My brief time with Gears of War: E-Day’s Multiplayer Network Test brought me right back to the glory days of Xbox 360, particularly 2006, when 13-year-old me got my hands on the original Gears of War for the first time. Of course, I mean that in the best way possible, as Gears of War: E-Day, even in its early-access state, feels like a true return to form for the series, bringing with it a more fluid and snappier-than-ever bloodsoaked gameplay loop that made the originals so addictive and charming.
Gears of War: E-Day introduced two new game modes during the test: Horde Siege and Conquest Escalation. Starting with Horde Siege, the game mode is a modernized spin on the tried and tested Horde mode/Firefight that now features some more objective-based sequences in between the waves of Locust infantry. Level design also reflects this focus on character classes, with the urban metropolitan map that was available during the test feeling large in scope, with plenty of dense geometry and places to duck and weave, made even better with the new destructible environment system that discourages camping or getting too familiar in one section of the map.
The ability to jump and slide feels organic and grounded, as the game is set earliest in the timeline, featuring a younger, more agile cast of Gear soldiers. The same can be said about some of the character designs of the Locust, which feature a mix of new and old designs, particularly with the Wretches and Tickers, who feature sleeker designs that feel more indicative of Gears of War: Judgement, which was also set earlier within the timeline of the series.
Versus, which I got to experience during the second day of the network test, was also lots of fun, featuring a more intimate trench-style map that forces players to engage with each other, made better with the new movement; ultimately, it made for a familiar but refreshing take on the classic Gears formula. Weapons felt familiar but also featured some new mechanics, particularly the Gnasher shotgun, which now seems to have an overhauled active reload mechanic, allowing players to give up some of their clip by pressing the reload key (or trigger), relinquishing their active-reload bonus for an immediate slug in a pinch.
On the PC side of things, Gears of War: E-Day feels well optimized, at least for my rig, with FSR4 allowing my AMD 7900XTX to run the game at a consistent 60FPS with ray tracing and more advanced lighting enabled, making the game easily look the best it has ever in franchise history.
In closing, even with only a few hours under my belt, I can say with confidence that Gears of War fans and newcomers alike will have a lot to look forward to when Gears of War: E-Day launches this fall in October.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
