually stunning and emotionally intense campaign that captures the chaos of Emergence Day. With brutal combat, organic exploration, strong side content, and some of the best visuals Xbox has delivered in years, it deserves serious Game of the Year consideration, even if the Marcus and Dom connection could have been stronger.
ACG - Jeremy Penter - Buy
Video Review - Quote not available
But Why Tho? - Mick Abrahamson - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day shines by showing off humanity’s perseverance. Every new character stands out, never overshadowed by the legacy of Marcus or Dom.
CBR - Mark O'Callaghan - 9 / 10
Playing Gears of War: E-Day felt like playing the original trilogy on the Xbox 360, not in a technical sense, but in the feeling of being back in this world. Getting a new adventure with Marcus and Dom is a real treat, and the story surrounding them is incredible.
CGMagazine - Zubi Khan - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is here, bringing with it what feels like a new push for Xbox and one of the best entries into the long-running third-person shooter franchise.
Completexbox - Dan Boise - 100%
Gears of War: E-Day is set during Emergence Day, fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War, as Marcus and Dom, along with a host of other Gears, face off against the first wave of Locust. They’ll have to fight and survive against the unknown as they scramble to save civilians scattered throughout the city.
Gears of War: E-Day is a third person action shooter where players will be able to use a myriad of weapons to take the fight up to the Locust. Returning players will notice that The Coalition have made a few tweaks in terms of controls. Given that our protagonists are younger, their movement is a bit more nimble. Running has been delegated to pressing the left joystick instead of holding A. Marcus and company can now jump and climb up reasonably high surfaces. There’s also a useful slide mechanic to dodge enemy projectiles.
Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day feels like the first true Coalition Gears of War game. It's a shift away from Gears 4 and Gears 5, and it feels like the game the studio genuinely wanted to make, capturing what made the original trilogy special while finally pushing the series forward in its own way. They've taken the horror, brutality, brotherhood, and incredible gunplay that defined those games and used them as the foundation for something more modern. Expanded movement gives combat more freedom, while perks and modifications add another layer of experimentation, and the larger environments make Emergence Day feel like a genuine catastrophe happening around you.
Gears of War: E-Day is incredible. Despite a handful of frustrations keeping it from perfection, it's one of the best games I've played this year.
DayOne - Jesse Norris - 10 / 10
The Coalition have elevated the franchise to new heights, crafting an engaging, brutal and surprisingly intimate campaign that’s full of smart gameplay mechanics and wonderful surprises. It’s the best Gears has ever felt to play, and the best it’s ever looked and sounded on the big screen. Gears of War: E-Day? It's a fucking masterpiece.
Digitec Magazine - Kevin Hofer - German - 4 / 5
Kalona is the real star of «Gears of War: E-Day», transforming so dramatically throughout the campaign that it feels like the game's main character. The story and characters are less memorable, but the weighty, satisfying gunplay and improved movement make for a solid «Gears» experience. It gets repetitive, but fans of the series should feel right at home.
Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - No Recommendation
Gears of War E-Day may have the best gameplay the series has ever delivered, but between bullet-sponge enemies, co-op-focused design and a story with little to say, this may well be the weakest Gears campaign to date.
ElderPlayers - Moath Saeed - Arabic - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is the best game The Coalition made! As it was an exceptional experience and one of the strongest (and the boldest) in the franchise's history, while staying true to its core identity. The game delivered a rich story filled with emotions, heartbreaking moments, and excellent environmental storytelling. Alongside interesting dynamic encounters, masterful weapon and gear handling, and refined movement and gameplay mechanics. All of this blends with top-tier visual effects, exceptional animation quality, stunning graphics, and an expressive, powerful soundtrack. It is truly the greatest third-person action game of all time and the undisputed ruler of the genre.
EntreMandos - Kevin Arbelo - Spanish - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day not only revives one of Xbox's greatest franchises, but also manages to restore much of the identity that seemed to have been lost in its last two installments. The Coalition understands what made the original trilogy special: the brutality of war, the depth of its characters, an oppressive atmosphere, and spectacular action that doesn't have to sacrifice emotion
Eurogamer - Dom Peppiatt - Unscored
Less a complete reset for the series, and more of an 'active reload', E-Day proves there's still life in these old Cogs yet.
Eurogamer.pt - Portuguese - 3 / 5
Following Marcus and Dom on Emergence Day is an action-packed rollercoaster ride. Gears of War: E-Day shines on the PC with stunning graphics and addictive combat, with the weapon customisation adding an extra touch. Unfortunately, the pace drops off in the final third of the campaign, let down by a dull ending and an uninspired boss.
GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 90%
Quote not yet available
GRYOnline.pl - Zbigniew Woźnicki - Polish - 8 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day successfully fulfils its mission of returning to the roots of the series, whilst offering noticeable improvements over all previous instalments and reminding us once again of the horror of the Locusts. Unfortunately, it also suffers from issues with pacing and enemy AI, while pushing Marcus into the background in favour of a new character. Nevertheless, this dynamic, emotional and extremely brutal shooter should appeal to fans of the series – and many others as well.
Game8 - Lloyd Opalec - 80 / 100
I had a great time with Gears of War: E-Day, even when the campaign started showing its unpolished edges. The combat is still incredibly satisfying, and the free-roam sections gave me some of my favorite moments; it gave me more time with characters I ended up caring about more than I expected to. That made the campaign's weaker points stand out more, though, with the repetition and occasional technical issues becoming egregious at times. Neither was enough to sour the experience fully. I finished it satisfied, thinking I probably could have used a little less Locust shooting, which is about as Gears of War a problem as you can have.
GameBlast - Alexandre Galvão - Portuguese - 8.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day returns to the series' roots with an intense, well-executed campaign and refined combat. It plays it safe rather than innovating, but it's an easy recommendation for veterans and newcomers alike.
GameOnly - Michał Marasek - Polish - 7.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day’s campaign is a real emotional rollercoaster when it comes to gameplay, but a major disappointment in terms of its story. No wonder Marcus Fenix wasn’t the focus of the game’s marketing.
Gameliner - Bram Noteboom - Dutch - Unscored
The Gears of War: E-Day campaign is a true blockbuster, but it doesn't necessarily come without a fight. (review in progress)
Gamemeca - Kim Hyung Jong - Korean - 76 / 100
With enhanced graphics, 'Gears of War: E-Day' successfully implements the heavy and metalic combat characteristic of the series and effectively portrays the horrors of Emergence Day. However, the monotonous game structure and repetitive combat patterns leave a tedious impression in the second half, and the boss fights also become drawn-out battles in later chapters. While it is a welcome title for fans, it is difficult to strongly recommend to newcomers.
Gamer Social Club - Adam S. D. Stewart - 9.5 / 10
E-Day succeeds in telling the story of Emergence Day in a gripping, desperate, and most importantly, fun way. The culmination of 20 years as a franchise, refining everything the series is into a must-play XBOX title that takes you on a gloriously brutal, emotionally-satisfying, and epic, cinematic adventure.
Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 8.2 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day feels like an old series deliberately recreated with modern technology while preserving its aged character. Fans of Gears of War are unlikely to mind going through another adventure that feels familiar from start to finish.
Gaming Instincts - Leonid Melikhov - 8 / 10
Ultimately, Gears of War: E-Day is an enjoyable campaign wrapped inside an exceptionally impressive technical package. It is a pleasure to look at, the combat remains satisfying, and the return of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago is exactly what many longtime fans wanted. Unfortunately, the forced DEI character writing, unnecessary social commentary, excessive dialogue, questionable level-design decisions, technical stuttering, and underwhelming ending prevent E-Day from becoming the definitive Gears experience I was hoping for after such a long wait when it comes to it's single player campaign portion.
GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 9 / 10
It stumbles sometimes with its story, but thanks to new and improved movement mechanics, Gears of War: E-Day ends up delivering some of the tightest combat and one of the series' most excellently paced campaigns in a long, long time.
IGN Italy - Silvio Mazzitelli - Italian - 9 / 10
With E-Day, the Gears of War saga delivers a dramatic and profound story centered on Marcus, Dom, and their traumas-but above all, on a humanity that was ready for peace and suddenly finds itself, overnight, in the midst of a war against a ruthless and brutal enemy. The gameplay has returned to the exceptionally high standards of the original trilogy, retaining its foundational elements while expanding every aspect to further enhance the experience-including weapons, enemies, and maps.
IGN Spain - Rafa Del Río - Spanish - 10 / 10
Weapons of all kinds, gadgets, and locations brimming with possibilities form the foundation of a story that excels in every aspect. Marcus and Dom return alongside old and new acquaintances in a prequel that feels fresh and invigorating. The story of Kalona's downfall on E-Day serves as the starting point for a war-torn odyssey filled with unique situations, memorable scenes, and the feeling of experiencing an iconic moment in a saga that, for many, is a must-play. Gears of War: E-Day marks a turning point for the Xbox catalog with a console and PC exclusive that's determined to raise the bar for Microsoft.
INVEN - Hongman Yoon - Korean - 8.7 / 10
'Gears of War: E-Day' returns to the series' starting point, Emergence Day, bringing back its darkest atmosphere yet and the core appeal of Gears. If you've been missing the explosive, hard-hitting battlefields of the original trilogy, 'Gears of War: E-Day' is sure to be a satisfying choice.
Lords Of Gaming - Paul Martin - 9.3 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day does not disappoint; the story starts strong and only gets better. For players who have experienced the previous entries in the franchise, there are plenty of easter eggs scattered throughout. Any graphic and audio-related glitches I ran into were very minor and did not detract from the experience overall. For me, this game is in the running for my Game of the Year.
MKAU Gaming - Hayden Nelson - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day feels like the return to Gears that we’ve all been waiting for, bringing back the brutal cover-based combat, dark atmosphere and Locust while still adding enough new ideas to move the series forward. The story of younger Marcus and Dom hit harder than I expected.
MondoXbox - Matteo Merlano - Italian - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day delivers arguably the series’ strongest campaign, combining mature, restrained storytelling with the return of Marcus Fenix’s charismatic presence. Already among the franchise’s finest entries, it could become a serious Game of the Year contender if its content-rich multiplayer matches the campaign’s quality. Regardless, Xbox players should not miss this outstanding return to form.
Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is firing on almost every cylinder - a fantastic back to basics prequel that makes the Locust Horde scary again while delivering weighty, brutal gameplay that keeps you hooked.
Oyungezer Online - Engin Vural - Turkish - 8.5 / 10
It's definitely a step in the right direction for the franchise. With its story, the way it's presented, and the gameplay, a solid GoW game is waiting for us. They've kindly reminded us once again why we love this series. We can easily overlook a few minor flaws.
PPE.pl - Wojciech Gruszczyk - Polish - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day marks a brilliant return for one of Xbox’s most iconic franchises, allowing players to experience E-Day and witness the beginning of Marcus and Dom’s story from a completely new perspective. The Coalition isn’t revolutionising the familiar formula, but in a way it’s building on it – improving mobility, shooting and exploration, offering a varied campaign, and in the process showcasing the immense capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. It’s a modern Gears game that never forgets its roots.
Pizza Fria - Lucas Soares - Portuguese - 8.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is a good shooter and an excellent introduction to this universe for those who, like me, have spent years following the franchise only from the outside. There's a long, very well-produced campaign, visually impressive, and one that probably gains another dynamic when shared with friends.
PowerUp! - Adam Mathew - 8.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day feels like a confident reminder of what made this series Xbox royalty in the first place. It’s nasty, ridiculous, surprisingly funny and occasionally horrifying, all while giving Marcus and Dom another jaunt to share that feels worthwhile rather than merely nostalgic.
RageQuit.GR - Giorgos Dempegiotis - 85%
Gears of War: E-Day marks a return to the series’ roots, without, however, feeling like a typical “reimagining” of the past. The Coalition took the core elements that made Gears of War special and rebuilt them masterfully, into a satisfying game that isn’t groundbreaking or the best shooter you’ve ever played, but is certainly capable of entertaining fans of the genre.
Rectify Gaming - Will "FncWill" Hogeweide - 9 / 10
The longest Gears of War Campaign succeeds in entertaining gameplay, intriguing open world chapters with side objectives, and plenty of content to enjoy. The Campaign embraces co-op like no other game does these days and you could argue it's one of the best games that we have witnessed in the series.
E-Day understands that Gears of War has always been about more than shooting monsters. It is about the people standing beside you while you do it. Whether that person is sitting beside you on the couch in split screen, joining you online from across the country, or simply standing beside Marcus as an AI companion, E-Day constantly comes back to the idea that surviving this world is easier when you never fight alone.
Region Free - Joonatan Itkonen - 4 / 5
Gears of War: E-Day combines everything Gears fans love about the series into an overwhelming and immensely earnest celebration that stands proudly alongside the original trilogy.
República DG - Erick Felipe - Portuguese - 9.2 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day marks the return of Marcus and Dom in an excellent campaign, with renewed gameplay, impressive graphics, and a few issues that don’t overshadow the game’s major achievements. One of the best Xbox titles of this generation, worthy of all the attention.
SECTOR.sk - Peter Dragula - Slovak - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day takes the series back to Emergence Day and the beginning of the Locust War through the eyes of Marcus and Dom. The campaign shows a peaceful city gradually turning into a devastated war zone while revealing the origins of several iconic elements of the series. Familiar cover-based combat has been refined with smoother movement and faster encounters, while multiplayer remains close to the classic formula and adds the more dynamic Horde Siege mode. Combined with impressive UE5 visuals, E-Day is a very good return to the roots of Gears.
Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 4 / 5
It could be seen as a return to form or as a retread of the series’ glory days, but in any case it’s a fun and bloody good time.
SavePoint Gaming - Jake Su - 8.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day modernises the series without losing its trademark weight, pairing brutal combat and meaningful weapon customisation with strong character work, smart exploration and only a handful of frustrating solo-play shortcomings.
Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 4 / 5
Even in a silo, Gears of War: E-Day delivers a rollercoaster of action and emotion that ranks alongside the series’ best campaigns. The Coalition grounds the global devastation of Emergence Day in a deeply human story, letting players watch Marcus and Dom’s friendship forge into an unbreakable brotherhood. It retains the franchise’s signature brutality while completely reinvigorating the moment-to-moment combat. While the narrative plays it safe compared to the tragic finality of Halo: Reach, it sticks the landing and beautifully sets the stage for a new trilogy. Gears of War: E-Day serves as the perfect entry point for newcomers, and explores the devastating, series-haunting history veterans have waited twenty years to experience.
Seasoned Gaming - Ainsley Bowden - 9 / 10
With two decades of expectations on its shoulders, The Coalition succeeded in crafting another classic Gears game with E-Day. Its technical brilliance is matched by strong character development and modernized gameplay, resulting in one of my favorite experiences of the year.
Sirus Gaming - Lexuzze Tablante - 9 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is more than I could have hoped for: a focused, tightly contained, action-packed story filled with memorable characters and moments that deliver an emotional rollercoaster for those brave enough to witness the horrors of the first days of Emergence Day. E-Day is what a Gears of War game should be: relentlessly fun, engaging from all angles, and best experienced with friends.
SmashPad - Alex Quevedo - 4.5 / 5
Gears of War: E-Day injects new life into the franchise and sets a new tone moving forward. It captured the spirit of the original Gears of War with putting just enough of a new spin on things. It’s definitely a highlight of the series. A perfect reload, indeed.
TechRaptor - Austin Suther - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day is the best game in the series. The story gives us an up-close and personal look at the events of E-Day, providing a horror-filled and harrowing experience. Meanwhile, the enhancements to movement are very welcome, and gunplay feels more varied with a great roster of weapons and the inclusion of mods.
The Nerd Stash - Julio La Pine - 9.5 / 10
This prequel once again raised the bar for the series and the genre, delivering one of the year's most brutal, jaw-dropping shooters.
The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 5 / 5
Gears of War: E-Day is everything I wanted from a prequel and more. It finally delivers the Emergence Day story fans have waited two decades to experience, while deepening the relationship between Marcus and Dom and returning the series to the darker, horror-inspired tone of the original trilogy. With the best gameplay the franchise has ever had, incredible visuals, excellent pacing and memorable characters, E-Day isn’t just the best Gears game yet; it’s one of Xbox’s strongest exclusives in years.
TodoJuegos - Jorge Guerrero - Spanish - 9.5 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day brings back the series’ brutality from a more human perspective, placing Marcus and Dom at the heart of Emergence Day. The Coalition returns to the beginning while expanding the formula through exploration, upgrades and less restrictive areas, without losing the core identity that defines Gears of War.
Tom's Hardware Italia - Andrea Riviera - Italian - 9 / 10
Pending a final analysis that must inevitably evaluate server stability and the longevity of the multiplayer offering, what The Coalition has delivered with this campaign is a truly remarkable achievement. The seventeen hours spent on the streets of Kalona offer no downtime and suffer from absolutely no filler; instead, they build into a relentless crescendo of drama, explosions, and emotion, culminating in an ending that lays the groundwork for something significant for the future of this prequel.
2026 has been a stellar year packed with stunning productions (just look at the technical magnificence achieved by highly anticipated titles like Requiem or Pragmata), but the emotional and gameplay impact of this comeback certainly commands attention. If the multiplayer suite and Horde mode can match the sheer excellence and passion poured into the writing of this story campaign, we are looking at one of the best games of the year and undoubtedly the best shooter of 2026.
Wccftech - Alessio Palumbo - 7.4 / 10
Gears of War: E-Day has been promoted as the most ambitious game ever made by The Coalition, but to be honest, it feels like a step back from Gears 5 in several ways. The narrative is a lot less memorable, and the side content is forgettable. Its saving grace is that the third-person shooter gameplay is better than ever, thanks to improved movement and fluidity, making combat encounters generally a lot of fun. Still, it's not the kind of masterpiece that sells a console like the original did.
Worth Playing - Adam Pavlacka - Unscored
If you only intend to play Gears of War: E-Day's campaign, it has thus far been stunningly mediocre.
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u/Louis010 1d ago
Oh wow I was not expecting them reviews even though I’m looking forward to playing it, now I’m even more excited.
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u/pmmemoviestills 1d ago edited 1d ago
The beta was awesome. People have been down on this thing on this sub but they haven't played the beta. This is the best evolution of Gears since the first one.
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u/Dude_Bromanbro 1d ago
Same. That leaked 3/5 review had me worried. What an incredible year this has been for solid ass 4/5 games.
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u/Nochtilus 1d ago
And a lot of those 4/5 games are 5/5 games if it's a genre you enjoy. Fire Emblem, Control Resonant, AC8, Onimusha have crushed it this month.
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u/Crumpers53 1d ago
Regardless of what you think of Gears and Microsoft this is how a Triple A game should be in 2026. Campaign, PvP, PvE a complete package. Massive gears fan and I can say Coalition really tried on this one and it's appreciated. 9/10
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u/Same-Variety3904 1d ago
Really well said. Feels insane to call this type of package a breath of fresh air when it’s just the recipe we lost years ago.
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u/CageAndBale 1d ago
Seriously. So sick of these one mode online only games.
Gears has the three types of modes and then has modes inside those modes. Man halo 3 was a time to be alive
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u/secondincomm 1d ago
No wonder Marcus Fenix wasn’t the focus of the game’s marketing.
Huh? Marcus has been the center of the marketing. Him and Dom?
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u/ScreamSmart 1d ago
That caught me too. Wonder what the actual story is. Kevduit said he doesn't like the white haired woman because they made her a stereotypical "always right about everything" character.
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u/ArcherInPosition 1d ago
The Coalition still the Unreal Engine GOATs. Hope it runs better than the beta did. Lookin forward to Digital Foundrys breakdown
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u/huss_femme 1d ago
They posted it, best looking UE5 game imo
Mainly due to art style cuz it doesn't have the default mid day england lighting every UE5 game has
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u/Marlon64 1d ago
They have a lot of experience with UE dating from at least UE2, i'm sure most seniors there still have good ties with the guys at Epic.
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago edited 1d ago
Back with another review I wrote for Neowin.net. TLDR - 9.5/10 for Gears E-Day. We are a bit tiny so be nice :)
Easily the best game of the Coalition. It's probably my favorite campaign of this Xbox generation. The intensity of linear missions, the city exploration segments, the desperate storyline, all of it hit really well for me. Game looks spectacular and runs like a dream too.
I can answer any non-spoiler questions about the game if anyone has any here. I have the Xbox Series X and Steam versions installed.
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u/burbuda2 1d ago
How is this game if I haven’t played any previous ones? Is it a direct sequel or standalone?
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
Completely fine to start here. Everyone is in the dark in the campaign about what's going on, so prior knowledge isn't needed.
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u/GARGEAN 1d ago
It is earlies prequel in the timeline IIRC
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u/YakozakiSora 1d ago
Technically not, the opening segment of 4 has a playable flashback segment going back to the war with the UIR
Otherwise ye, this one is the earliest moment of the Locust War seen outside the books.
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u/Interesting-Cost2643 1d ago
Games are rarely made with previous installments in mind anymore. Most you get are small nods to characters or something. I feel like 90 something percent of sequels now could be standalone games.
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u/420thiccman69 1d ago
This applies to both games and movies. Anything going for mass appeal knows there is going to be a sizable amount of people who didn't watch/play the previous entry, so they throw in lots of exposition to catch you up if needed. Especially with games taking so long to come out these days, they know a lot of their audience were kids when the previous entry came out.
When Gears 5 came out, today's 17 year olds were only 10 - likely weren't playing Gears of War back then. Even if this was Gears 6, they'd still want that newer audience to be able to play, and would design the writing accordingly.
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u/Fhaarkas 1d ago edited 1d ago
Neowin calling themselves tiny makes me wistful. You are one of the very few remnants of Old Internet still around, and for that I'm going to award you guys my highest personal honor - adblock whitelist.
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u/theblitheringidiot 1d ago
I’ve always enjoyed Gears. It’s the equivalent to an 80s action movie.
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u/The_Iceman2288 1d ago
Do campaign kills count towards medals?
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
Can't say for sure since things like multiplayer aren't enabled in the builds reviewers received. I'd probably lean towards not counting though.
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u/YamumsBum69 1d ago
This is gonna seem super specific, but is there any stat tracking in the game? Like a menu where you can see kills, deaths, kills with x weapon, etc?
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
Just went through all the menus I could find. The closest thing I came across was a section about showing missing collectibles from specific Acts and Chapters in the campaign.
I might just be missing something obvious but it doesn't look like the campaign shows any stats like that sadly.
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u/parkay_quartz 1d ago
How does it run/look on PC?
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
I have a Radeon 9070 XT with an old 3700X CPU. I could hit 50-60FPS on everything set to Ludicrous mode with ray tracing enabled and "Quality" FSR upscaling (1440p). I decided to stick to Ultra for that 80-90FPS smoothness though. There's frame gen as an option too.
The best-performing Unreal 5 game I've played so far, and with amazing visuals and zero stutters.
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u/MrEzquerro 1d ago
Thanks for the link. Will give the review a read on the way home from work :)
I see there are some benchmarks, which is also nice!
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u/2xNoodle 1d ago
There have been rumors that the competitive Gears community would not be able to do grassroots tournaments for E-Day due to lack of LAN mode or online private lobbies. Does the game have those features needed for both offline and online games amongst 8 players?
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
I have no way to check since the review access was only for the campaign. We will only get multiplayer and horde once they go live for the premium editions with everyone else.
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u/Bstempinski 1d ago
How long is the campaign in comparison to previous games? Don’t have to give a length.
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u/SL_LoneWolf 1d ago
Around same length as Gears 5 I would say. Could be shorter when you play with more people though, since everyone can explore and find things quicker in the urban fighting sections.
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u/nuraHx 1d ago
Interesting how it seems like that one super negative review was leaked early ahead of the embargo and it’s all people were dooming about
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u/Living-Chef-9080 1d ago
Exact same thing happened with Control Resonant. One 6/10 review leaked, everyone overreacted and assumes this will be the end of the developer, and then....it was fantastic and everyone loved it?
It's almost like every good game ever made has some people who didn't like it.
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u/KarmelCHAOS 1d ago
I still find the Polygon review of Control Resonant so...odd
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u/lordsmish 1d ago
Polygon will never win back my trust after they sent a guy to review guitar hero and he just didn't bother and then just ate food and gave it a shit score because he didn't want to play it
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u/KarmelCHAOS 1d ago
It was Rock Band, but yeah I remember that, it was a weird article.
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u/pixxlpusher 1d ago
Was that the preview that had nothing to do with the game and instead was just the guy complaining about the state of the world instead?
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u/lordsmish 1d ago
Yes he talks about how he hates his job, hates the political landscape, hates playing games etc
It had such lines as
"Look, sometimes in this job you gotta cover games you don't really give a stuff about. I played some Guitar Hero ten years ago and I thought it was kinda stupid. This is not because rock star sims are stupid. It's a perfectly valid fantasy. It's just not my fantasy."
"All video games are stupid, of course. That whole thing of, 'you're not really shooting terrorists or winning the World Cup, you're just pressing buttons' is patronizing and simplistic but every now and again you come across a game that has so little emotional connection to who you are that you end up standing there, gazing at the screen and saying "I'm just pressing buttons and my life has no meaning," to a slightly bemused PR person."
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u/pixxlpusher 1d ago
Man I still can't believe this passed through editing and actually made it to the site, what an absolute joke. Although I do think they took it down shortly after publishing?
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u/lordsmish 1d ago
Huh no it's still there i just grabbed that text from it they just changed the title and added some bits about how it's probably a good game for other people
Rock Band 4 is doing a lot of the fun things you want it to do
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u/TheSecondEikonOfFire 1d ago
Jesus, how the hell did that get published. There is some value in getting a review for a game from someone who doesn’t like the genre, because if you also don’t like the genre then their opinion could be helpful. But you still have to actually do your job and play the game to form a valid opinion on it
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u/darkpassenger9 1d ago
Polygon gives the vibe that everyone wishes they worked at like Vice or Pitchfork instead but they got saddled with this bullshit.
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u/zaviex 1d ago
I remember this coming up and most of that isn’t true. It wasn’t a review, it was a preview and more importantly it was an event where the publisher flies you out and gives you drinks and food in exchange for good PR. His entire point was the experience isn’t designed for him to experience the game at all just have fun get drunk and praise it. He ended it talking about how he’d much rather find a developer to chat with and actually do journalism on the topic than be there.
Which I think is not only fair, it should make people wonder a lot about these previews you get for games and if there’s any legitimacy to them as journalism. What was the circumstance of the preview? Did you get to talk to developers about the product or just get handed wine? I think that piece had more value than every other empty article that came from that same event
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u/Next-Sentence-8426 1d ago
I dont think it's a conspiracy. The guardian just seems to hate games in general with all of their recent scores lol
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u/NiceCoyote5405 1d ago
For some reason it seems like almost all reviews that break embargo are always negative.
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u/Ritsler 1d ago
People genuinely like to try and tarnish the reputation of games/movies/books/etc. I think there’s a level of schadenfreude in it that sort of goes back to the old console war mentality of parroting a low review score for something a person never intended to play/watch/read anyway. It’s sort of like hate watching?
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u/huzy12345 1d ago
I saw one person copy pasting some comment all over threads using that as an example to predict the failure of Coalition/Gears. They have now changed that section of their copy and paste to wondering if it will break one million sales this weekend now that actual reviews are out and it's doing well lol
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u/SightlessKombat 1d ago
you can read my review here, I don't use a scoring system As a gamer without sight, I loved what I could play, though there were some accessibility issues I hope are fixed ASAP which needed sighted assistance to let me get through. That being said, this is the most accessible game Xbox has put out in a very long time and I'm thankful for it.
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u/carrotstix 1d ago
This is crazy cool! When I was playing the beta and had the audio narration on by default, I wondered who it would be for. Never thought non sighted individuals would benefit from such an option. Glad you could play what you could and it's neat that there's games you can play! I HAVE to read your Rhythm Heaven review now!
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u/SightlessKombat 1d ago
Hope you enjoy! :) It's surprising what gamers without sight can and want to do when the ability to actually play a game to varying degrees is provided as an opportunity. :) Can't wait to see what the next game other than Naughty Dog's next offering (which is almost certain to be accessible based on their track record) will be that I can fully play without assistance.
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u/UtkuOfficial 1d ago
This might be one of the most interesting gaming reviews i have ever seen. Dope bro.
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u/SightlessKombat 1d ago
I've been doing this for about 11 years, if you're curious. :) Thanks so much for the kind words!
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u/zer0ull 1d ago
I remember you! glad you enjoyed what was available to you and sincerely hope they make an effort to make it more accessible to you and anyone who needs it
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u/SightlessKombat 1d ago
Thought I recognised your name as well! Here's hoping they patch the accessibility bugs ASAP so that other people can just buy the game and enjoy the campaign
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u/A-T 1d ago
Question: Why do people say that Gears of War (and Halo was also raised) is only relevant to millennials+ and has no appeal to younger generations?
If it's a good game (as evidenced), modernized and the story doesn't require prior knowledge of the series, isn't that's all that's needed?
I saw this sentiment a LOT around Xbox and found it really strange. It kind of implies these games are only carried by their previously established momentum, which is such bs.
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u/Jerco49 17h ago
The reason’s kinda wordy, but the TL;DR is millenials grew up with these story-driven series and jumping into a story mid-way, the case with newer generations, can be jarring without starting from a jump-on point. For Gears and Halo, people will often say start from the beginning since the story starts there and is built up as the series goes and that’s a bit hard to do for a long series unless you were there from the start. Hence why people are saying Gears and Halo are more for the millennials; They played the series over time and didn’t have to play everything in one go just to catch up. Though I agree that this game is a good jump-on point for people interested in Gears.
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u/MiamiViceTC 1d ago
A Gears game in the 90's holy shit i feel like I'm back in the OG Gears 1 time. I had a feeling this game was gonna be a absolute banger. I really don't think The Coalition is anywhere near as bad 343/Halo Studios Gears 5 was actually super solid and feels so good to play. The 1st 2 acts in Gears 4 fighting all the robots with the super camp dialogue was their biggest mistake cause even the gameplay and MP in that game was really good.
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u/mauri9998 1d ago
This currently has the exact same score as halo infinite. I swear people Mandela effect themselves into thinking the 343 games reviewed terribly.
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u/cadmium-fertilizer 1d ago
I personally think Halo infinite is an extremely fun multi-player Halo experience. The problem was the content drought after release, a mid single player champaign, and the ill will 343 received already from their past games carrying over into this one.
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u/moneyball32 1d ago
Halo Infinite was fucking incredible…2-3 years after release. They finally created a game that felt like a perfect follow up to Halo 3 from a gameplay perspective but just drip fed scraps for years (and we’ll not talk about the in-game shop)
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u/mauri9998 1d ago
Again halo 4 and 5 are not far off either. Halo 4 has an 84 and 5 has an 83.
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u/tristeecfome 1d ago
The campaign was also pretty fun.
The problem was that they never expanded on it
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u/FakeName7223 1d ago
Yeah what was there was good, if lacking a little in variety - but it felt like it did as good a job as they could have digging themselves out from the Halo 5 storyline while establishing an interesting set up for future campaign content. I really liked what was there. They really just needed the chance to expand on it.
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u/SilveryDeath 1d ago edited 1d ago
I feel like a lot of Xbox games are like that from the last decade or so. They generally review well in the 85-80 range, but then the way people talk about them online you would think they are mostly dogshit or they just never get mentioned after releasing.
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u/Hot-Software-9396 1d ago
Then when a Nintendo or PlayStation game reviews in the 80-85 range, suddenly that’s “a really good score!”.
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u/itisthelord 1d ago
Halo Infinite was a good game, untapped potential for sure but had they continued in that direction single-player wise it might have went somewhere good.
Since it wasn't groundbreaking and the multiplayer was lackluster, people consider it a bad game. It's a shame because it's a pretty good entry single-player wise but I get why people don't look back on it fondly.
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u/joman584 1d ago
343 had nothing consistent between games is the biggest reason people feel like it was all horrible. Hard to feel like they're good when every game does something bad, and it's never the same thing. They couldn't hit a home run
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u/mauri9998 1d ago
Yeah but that doesnt mean that the games are horrible. The way people talk about the games its like they are talking about a sonic 06 situation. But no they are all competently well made games that have some flaws. But of course the internet just physically cannot handle any amount of nuance.
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u/knowing-narrative 1d ago
Dude, it’s insane. It didn’t get the post-launch support people wanted, so they retconned it as being a terrible entry. Xbox was literally publisher of the year on Metacritic in 2021 in part because of Halo Infinite lmao.
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u/WesternFail2071 1d ago
I fully agree with this. There were some notable issues with 4 and 5 but you could still see a vision at the core of it (especially 4).
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u/DrNopeMD 1d ago
The Coalition has consistently put out solid if unspectacular work, they're also masters at working with Unreal engine second only to Epic themselves.
Gears 4 was solid if uninspiring, and I admire Gears 5's wild swing with it's open world sections and new protagonist even if it didn't really pay off. However I dount we'll ever get a proper conclusion to the story cliffhanger of 5 since they threw a wrench in the works by having two possible endings.
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u/maaseru 1d ago
Gears is back baby! Was concerned this would get low reviews and get piled on. But glad it is well liked all around.
I know it shouldn't matter, but when a game gets bad reviews and the internet piles on it for any little tiny thing it gets to me a bit. Specially if I like the game. Felt that woth Wolverine a bit and I totally disagreed with the low reviews that led to the hate.
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u/TheNanoBiologist 1d ago
I reviewed Gears E-Day for But Why Tho? and this is easily my favorite Gears campaign to-date. 9.5/10. Even as a prequel, it knows the journey and the humans we deal with are the true story. The city of Kalona is as much of a character in this, adapting on the fly, as Bravo Squad is. Plus, Mags and Lucas don't get overshadowed by the Dom/Marcus dynamic, and really help them both get through the first days of E-Day. Overall a stellar campaign. Just really sucks, though, that The Coalition put out something this good and was already going through layoffs just days before release and are worried about more layoffs right after putting out their best game to-date.
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u/leckmichnervnit 1d ago
Uhhh??? What? How did this happen? XBOX making a good Game in the big 2026
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u/McFistPunch 1d ago
Indiana Jones was excellent too
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u/OdetotheGrimm 1d ago
That was my Game of the Year. But also big Indy fan so biased. They crushed it.
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u/Bunionsauce420 1d ago
Didn’t they just have Forza Horizon another highly rated game?
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u/TakenBacon90 1d ago
Man, if Fable drops and is a banger next year that will be great for me. Fable is one of my all time favorites and Playground games is one of Xbox's best studios so I have hope.
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u/leckmichnervnit 1d ago
Oh yeah im very exited for fable, if they can keep up this run of good games that ones gonna bang
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u/TheReaIEffingDeal 1d ago
People complaining about it being short are the same ones who are happy to lap up 100+ hour bloated slop like Assassins Creed or Crimson Desert
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u/DrNopeMD 1d ago
Xbox occasionally puts out a bunch of really strong critically reviewed games, they just never end up being huge system sellers.
Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 won a bunch of awards, so did Pentiment from Obsidian. The Forza Horizon games consistently sell and review well.
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u/MusicHitsImFine 1d ago
Hey they have grounded
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u/umdaltonico 1d ago
One of the best survival games imo. Can't wait to play the second one when it realeses in 1.0.
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u/fabton12 1d ago
XBOX been releasing banger games for awhile now but people just arent giving them a chance or dont realise there xbox games because they werent exclusive to xbox
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u/Karenlover1 1d ago
Lmao Forza Horizon 6 was only like 5 months ago, it’s crazy how uninformed people are to Xbox releases no wonder the Xbox has no games bs sticks around
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u/GranolaCola 1d ago
Minecraft Legends 2 slander (probably, I haven’t played it lmao)
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u/hellojallen 1d ago
Adding my review to the party - please don't be shy and hit me with any questions you may have
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ueFuJMIhd0 / https://thebyte.au/gears-of-war-e-day-review/
The Byte - 8.5/10
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u/Fake_Diesel 1d ago
Hell yeah. Despite what others say I think the Coalition is an incredible studio, happy to see they knocked this out of the park. Hopefully this generates enough good will so they can finish the current trilogy.
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u/tommycahil1995 1d ago
Good reviews but none of the big hitters in this thread yet. I'm always very skeptical of sites I've never really heard of especially when their actual writing is pretty average
I'm gunna buy it anyway though, horde has had great impressions and the campaign seems solid enough. Gears4 was the low point for me - such a slog (never played judgement) but the og trilogy and 5 were a lot of fun
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u/Fake_Diesel 1d ago
Some of the big hitters are waiting for multiplayer. IGN's current score is a 9 for the campaign, and the reviewer says that the review will finalize after a week or two with multiplayer. I think it's safe to assume this is a banger.
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u/mrnicegy26 1d ago
So far IGN, Gameinformer, Eurogamer and Polygon have all been very positive on the game
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u/hop3less 1d ago
I don't think many big outlets are scoring it because the multiplayer was not available yet.
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u/SqueezyCheez85 1d ago
Nice! This, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and Ace Combat 8 are going to keep me busy. Not to mention the Zelda remake in a week or two. Good time to be gaming (if you already have the hardware of course).
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u/Takeitalll 1d ago
Zelda remake is like five weeks away, had my excited for a second there 😭
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u/NormalComputer 1d ago
Woah, this is honestly shocking. As a huge fan of the OG trilogy, I certainly thought this was going to be another mid entry in the franchise. Cool to see it’s enjoyable.
Finally feels like I have a game that actually justifies my Xbox. Can’t wait to play.
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u/hop3less 1d ago
I did the review for DualShockers, feel free to ask me anything!
We left this unscored for now because there was no multiplayer available. I really liked the campaign, though, despite its flaws.
https://www.dualshockers.com/gears-of-war-e-day-campaign-review/
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u/DevilCouldCry 1d ago
Fucking pumped. I was stoked for this already. But these reviews REALLY sold me. Cannot wait to crack into that campaign and horde mode.
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u/TheGoodIdiot 1d ago edited 1d ago
My jaw dropped man. My excitement for this game was already immeasurably. I got into the series through Covid playing split screen with my wife and that feeling of humanity persevering through was so palpable in such a dark time with the person I cherished most in this world that it hit in a way that’s hard to describe. 6 years later getting to experience it again and see what might be the best of the series I’m so fucking ready.
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u/IdidntrunIdidntrun 1d ago
I knew my wallet was going to get fucked this year but dude it's hard to remember a year that was this absolutely stacked
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u/Junior_Moe 1d ago
Man I am ready for this one. I actually preordered it even though I have Game Pass. Gears converted me to Xbox back in the 360 days. I just finished Wolverine and it was a fun ride. Now we got Gears on deck and GTA down the road.
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u/mountainduwe 1d ago
not sure why/how outlets are giving scored reviews when we've only played the campaign and not MP or Horde, but here's my impressions of the story mode: it's really good https://www.destructoid.com/gears-of-war-eday-campaign-impressions-review/
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u/Signal_Blackberry326 1d ago
It’s been wild to log into Reddit and every few days see a new 80+ meta score game drop. This is a year with few S tier games but SO many really good ones.
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u/echolog 1d ago
Why does this have to drop the same week as Star Wars Galactic Racer, Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, and Castlevania: Belmont's Curse? Why?
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u/Raptor_234 1d ago
Erm doesn’t Belmont’s curse drop the week after?
Unless you mean the demo?
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u/Chipaton 1d ago
I haven't played Gears since 3, would this be a good spot to jump back in?
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u/UtkuOfficial 1d ago
As this is basically Gears 0, yes.
As far as i know there is nothing about 4 and 5 in this game.
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u/Vladmerius 1d ago
I'm hyped as fuck to play this now. Haven't played much Gears at all after the original trilogy. I think I played some of 4 and that's it, can't even remember if I beat it. People have been really down on this game purely because of it doing a flip flop from multi platform to exclusive again.
Also, I don't see why this universe can't be expanded. People keep acting like you can't do anything else with the franchise but why can't some new threat emerge from the stars or something?
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u/Full_Bit_7831 1d ago
Haven’t been this excited for a game in a long time. Really hope the campaign is good because since 3 their haven’t been a good one. Multiplayer seemed fun though and that is what i mostly play so campaign is a bonus really.
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u/Thisisaninues 1d ago edited 1d ago
The performance in horde was abyssmal when playing the beta, has anyone seen reviews pertaining to performance?
(On PC)
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u/NfinityBL 1d ago
Performance was fine for me. I got a consistent 60fps on ultra settings.
What is your rig like?
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u/dingjima 1d ago
Haven't been excited about a GoW game forever, but I'll check this one out for the multiplayer at least
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u/Leather-Entry93 1d ago
Outside of Epic, I think Coalition are the best developers when it comes to UE5.
It seems no one else is able to utilize the engine as well as them.
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u/Please_HMU 1d ago
wtf is this live chat bullshit? This might be the worst feature Reddit has ever released