Gears of War: E-Day review — spectacular alien invasion soon becomes dull

Gears of War: E-Day takes players back to Emergence Day, when underground aliens break through to the surface and attack the city. The story follows a four-person squad: Marcus Fenix, Dom, cadet Lucas and the dishonourably discharged Mags.

The game returns to the series’ beginnings, explaining Marcus’s scar and the origins of chainsaws mounted on assault rifles. Its opening hours recapture the grim tone of the early games through urban firefights, cover and flanking routes.

Repeated routes and excessive collectibles

After a strong opening, E-Day becomes repetitive. Players repeatedly cross the same ruined city sections, including part of a bridge. Levels change their lighting and direction, but the alterations do not provide enough variety.

Large open areas are filled with hundreds of collectibles, while audio cues repeatedly announce when one is nearby. Side activities usually involve defending a position against enemy waves. Yet moving away from the main objective can trigger mission failure, despite the game encouraging exploration.

The series’ strongest combat

Combat is E-Day’s main strength. Characters move more fluidly into cover, slide beneath rubble and shift between positions, while combat arenas blend naturally into open sections.

The environments break apart during firefights: glass shatters, cars wobble, petrol stations explode and pillars collapse. Weapons feel heavy and dangerous, especially the shotgun that fires acid. Active reloads still require a precisely timed button press for faster reloads and stronger shots.

The game is most effective in dark, enclosed spaces where the horror intensifies. Those sequences are limited, however, and most of E-Day takes place in large, repetitive areas. The result is a safe experience whose strong combat cannot offset its lack of new ideas.