If you were to name the top 2 hiding-behind-cover-and-shooting games, you would arrive at Uncharted and Gears of War. Only one of these franchises is prized by Xbox fans. Gears of War 5 left us on a cliffhanger, promising the aftermath of Queen Marrah’s takeover of Earth, but that’s not the sequel we are talking about today.
The war that started the series. Marcus Phoenix, Dom, Mags, and Lucas are days away from retiring from the Imulsion Wars when a brand new threat emerges from the ground. Their beautiful city is ripped apart by earthquakes, flesh-eating imps, and machine gun-toting grunts. Marcus and his team are back in action, trying to learn where this new threat came from and how they can speak English and build guns.
The game starts like a survival horror. Monsters are popping out of the ground, and you have to melee them. Then you get your first rifle, and the classic cover-and-shoot gameplay comes back. Your team of four heroes traverses the city, providing backup and taking the initiative in battle. You can expect the formulaic enter-large-area and kill-the-threat type gameplay. It’s repetitive, but the story and atmosphere make it feel urgent.
In Act 2, the game gives you an open world and weapon perks. You can equip your weapons with fire damage, quick reloads, and other perks. It also has body perks like adrenaline shots and armor mods that add to the customization. You need to find these boxes all over the city. The open-world gameplay throws you into mini-events that you can solve or pass while you hit the main objectives. It feels like a more claustrophobic version of 5’s open-world.
In true GoW fashion, the game is rife with machoism, hardened combat, and beefy warriors filling monsters with lead. Happily, the swearing and blood can be switched off, which is a feature I have always appreciated, even though I can only imagine Christians and dads with young kids using it. The swear filter still doesn’t block Hell, God, or D*mn, but the fact that a filter exists is a miracle.
After Gears of War Reloaded failed to impress me with its ho-hum graphics and dumb AI, Gears of War: E-Day feels like a true sequel, and I’m glad Xbox is getting back into its groove. This game is a monster shooter that redeems itself with a gripping story and tight controls, but I don’t think it’ll be as meaningful as 3. The characters hint at problems and quirks that need addressing, and beneath the major threat of the Locust, the military government is doing some shady things. The game’s ending will give closure to Marcus Phoenix ending up in a traitor’s prison, finally giving us the canon we need.
GOW is a point of pride for Xbox owners, and E-Day does not disappoint. The graphics are rich with details and atmospheric effects. PC players will have to wait five minutes for shaders to compile before playing, and if you stream the game on GeForce Now, it recompiles every time you start.
As a Christian, I’d only recommend this to any teen or young adult because the optional filters reduce the game to a PG-13 rating. You might complain that this ruins the game experience, but it could be a great option for someone with moral sensitivity to experience Xbox’s best series. I’ve always preferred GOW over Halo’s hyper-convoluted story.
As far as a God-honoring message that speaks to the soul, E-Day promises more of the same. War-worn soldiers being pushed to their limit to protect the world. They cannot grow weary of doing good (Gal 6:9) because the world needs them to fight. Gears is always about survival, and Marcus Phoenix is the only one who can win this war.
Review
Pros:
Iconic atmosphere and tight controls make a return
Exciting firefights and weapon customization
Swear and blood filters are a welcome addition
Cons:
This is not the sequel to 5 we were hoping for
Story not kicking off as strongly as the other entries
If you are not a fan of the story or atmosphere, you will not be won over by this game
Should a Christian Play This: Yes, it’s a welcome addition for anyone looking for a PG-13 game, but the spiritual nutrition isn’t as strong as in previous entries.