Having played a few hours of Gears of War: E-Day during the recent online multiplayer preview, I can confirm beyond doubt that Gears is back, baby! With the focus being solely on the online modes for this preview, it’s been a rip-roaring time grabbing a Lancer and charging head long into the fray once again.
Only two modes were available, the classic Versus and the expanded Horde Siege. Versus is exactly as it sounds, pitting two squads of four against each other in a fight to the bitter end. With two maps to battle in, each round sees your squad starting with a set number of respawns before you draw your final breath, only able to watch anxiously as your final two teammates face off against a squad of four with three respawns left. The action is tense beyond belief, each death ramping up your anxiety a notch as victory is slowly whittled away from your grasp.
Gunplay is tight, with each reload needing to be timed to perfection so as not to leave you open to a shotgun blast to the face, viscera exploding across the screen in a torrent of the red stuff. Grenades boom, sending out a shockwave of dust and destruction. Movement feels solid, each bulging muscled combatant slamming into cover satisfyingly as you dodge a hail of death mere inches above your head. Whilst It took a couple of rounds to get used to an amended control scheme (roadie run on left stick press is not the Gears of War I remember!), control soon became natural and diving and ducking from cover to cover became second nature, an essential skill if you’re to stay alive for more than ten seconds.
Getting to grips with each map’s layout became vital as you rush to outflank your enemy or sprint headlong towards the more power weapons dotted around to gain the upper hand. Versus mode had me itching for just one more round, and another chance to take revenge. This is further enhanced by the drip of awards post-match. Points for most headshots. Points for most time being dead (yeah, yeah, I know); points for most perfect reloads. Points, points, points. You’ve gotta love ‘em.
It feels wrong to describe a war-torn landscape as good-looking, but here we are. Whether it’s the crumbled walls of a local mini market in the gloom of night or a sun-drenched facility full of broken pipes and tumbling concrete, these places don’t just feel like an arena for bloodsport, instead having the aura of just a small piece of a much larger puzzle, somewhere that’s been lived in, not just designed for skirmishes. From the glow of a lamplight to the red dirt floors, the maps have given me high hopes for the visuals we’ll see in the final release.
The same can be said of Gears of War: E-Day’s Horde Siege mode. Set in the ravaged city of Kalona, you and your squad will defend against the massed locust forces sent to defend upon your position. Survive multiple waves successfully and you’ll have the chance to extract to da chopper, living to fight another day. With three squads per map, this is the biggest horde mode yet. Featuring multiple objectives and the opportunity to help fellow squads in need, this is a fantastic PvE alternative to the tension of the Versus mode.
There’s still plenty of tension as squads of grunts get bigger, stronger, and even more grotesque reinforcements, forcing you to work together or die alone. Wave after wave will see you scrambling to gather resources for more effective firepower in the few quiet moments in-between the carnage. Choosing to have a varied team make-up between you and your squad mates is key to staying alive. Sure, a squad of shotgunners might look cool but you ain’t doing much against that sniper that has you pinned behind a gravestone. As ever, teamwork makes the dream work as you attempt to blast your way from cover to cover. Showing off just a few of the enemies we’ll be facing in the full game, it’s a co-op experience like no other that’s sure to be just as addictive as previous entries.
With plenty to look forward to including customisable gun mods, loads of player levels to work through, multiple missions types, and more, my time with the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer has been a delicious appetizer to the main course coming later this year.
Gears of War: E-Day is coming to XBOX Series X|S and PC on October 6th.
