If we look back at the history of third-person shooters, the one that laid the foundation for the modern genre was, hands down, Gears of War. Back in 2006, Delta Squad’s first mission showed us that a shooter could deliver an enthralling narrative alongside some of the most brutal, mind-blowing (quite literally), and engaging gameplay of the time. Now, Gears of War: E-Day has raised the bar once more. This prequel delivers one of the best narratives in the Gears of War universe, and while it brings many modern systems to the fray, it keeps the magic that made the series so iconic in gaming.
Bravo Squad, Assemble
Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel, set 14 years before the events of the first Gears of War. Here, we put on the heavy boots of Marcus Fenix, or anyone else in Bravo Squad, as we take a look at the exact moment when the Locust Horde hits the fan.
As someone who’s always loved origin stories for any franchise, E-Day delivers in every single act. The build-up between chapters, from the moment you start smacking Wretches with a pipe to grabbing your first Lancer and cutting Drones in half to seeing the fate of Kalona, is jaw-dropping.
Still, what really stuck with me was how this prequel handled its beloved characters while introducing some memorable new faces. While Gears of War has always featured fantastic lore and excellent world-building, its characters have consistently been the franchise’s biggest draw for me, and E-Day is no exception.
While Marcus and Dom already have a special place in my heart, seeing them before the iconic trilogy just made some moments of the first three games hit harder. Marcus is dealing with the aftermath of a recent mission, while Dom just keeps looking for ways to contact his family, elevating those heart-wrenching moments that the series is well known for.
However, they aren’t the only members of Bravo Squad. Lucas Reyes and Mags Carter join for the ride, and they fit perfectly. The former is a rookie, fresh out of the academy, and thrown into what is about to become one of the toughest wars humanity has faced. And even if he is one of the newest COGs in the machine, I really liked how the campaign develops his personality as he spends more time with the battle-hardened veterans.
Carter, meanwhile, is a retired Gear who still carries the weight of past missions, something she explores alongside Marcus as the story progresses. I really enjoyed having another veteran in the squad, and she proved to be an excellent addition, particularly during some of my favorite interactions with Marcus.
In the end, Gears of War: E-Day delivers a stellar narrative and one that is miles better than what we’ve seen in the most recent mainline entries. On top of that, it’s full of easter eggs and tiny details that veteran COG members will love as they make their way through the longest campaign we’ve had in the franchise.
When Old-School Meets Modern
And while many of us play for the story, some others are just here for the gun-with-chainsaw antics, and Gears of War: E-Day doesn’t disappoint in that department, either.
In truth, when I played the multiplayer and campaign beta, I had a hard time getting used to some of the modern features. The buttons felt different, and I oddly missed that tank-like feel in the characters. Yet, this new coat of paint, so to speak, quickly grew on me, and I can’t see the series going back to its previous systems now.
Movement and gunplay feel better than ever. Despite some modern touches, E-Day still embraces its old-school roots through its aiming reticles, cover system, and movement. For me, Gears of War: E-Day has cracked the formula for blending classic gameplay with modern mechanics without losing that OG feel.
Even if the tank-like movement was so iconic, it just feels great to finally “steer” characters around with ease. It doesn’t feel like my Gears are a cargo truck struggling to turn a corner—they feel like actual elite soldiers for once. Also, moving in and out of cover is so smooth, which comes in really handy, especially in the game’s most challenging difficulties.
Leaving movement systems aside, the highlight is the plethora of weapons you can obtain, and in true Gears fashion, the campaign spreads them throughout its acts. You start with the good-old impaling Lancer and Gnasher before moving on to the then-prototype Chainsaw Lancer, eventually getting your hands on the Torque Bow and plenty of other destructive armaments.
Every weapon felt great to use, and only got better as I upgraded it. Those who played the Horde Siege mode might already be familiar with the upgrade system. Once you arrive at a Supply Cache, you can start adding mods to your weapons, ranging from straightforward stat boosts to improvements such as faster reload speeds.
However, some completely change how a weapon works. For instance, while exploring, I discovered a mod that let me fire slugs with my Gnasher, making it a more mid-range weapon rather than an exclusive close-range one. I was landing headshots from afar with a shotgun, which I never thought would be possible.
The same happens to your Tactical Skills and armor. You can add mods to them, giving your Adrenaline Shot a damage boost or your armor allowing you to heal after a close-quarters kill.
And while I do think the system is quite helpful, especially on Hard and Insane, I admit I often forgot about it. It might be an old-school thing, but I usually stuck with my “vanilla” weapons, as I got used to just shooting Locust enemies in the head, and that was the go-to tactic at the time. Nevertheless, by the final acts of the campaign, I was looking at different builds for my Marcus, swapping between an exploding Longshot and my fast chainsaw Lancer, and it was pretty engaging.
Lastly, one minor complaint I have is with the friendly AI. I was surprised by just how different the enemy and squad AI were from one another. The former was terrific and terrifying, with every Locust enemy embracing the feel of an unknown threat that the Gears still don’t quite know how to face. They dodged grenades, flanked me, and assailed me whenever they had the chance. My squadmates, however, seemed to love running into grenades, exploding arrows, and volatile barrels. Heck, they even ignored me at times when I was downed, which could be funny, but was equally frustrating.
Other than the above, Gears of War: E-Day has the smoothest and most satisfying combat systems in the entire series, with some neat additions that don’t feel too daunting to try, especially if you prefer to spray-and-pray during combat.
A Mad and Oddly Beautiful World
In the world of gaming, if I could list the games that have aged like fine wine, every Gears of War entry would be on the list. I can still replay the original title, and it looks as gorgeous as ever. Gears of War: E-Day follows that tradition, delivering some of the most harrowing, gut-wrenching, and brutal set pieces in gaming while also conveying a sense of nostalgic beauty.
Gears of War: E-Day brings back that semi-open-world design we saw in Gears 5, yet I’d say it isn’t as big or bloated. In fact, E-Day only has these big portions in specific chapters, and when they happen, they are extremely fun to explore. Take Act 2, for instance. I won’t spoil it, but you eventually explore a big part of Kalona. Along with your main missions, you can complete several side objectives and gather dozens of collectibles and mods as you walk through the dilapidated streets.
I really like how the game balanced these areas, as they often happened before the more linear levels we remember from the old-school titles. In that sense, these levels never felt tedious. I do prefer the more linear parts of Gears of War, as they are often packed with fast-paced moments and cinematic setpieces, but the semi-open-world segments were also superb, as nothing beats seeing a Reaver landing next to an E-Hole as enemies come running from every corner of the map.
And while performance was great across the board, I did notice a few issues, particularly with texture loading. Models occasionally took a while to fully render, leaving some characters looking noticeably rough until their textures loaded properly. Fortunately, these only happened in a couple of the aforementioned open areas, and everything else performed flawlessly.
The Quintessential Gears of War Experience
As someone whose early gaming days were shaped by Gears of War, and with this franchise being the one that got me into shooters, Gears of War: E-Day is everything I ever wanted and more. The Coalition did a superb job of delivering another memorable narrative packed with unforgettable moments and the brutality that is so iconic for the series. On top of that, every new system blends perfectly with the series’ established staples, making it a needed evolution for veteran fans and a perfect entry point for newcomers.
While I only reviewed the campaign, I’m excited for E-Day‘s future and whatever new project The Coalition may work on after. This prequel once again raised the bar not only for the series, but also for the genre, by delivering one of the most brutal and jaw-dropping shooters of the year.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Gears of War: E-Day (PC Reviewed)
Gears of War: E-Day is the jaw-dropping comeback the series deserves. Despite adding new systems, it keeps that old-school feel that caters to veteran fans while also being an excellent starting point for rookies. This new installment is easily one of the best shooters of 2026, and another strong contender for GOTY.
Pros
- A fantastic narrative
- Excellent movement and gunplay systems
- Gorgeous visuals
Cons
- A few texture issues in open areas
- Inconsistent squad AI
