The long-awaited sequel of Gears of War 4 has finally arrived and it’s an amazing piece of work. The Microsoft’s exclusive took on its successful formula of a third-person shooter and mixed it up with some RPG-elements. Even though, Gears of War 5, now called Gears 5, continues the story where the previous game left off, Marcus Fenix once again steps aside to let another character take the spotlight. Yes, the story still takes place on an Earth-like planet named Sera where humans battle against reptilian humanoids called “The Locust” but this time there’s also a little bit more room for a self-discovering female protagonist named Kait Diaz. Now Kait Diaz isn’t your ordinary girl as she’s the daughter of Lt. Colonel Gabriel Diaz of the COG Engineering Corps and Reyna Diaz, the daughter of the Queen of Locust. Her self- discovery leads to a whole new complex journey within the world of “Gears of War”.
This game is proof that acquired successful methods don’t need a lot of changing to be enjoyable. Gears of War 5 is probably the best chapter in its franchise because of its polished gameplay elements and familiar mechanics. Just like the first game within the “Gears of War” franchise, Gears 5 still is a third-person cover shooter at its core but flirts with RPG-elements. It’s the first time that Gears of War introduces some type of ability system where the player can pick different abilities. You’ll be able to equip 2 types of skills: offensive and defensive. Each skill can be enhanced by using upgrade components that can be found in the world during your playthrough. Each next level of your “enhancement” takes up more upgrade components, so you’ll have to make sure you’re upgrading the right type of skill for your specific game style because the components are very well hidden. Look very closely in every corner and every room to make sure you get the best out of this ability system. These skills are implemented into your friendly neighborhood robot “Jack” and can be altered at any time. “Jack” can also help to fetch weapons, ammo or upgrade components just like a well-trained dog would do and he can also interact with the environment to give you an edge over your opponent.
Even later on the game, your robot will be able to take over the minds of the enemies, making them switch to your side for a brief moment. Taking over their minds and controlling their body makes up for some interesting scenarios. Taking them over will only last for a couple of seconds, so make sure you make the best of it. Eventually, you’ll end them yourselves because who needs them anyway.
“Goodbye linearity and hello complexity!”
Gears 5 also opens up its world to explore as you see fit. There are 2 open worlds ready to explore: the icy landscape in the second act and the red desert in the third act. Just like in every other open-world type of game, you can accept side quest which rewards the player with other upgrades for your robot Jack. This gives the player the opportunity to play the game at his or her own pace. You begin the campaign but it’s up to the player to crunch in more hours if they want to unlock Jack’s full potential. If you don’t do the side quests, no biggy. It’s more of a personal choice and if you want to see those high-rank abilities up close. Just a heads up, these side quests won’t affect the ending of the campaign which is a good thing but player’s need to be aware that, even though a “Gears of War” game normally doesn’t include “determining” choices… keep your head up because this time you’re in for a surprise. You will have to make a big decision that could impact the game’s plot. Goodbye linearity and hello complexity!
Yes, I’m speaking about complexity, but this is only story related as the game continues towards a deeper exploration of the game’s lore. It’s not only about one person anymore, but it’s also about the events that are happening all around us and how we deal with them. The game still shows simplicity in the all-time favorite weapons, as a lot of these weapons kept their normal weapon mechanic, but the familiar arsenal has expanded with a lot of great new weapons that’ll give you enjoyment in killing those Locust. Your all-time favorites like the Lancer Assault rifle and Boomer are back again with their revamped selves but there are also a couple of new weapons that make their big debut in the franchise like the Talon Auto pistol and Claw Light Machine gun which pack some serious firing power.
Environments are just like you would expect from a world in terror… You’ll traverse different battlefield escapades along with some fantastic inside scenery going from a rocket launch silo to a colorful theatre filled with infected malicious robots. Outside landscapes are also available in Gears 5 and there are some environments that are very keen for the eyes. Don’t forget, you’re not here for a walk in the park and enjoy your surroundings. You’re Delta, the last hope for humankind’s survival. You will battle against The Locust and most of them will look familiar and even act like they want your head on a stick, but the Locust Horde still has some tricks up their sleeves. There will also be some fights against allies, Gears of War 4 introduced androids fighting alongside “the good guys”, however one of the Locust tricks is mind-controlling beings that suck themselves tightly onto these android friends and make them your enemy. These mutated androids are a force to reckon with as they charge towards you like a mindless iron bull. This makes the battles a bit more varied and more interesting along the way.
The Gears of War franchise has been in the game for a couple of years now and even though, each chapter had its story to tell, not all of them were great or managed to create a sense of connection. The first chapter of the franchise included an old battered hero named Marcus Fenix. He was the only one that knew how to kill the Locust efficiently and there was no room for mercy in this dark world. Even though, the game pictured Marcus Fenix as an angry badass, you could sympathize with him because he had his fair share of battling his inner demons; you’ve gotten to learn the motives that kept him going. Eventually, a couple of years further we got a chance to play his son “JD Fenix” which presented himself as the charming muscles from Brussels which brought the story to a different road and opened up opportunities to get to know his squad. All of these stories fitted perfectly in the lore of Gears of War but there wasn’t any chapter, except for the ones with Marcus Fenix, that really explored some of the main character’s background but that definitely changes with Gears 5.
“This is the second time a Gears of War story captivated our total attention…”
One of JD Fenix squad members was “Kait” and for those who played Gears of War 4 will remember this character because this character had more going on than the game’s story was actually showing. Kait, a nobody eventually got to know a little more about her family situation and got an important family heirloom that’ll shake the story up. This heirloom is an amulet with The Locust symbol on and since Kait doesn’t really know much about her family, this opens up a new direction for the Gears of War story. What starts off as a new JD Fenix chapter, is now a story all about Kait. We’re stepping away from the soldier’s life and focus more on this mysterious side of a-once-known-as-a-support-character Kait. This is the second time a Gears of War story captivated our total attention as there is this feeling of mistrust between JD Fenix and Kait. With this family heirloom in their midst, they don’t know if one another will turn against them. Fenix doesn’t trust the artifact as it’s a symbol of the enemy and Kait feels like her allies don’t trust her anymore and she’s all alone struggling with her emotions.
Kait struggles to hold herself together and the sense for her soldier duties starts to crumble down into tiny little pieces. Headaches and mysterious fragments of these horrific time-shifting moments begin to crawl inside of her. Discovering more of her history and unlocking her true capabilities develops a confrontation between her and her best friend JD Fenix. For once, the game isn’t all about the war with “The Locust” but more about the inner struggle of self-acknowledgment.
“Every game has their crash dummies but for The Locust no more!”
The game isn’t all about political conflicts or colonists anymore, it’s about Kait’s connection with The Locust, which was once known as the cannon fodder. A specimen that the developers used to get an excuse to make awesome weaponry. Every game has their crash dummies but for The Locust no more! Kait’s connection with the enemy gives her a sense of misdirection which eventually can be linked with Gears 5’s open-world design. In an open world, you’ll probably get lost at some point, so linking Kait’s emotional status with an open world that’s ready to be explored and get lost in is a nice touch by the developers.
I played Gears 5 on the PC and I had a terrific experience. Yes, there were a couple of bugs that stopped me from progressing through the story as some of my actions weren’t registered by the game but it didn’t hold me back to play the story mission again as the total experience has been enjoyable so far. Thank God, for checkpoints! This can be fixed with a couple of patches but so far, I had no technical difficulties whatsoever.
“This Gears is the best one yet and I can’t wait to see how the story will continue in the future.”
Gears 5 ‘s campaign is a masterpiece that brings new ideas to the table and for most of the time, have been well executed. The open-world design and the ability system make up for some fun times while the story focuses more deeply on the characters which result in a lot more cut scenes than we’re used to in the Gears of War franchise. This conflicts with the pacing of the Gears of War core gameplay, action-packed missions with lots of explosion and dramatic occurrences where you as a player act as the hero. Even though the story in Gears 5 gets a bit more attention, I have the feeling that not everything has been or will be explained to understand what’s going on exactly. The act compartments jump from one part to another part and you don’t really get a chance to recapitulate. Positive note, Kait’s build-up towards who she really is and what she really feels is compelling and will capture your interests for the long haul. With the background story where she betrays her home instance to join the COG army and above all that, has a connection with The Locust makes up for an interesting story within the Gears of War franchise.
Conclusion – campaign:
Gears 5 is a must-have when you’re familiar with the franchise. For new players, this introduction to a whole new character is the perfect time to pick up the game and jump in. The story is compelling and their successful formula of an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter has been polished. This Gears is the best one yet and I can’t wait to see how the story will continue in the future. With these new ideas and RPG elements, you get an amazing experience and I’m just talking about the campaign mode. Gears 5 also includes co-op and competitive multiplayer. We’ll review this section once the servers are available worldwide. Stay tuned!