Gears of War: E-Day Campaign Preview
It has been six long years since the last mainline entry in the Gears of War franchise, and finally, the franchise is making it’s much anticipated return. The upcoming Xbox console-exclusive Gears of War: E-Day is arriving in a couple of months and I had the opportunity to give the campaign a brief test. Here are my thoughts on the upcoming third-person shooter.
It’s worth noting that this preview allowed me to play the entirety of Act 2, Chapter 1: Bravo Squad and the opening section of Act 2, Chapter 2: Hold the Line. The total gameplay time was just over an hour. I was able to adjust difficulty, but that was about it. Local and online co-op was not available.
EmergenceÂ
For fans of Gears of War, E-Day has been a long-time coming. The Gears of War games have always been filled with story and lore, and central to that is E-Day, or Emergence Day. This is the day when the world is suddenly attacked by hordes of monsters tunneling up from the depths below. The world is thrown into chaos. There is panic in the streets. And the COG soldiers that survived the initial attack must rally together and push back.
Gears As Intended
Gears of War: E-Day’s gameplay continues to follow the same established design as all the previous Gears games. As a level progresses, you’ll encounter an area where multiple enemies will appear. You’ll duck behind cover and shoot. As the battle progresses, you’ll move from cover to cover, slowly picking off the enemy until they’re all gone.
When playing solo, you’ll have three other AI-controlled COGs working alongside you. They’re pretty useless beyond firing a few poorly aimed shots in the direction of the enemy. And you can’t do much in the way of battle tactics beyond tagging a single enemy. If you get hit enough and are downed, they’ll at least come to your aid. I anticipate playing this game co-op, whether online or local, will vastly improve these combat encounters as you work with your friends to outwit and outlast the enemy. Unfortunately, the preview didn’t allow us to experience any co-op, so we’ll need to wait until launch to find out for sure.
Level Variety
During my playthrough, I experienced two different styles of level. The first was a pretty straight forward linear walk from point A to point B. The majority of this level took place on a massive bridge, so much of the cover was barricades and vehicles. As the level progresses, a second squad joins our squad and there are moments when we’ll be providing cover-fire for them. It really added to the cinematic flair of the level. This first level was more of a traditional Gears level.
The second level was a bit more open-world, even including a brief side-mission – albeit it was just killing a small influx of enemies. If you played the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer open beta, the level was reminiscent of the Horde mode. I’m hoping that the full game includes a few more of these open-ended levels that offer a variety of side-missions and areas to explore.
Next-Gen Gears
Gears of War: E-Day looks really, really good. This is still the gritty Gears world. E-Day matches the style and aesthetic the franchise is well known for, just with added graphical prowess. What shocked me was just how detailed the character’s facial animations were, especially during the cutscenes. I really noticed this during a cutscene when the city’s mayor and a COG commander are having it out. As a prequel that takes place 14 years prior to the original Gears of War game, some of the beloved characters have been de-aged. However, they still exude that badass COG swagger. The enemies I encountered during the preview are all ripped from previous games, but they’ve all received a boost in detail as well. The fact that this game was designed specifically for this generation really pays off. We’re finally getting Xbox games that look next-gen, and that’s a huge win.
Sounds of War
The soundtrack continues to be a huge part of the Gears package. During breaks in the action, you’ll get a brooding piece that helps maintain that tension. But as soon as enemies appear, the music breaks into this metal beast that demands your heartrate race faster. It’s worth mentioning the title screen track, Emergence, is really quite brilliant. You can stream it now on Spotify.
The voicework in the game continues to be top-notch, especially characters like Dom and Tai. Admittedly, I’m still undecided about Marcus Fenix, the franchises poster boy. Considering this game takes place a decade earlier, it’s understandable he won’t sound as gruff as he did in the other games. Yet, sometimes his delivery just seems… off. It’s not so bad in the midst of the action, but during the cutscenes, at least so far, it leaves a bit to be desired. I’m guessing part of the issue is my brain having a preconceived expectation of how Marcus should sound based on the dozens of hours I’ve heard him in previous games. I imagine as I play more of E-Day, his voice will grow on me.
Gearing Up For War
Gears of War: E-Day is shaping up to be everything fans want in a Gears game. It retains much of the same gameplay that we’ve come to expect from the franchise. Visually, we’re looking at some of the best Xbox has to offer. The soundtrack is the right mix of brooding tension with explosive flurries when the combat spikes. Voice-acting continues to be top-notch, though Marcus seems a touch off. Level design has some familiarity to past games, but there’s a hint that we might get some more open-ended levels that could add an element of exploration. Gears’ fans are in for a treat when E-Day drops.
For initial thoughts on the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer, be sure to check out our Gears of War: E-Day Horde Siege Preview. Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6, 2026. It will be available exclusively on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
***Gear of War: E-Day preview code provided by the publisher.***
