The prequel everyone’s been waiting for is out, and critics have weighed in. The verdict, broadly: it’s Gears doing what Gears does best, with a few wobbles, and one very understandable fixation on cover.
Gears of War: E-Day reached the public on October 6 for Xbox Series consoles and PC, after an early-access window for Premium Edition pre-orders. Review scores landed in strong territory, around 88 on Metacritic and 87 on OpenCritic. One caveat: those numbers reflect the single-player campaign, because multiplayer couldn’t be properly tested during the review period. Translation: ask us again once the servers have been yelled at.
The setup
E-Day is a prequel depicting the day the war between humanity’s COG forces and the Locust Horde began, a day that, by every account, was not a good one. It introduces new protagonists, Mags and Lucas, while also giving playable focus to the backstory of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, the pair longtime fans have wanted to see in their younger days, presumably before the shoulder pads got involved.
What critics loved
The most consistent praise goes to the combat. Reviewers describe it as some of the tightest gunplay the series has ever delivered, with evolved enemies, weapons and movement, and strong pacing. IGN gave it 9 out of 10, saying the campaign stands toe-to-toe with the best in the series, and GamingBolt also scored it 9 out of 10, praising the heartfelt characters. Video Games Chronicle gave it 4 out of 5 and argued very little beats its gunplay this year.
Where it stumbles
Not everyone’s sold. GameSpot gave it 7 out of 10, finding the story disappointing and some of the open areas dull, and noting that the core combat hasn’t changed dramatically in two decades. Other critics wished the story had more room to breathe, especially the relationship between Marcus and Dom. Windows Central’s early impressions flagged the open-world-lite sections as pacing breakers, along with a few boss fights that soaked up damage like a very angry sponge.
Should you play it?
If you love the series, critics say yes, a confident, enthusiastic yes: a solid return to the roots that polishes the formula instead of rewriting it. If you’re new, it’s a good jumping-on point because it’s a prequel and nobody expects you to know who anyone is. And if you’re waiting for the multiplayer verdict, patience. The internet will tell you soon enough, loudly.