Gears of War: E-Day Review - A Brutal Return to Where It All Began

There are certain game series that you can recognize within seconds of picking up the controller. Gears of War is definitely one of them.

The sound of the Lancer. The weight of the weapons. Taking cover as bullets fly over your head. The Locust coming out of the ground. And, of course, the chainsaw.

After all these years, Gears of War: E-Day takes us back to the moment where it all began.

Set during Emergence Day, the game puts us in the shoes of a younger Marcus Fenix as humanity faces the Locust for the first time. We also get to see Dominic Santiago before the events of the original trilogy, giving us a different look at the relationship between two of Gears' most important characters.

Going into E-Day, I wasn't expecting the series to completely reinvent itself. What I wanted was that classic Gears feeling again.

Thankfully, that's exactly what I got.

Welcome Back to Gears

The first thing that stood out to me about E-Day is how much it feels like Gears.

Not just because Marcus and Dom are back, but because of the atmosphere.

The world feels dark, heavy and dangerous. There's a constant feeling that something terrible is happening around you, and the game does a great job of making Emergence Day feel like an actual invasion rather than simply another chapter in the Gears timeline.

One of the interesting things about going back to this point in the story is knowing what the characters don't know yet.

Marcus doesn't know what the Locust will become. Humanity doesn't understand what is happening beneath their feet. The COG isn't prepared for the scale of the attack.

You're watching the beginning of something that you already know will completely change this world.

That gives the story a different kind of tension.

Experiencing Emergence Day

Emergence Day has always been one of the most important events in the Gears universe, but for years we've mostly heard about it through dialogue and flashbacks.

E-Day finally lets us experience it.

And this is easily one of the game's strongest ideas.

The first appearance of the Locust feels different because, from the characters' perspective, this is completely new. They're not fighting an enemy they've spent years studying. They don't know their weaknesses, their numbers or what they're capable of.

There's a genuine sense of confusion during the early parts of the story, and I really enjoyed that.

The game also does a good job of showing the scale of what is happening. You're not simply fighting a few Locust in an isolated area. You're watching cities and communities get thrown into chaos as humanity realizes that it is under attack.

That makes the setting feel much more important to the story.

Marcus Fenix Is Back

Marcus is one of those characters who doesn't need a huge introduction.

Even though this is a younger version of Marcus, he still has many of the qualities that made him such an iconic character.

He's tough, sarcastic and not exactly interested in following every order he's given.

But seeing him before the events of the original Gears of War also gives us a chance to understand him from a slightly different perspective.

He's not yet the Marcus we know from the original trilogy.

He's still figuring things out, and the relationship he has with Dom is a major part of that.

Marcus and Dom

For me, the relationship between Marcus and Dom is one of the most important parts of E-Day.

Anyone who has played the original games already knows how important Dom becomes to Marcus, which makes seeing them earlier in their friendship even more interesting.

Their relationship doesn't feel like something that was written simply because the developers needed two characters to talk to each other.

There is a genuine friendship between them, and their personalities work really well together.

Marcus is more serious and rough around the edges, while Dom brings a different energy to their conversations.

Some of the quieter moments between them are just as important as the big action sequences because they give the characters room to breathe.

And because we already know the future of these characters, those moments carry an extra weight for longtime fans.

The Combat Still Has It

Let's talk about the most important part of any Gears game: the combat.

And thankfully, E-Day still feels fantastic to play.

The cover system remains one of the best parts of the series. Moving from cover to cover, popping out to take a few shots and quickly changing positions when things get dangerous is still incredibly satisfying.

The weapons also have that heavy feeling that Gears is known for.

You're not shooting enemies with weapons that feel weightless. Every bullet feels like it has impact.

And then there's the Lancer.

I don't think you can talk about Gears without talking about the Lancer. There's just something ridiculously satisfying about running toward a Locust and hearing that chainsaw start up.

The weapons aren't just useful tools either. They're part of the identity of the series.

The Weapons

The weapon selection gives you enough variety to approach encounters differently.

You have weapons that work well at range, weapons designed for close combat and heavier weapons that can completely change how you approach a fight.

The Lancer remains the reliable option, but switching weapons depending on the situation is important.

One thing I particularly like about Gears is that ammunition management can make you think about your next move.

You can't always run around using your favorite weapon without thinking about how much ammunition you have left.

That might sound like a small thing, but it adds another layer to the combat.

The Locust Are Scarier Again

The Locust are obviously nothing new to Gears fans, but E-Day manages to make them feel threatening again.

That's partly because of the setting.

You're seeing them at the beginning of their invasion, when humanity doesn't understand what they're dealing with.

The Locust aren't just another enemy army yet. They're something terrifying that has suddenly appeared from underground.

The game also does a good job of mixing different enemy types into encounters, forcing you to think about positioning instead of simply standing behind one piece of cover and shooting everything.

Some fights can become chaotic very quickly, especially when stronger enemies enter the battlefield.

And that's when the combat is at its best.

The Level Design

The environments are another area where the game benefits from being set during Emergence Day.

You're not simply moving through the same type of battlefield for hours.

There are moments where the environment itself helps tell the story, showing what the world looked like before everything went wrong and then contrasting that with the destruction caused by the Locust invasion.

I particularly enjoyed the way the game uses its environments to create tension.

Sometimes the best moments aren't the biggest battles. It's walking through an area that has suddenly become quiet, knowing that something could be waiting around the next corner.

That slower approach gives the bigger fights more impact.

The Gears Atmosphere

This is probably the easiest part of the game to praise.

E-Day feels like Gears.

The dark environments, destroyed buildings, heavy weapons, brutal enemies and overall tone all come together perfectly.

There are games where you can tell the developers are trying to recreate the feeling of an older title.

Here, it feels much more natural.

I had several moments while playing where I completely forgot that this was a new Gears game and simply enjoyed the fact that I was playing Gears again.

For longtime fans, that feeling is going to mean a lot.

Visuals

Visually, E-Day is impressive.

The environments are detailed, character models look great, and the destruction helps make the world feel much more alive.

The lighting also works particularly well with the darker tone.

There is a lot of detail in the environments, and it helps sell the idea that this is a world that is suddenly being destroyed.

The Locust themselves also look fantastic, and the game doesn't shy away from showing just how brutal the conflict is.

It looks modern while still maintaining the visual identity that makes Gears recognizable.

Sound Design

The sound design deserves a lot of credit too.

The weapons sound powerful, explosions have real impact, and the Locust sound exactly as threatening as they should.

And then you have the iconic sounds that longtime fans will immediately recognize.

The Lancer is probably the obvious example, but it's the combination of all these little details that makes the game feel authentic.

The soundtrack also works well with the darker moments and helps build tension when the game slows down.

The Pacing Isn't Always Perfect

This is where some of my issues with E-Day come in.

While I enjoyed the story, I don't think the pacing is perfect.

The game is at its strongest when everything is happening at once, when you're fighting through overwhelming Locust attacks, trying to survive and constantly moving between cover.

There are other sections where things slow down considerably.

Some slower moments are important because they give the characters time to develop and allow the story to breathe, but there were a few points where I felt the game could have moved a little faster.

It doesn't ruin the experience, but it does stop the campaign from feeling consistently exciting from beginning to end.

Familiarity Can Be Both Good and Bad

This is probably my biggest criticism of E-Day.

The fact that it feels like Gears is one of its biggest strengths, but it can also be one of its weaknesses.

If you've played the previous games, you'll know the formula.

Take cover. Shoot. Move forward. Fight. Take cover again.

And honestly, I still enjoy it.

But after several games, I wanted E-Day to surprise me a little more.

I would have liked to see the game experiment further with its encounters or introduce some ideas that completely change how we approach combat.

The foundation is already excellent, so taking a few more risks could have made the experience even better.

Made for Gears Fans

I think this is probably the most important thing to understand about E-Day.

This game knows its audience.

There are plenty of moments that longtime fans are going to appreciate, from the characters to the weapons, enemies and references to the wider Gears universe.

But thankfully, it doesn't feel like the entire game exists just to remind you of things you already know.

The story has its own identity, and experiencing Emergence Day directly gives the developers plenty of room to explore an important part of the universe.

For someone who has been following Gears for years, there's something really satisfying about seeing the beginning of everything.

Is Gears of War: E-Day Worth Playing?

Absolutely.

If you're already a Gears fan, E-Day is an easy recommendation.

The combat is still fantastic, the story gives Marcus and Dom more depth, and seeing Emergence Day firsthand is something fans have wanted for a long time.

If you're new to Gears, this is also an interesting place to start because you're seeing the events that kick off the entire story.

Just keep in mind that this isn't a complete reinvention of the series.

It's a return to the foundation.

And for the most part, that works.

Final Verdict

Gears of War: E-Day is a game that understands what makes Gears special.

It doesn't need to completely change the formula. It doesn't need to turn Gears into something it isn't.

It needs to deliver satisfying gunplay, memorable characters, brutal enemies, a strong atmosphere and that feeling of being completely outmatched by the Locust.

And it does.

The story surrounding Marcus and Dom is one of the biggest highlights for me, especially because we already know where their journey eventually leads.

Experiencing Emergence Day instead of simply hearing about it is also a fantastic decision. It gives one of the most important events in the Gears universe the attention it deserves.

I do wish the game had taken a few more risks. Some encounters feel familiar, and the pacing isn't always perfect, but those issues never took away from how much I enjoyed playing it.

More than anything, E-Day reminded me why I loved Gears in the first place.

That heavy feeling when you fire the Lancer.

The sound of a chainsaw revving up.

The Locust suddenly appearing from underground.

Running from cover to cover while everything around you falls apart.

That's Gears.

And I'm glad it's back.

A big thank you to Xbox for sending me a review key and giving me the opportunity to experience Gears of War: E-Day ahead of release.

Game score: 8/10

Reviewed by: Ruba Jaiousy

Reviewed On: PC