2026 was meant to be a huge year for Xbox. After all, it is the 25th anniversary of the brand. It was the year that was set to see cornerstone titles return, such as Halo: Campaign Evolved, Forza Horizon 6, Fable and Gears of War: E-Day.
But history will tell a very different tale of the firm’s 25th anniversary. On the gaming front, Campaign Evolved failed to make an impact, Forza Horizon 6 was good but didn’t evolve much after launch, Fable slipped to 2027 and, well, Microsoft in 2026 saw 3,200 job cuts across the fiscal year.
Coalition Comeback
But don’t worry, Gears of War: E-Day delivered. For Xbox owners, the return of Gears of War has been a long time coming, especially after the mixed reception that Gears 4 and Gears 5 received. Series developer The Coalition has decided to go right back to where it all began with Gears of War: E-Day.
Which is probably the smartest move it could have made. Though it does leave those waiting to see what happens after the ending of Gears 5 hanging for who knows how long.
All Around Me Are Familiar Faces
E-Day takes the action back to the single biggest event in Gears history, the day the Locust first burst from beneath the ground and changed the world of Sera forever.
Set years before the original Gears of War, the game puts you back in the boots of series favourite Marcus Fenix, alongside his best mate Dominic Santiago, as the pair find themselves caught in the middle of the Locust invasion.
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They are joined by new squad members Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. While we already know where Marcus and Dom will end up, E-Day does a surprisingly good job of making their early friendship feel important rather than simply using them as familiar faces to get fans excited.
Dark Turn
The story also takes a much darker approach than some of the later games, with the opening hours really hammering home just how terrifying the Locust invasion actually was.
These aren’t simply another enemy army turning up for a fight. They are creatures coming from underground, literally tearing through civilians and completely overwhelming the COG.
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It gives E-Day an almost horror-like feeling at times and, for me, that works well. Marcus and co. have never seen, nor do they know, what they are facing, so in a way it very much feels like first contact.
As for the gameplay, this is classic Gears of War at its best. You still spend plenty of time diving behind cover, popping out to blast the Locust apart and then moving on to the next position, all while wielding the series’ weapon of choice, the Lancer and its chainsaw, which remain very much part of the fun.
Cover Shooter
The difference this time around is that The Coalition has made the movement feel much more fluid. You can vault, slide and move around the battlefield with more freedom, while the environments themselves offer greater verticality and more opportunities to flank your enemies.
This freedom comes at a price, though, which OG fans may feel most strongly. You can’t “roadie run” any more. Instead, you have a more traditional running system activated by clicking the left stick.
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There are also new weapons like the Incinerator, Gut-Puncher and Striga, plus enemy types such as Spore Matrons and Bile Frogs to keep things fresh. Thankfully, these additions never make E-Day lose that feeling that makes Gears such a satisfying shooter in the first place and, if anything, they add to it.
Visually, this is easily one of the best-looking games in the series and on the Xbox Series family of consoles. Built using Unreal Engine 5, the destruction, lighting and sheer level of detail in the city of Kalona are impressive, especially when you see the environment being torn apart around you in epic firefights.
Mixed Mode
The campaign also mixes the more traditional linear formula with larger areas to explore, taking a leaf out of Gears 5’s book. This gives you the chance to search for collectibles, complete optional objectives and uncover more about what happened.
Then there is the multiplayer, which remains a huge part of the Gears experience. Versus returns with its familiar modes, while Horde gets a major shake-up in Horde Siege, throwing larger teams into bigger battlefields with changing objectives and much more going on around you.
It’s a welcome evolution of the formula and gives the multiplayer side of E-Day plenty of life beyond simply shooting the other team in the face. Hardcore Horde fans need not fear, however, as a more standard Horde mode option can be found as well.
If It’s in the OG Games
Gears of War: E-Day takes the things that made the original games so good, throws in some modern bells and whistles, and reminds us why this series became such a big deal in the first place.
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The result is a brutal, bloody and, surprisingly at times, emotional return to the beginning of it all that puts Gears of War back where it rightly belongs, as a true cornerstone of Xbox gaming.
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