Gears of War E-Day takes the series back 14 years before the original game to the exact day the Locust emerged beneath Sera. Even though longtime fans know Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago survive this prequel, the campaign still delivers genuine emotional weight alongside sharp third-person cover shooting.
Table Of Content
The story opens right after the 79-year Pendulum Wars end, showing two heroes at a personal crossroads. Marcus wants to re-enlist, while Dom hopes to return home to his wife Maria and their two young children, only for the Locust invasion to shatter their plans and plunge them into terror.
Bravo Squad and a Darker Locust Threat
Soon after the tremors start at a local bar, Marcus and Dom team up with ex-Gear Mags Carter and rookie Lucas Reyes to form Bravo Squad. Rather than treating Carter and Reyes as disposable sidekicks, the campaign dedicates meaningful sections to fleshing out their personalities so you genuinely care about their fate.
As the five-act story unfolds across a 15-to-18-hour playthrough, the monster roster escalates from familiar Wretches and Drones to terrifying new threats. You will dodge acid-spitting, frog-like jumpers and Gorehook-wielding Heavies that can down you in one hit, culminating in tense mini-boss and boss battles.
However, one recurring annoyance mars the campaign's down-but-not-out moments. Friendly AI teammates occasionally stand right beside you or run away instead of reviving you, making four-player online co-op or two-player local split-screen the best way to play until a patch fixes their behavior.
Gears of War E-Day Combat, Weapons, and Kalona
On the battlefield, Gears of War E-Day pairs series staples like the Gnasher shotgun, Torque Bow, and the chainsaw-equipped Lancer prototype with standout additions. Returning favorites like the Breechshot join heavy hitters such as the Imulsion-firing Incinerator and the Ripper, giving every gun a clear tactical purpose.
Furthermore, a new Weapon Mod and Tactical Gear system lets you tailor your loadout without abandoning classic Gears combat. Finding yellow Hard Cases and finishing secondary objectives unlocks up to four mod slots per weapon alongside cooldown-based armor abilities like a healing Stim, while Supply Caches let you swap gear often.
Most of the action unfolds across the industrial city of Kalona, whose dense battle spaces improve dramatically on the emptier open areas of Gears 5. Unfortunately, infrequent framerate hitches appear even in Performance Mode on Xbox Series X, so the 30fps Quality Mode is best avoided until future updates arrive.
Versus Mode and the Standout Horde Siege
Online, Versus mode remains a fast, close-quarters Gnasher wall-bounce showcase with full crossplay and plenty of unlockables. Objective playlists like Warpath keep the action moving, and you can play with adjustable bots, though the complete absence of private matches is a clear disappointment.
Horde Siege easily steals the spotlight as the best part of the multiplayer package, offering onboarding missions, Blitz runs, standard Siege, and classic Horde on maps carved from Kalona. Up to three other four-person squads fight on the same massive map, making the battlefield feel alive as you battle toward extraction.
Between waves, optional tasks and Supply Caches let you buy vital defenses like Mortar Sentries and Spike Traps while leveling up Assault, Breacher, Marksman, and Medic classes. Surviving relentless waves of Boomers, Reavers, Brumaks, and emerging e-holes demands tight teamwork, making every victory feel earned.
Source: Gears of War: E-Day Review
