If you thought the early previews of Gears of War: E-Day ended with the taste Xbox Game Studios gave us for its multiplayer, that’s not the case. Once again, I was lucky enough to take an early look at this long-awaited prequel, but this time, I got to play a short yet extremely enjoyable portion of its campaign. While I was initially skeptical about how The Coalition would handle Bravo Squad’s return, this short play session left me convinced we’re about to witness one of gaming’s most iconic squads at its very best.
Into the Fray
Contrary to the multiplayer preview, this one was on the shorter side, as I only got to experience two chapters of the game’s second act, which was around an hour and a half of playtime.
In any case, the preview dropped me right at the moment when Marcus and company arrive with the troops and get into the iconic COG armor before heading out into the horrors of E-Day.
The first mission was pretty straightforward, but every bit as cinematic as one would expect. I started by helping a fellow squad at a bridge, and then held off a horde of enemies as I opened the path to meet with the other COG teams. What caught my attention was just how smooth it all ran, at least compared to Horde Siege mode.
Now, I’m aware the multiplayer preview and beta were a work-in-progress, but some of the frame drops were a bit concerning. The campaign always hit 60 FPS (which is what I locked my frame rate to), and the visuals look extremely crisp. Everything from the lighting and textures to the countless effects, including bloody chunks flying across the battlefield, looked top-notch.
The second mission, which I liked most and embraced the more semi-open-world approach, let me roam around the city, complete side objectives, and rescue people before returning to the main mission. This was refreshing, as it provided a larger area to explore and fight the Locust without feeling bloated. Also, as someone who loves going off the beaten path, it was nice to see that in Gears of War: E-Day, as doing so often led me to an enemy patrol or a collectible.
Yet it was a welcome sight to see the prequel embrace both approaches. It retains the series’ high-quality linear level design while introducing larger maps and more open-ended sections, giving players who enjoy exploring a little extra freedom alongside their Locust-slaying.
Speaking of slaying antics, I also appreciated how many of the things we saw in Horde Siege made it to the campaign. You have supply caches that let you swap gear, modify weapons, and swap mods. Every weapon you pick up gets registered to these caches, letting you swap your build when you find these stations. Also, I liked how mods seem to come from exploration and side missions, which is a nice way to encourage players to try some of the extra content.
Lastly, in terms of story, there isn’t a lot to say right now, as there were only a couple of cutscenes. However, I am already loving the team dynamics of Bravo Squad, Dom’s worry about his wife (thank you, developers, for re-opening that wound), and several moments full of fan service that will have players pointing at the screen after noticing every single detail.
A Promising Early Look
Despite how short the preview was, I certainly had a blast with it, and it appeased some of that old-school-fan skepticism I had. Jumping into these missions with some of the characters I grew up with made me feel right at home again. Plus, it has every staple of the series, from its hordes of enemies trying to flank you to that humongous foe that pops up before moving on to the next area; it’s all there.
Ultimately, this preview left me eager to experience the rest of Gears of War: E-Day. The Coalition has already shown through the multiplayer beta that it understands what made the franchise special, and this campaign slice only reinforced that confidence. If the full game maintains this level of quality, E-Day could be the return longtime fans have been waiting for since they first picked up a Lancer.
