I Am Tentatively Hopeful About Gears of War E-day

Honestly, I’m not surprised the next Gears Of War game will be another prequel. It makes perfect sense, especially considering the weird place that Gears 5 left us regarding which ending was canon. The fact that Gears of War: E-Day is taking place during one of the most interesting periods in the series history is fantastic for several reasons, but there are some concerns too. 

First things first, what is E-Day, and why is it the perfect setting? E-Day stands for “Emergence Day”, and it’s the first time the Locust attacks the surface. It was a period of massive death and devastation where the forces of the COG, the Coalition of Ordered Governments, engaged in planet-wide warfare against a foe they were ill-prepared to fight. This setting is both familiar to fans and different at the same time. See, in the original Gears of War, you were constantly on the back foot due to the destruction of most of the military forces. We only had one moment of a full military engagement which was mostly an on-rails section.

This new game could show us a much more epic encounter with lots more soldiers fighting a horde of Locust, as well as their mass groups of monstrous beasties. Gears of War: E-Day could also answer many questions that were raised in the comics, namely how certain weapons were found, or the first encounters with many of the creatures we have come to know and (quite rightly) despise. There’s also the bonus of allowing us to see the growth of Dom and Marcus’ friendship, as well as the conflict between the Gears and the UIR that only ended a few days before E-Day. 

However, I have some concerns that need to be addressed. First and foremost, do not make this open world like that small section in Gears 5. I don’t have an issue with open-world as a concept, but it just feels trite in a Gears title. It’s important that even if the scale increases, the game maintains the same feel as the original series. While I want a bigger scale, I don’t want to lose focus on the relationship of the small squad together, although sadly, we won't see Baird or THE COLE TRAIN WOOOO. 

Another main point is that Gears of War: E-Day can’t shy away from the terrible things that the COG did during Emergence Day. In the original game, we only got to see glimpses of the COG at its full power due in part to the mass devastation caused by the Locust War. However, at the beginning of E-Day, we could see the COG at the height of their power and then watch them fall to the point we know they eventually reach. I won’t go into detail about most of the unpleasant parts of the game, but look up the lore if you want to be very uncomfortable. 

Finally, make sure the multiplayer is up to scratch, it has been a lacking element in the series for a while. However, if you are going to go that route then please nerf the whole Gnasher shotgun spam, I want Gears’ multiplayer fight to be reminiscent of the campaign; I want tactical movement and cover-taking as we all try to push our opponents back, not just everyone running around shotgunning each other.

The truth is that, currently, we don’t really know much about Gears of War: E-Day. As such, everything I say is pure speculation and hopium. However, I want it to be the game Gears fans have been waiting for. What about you, dear reader, what are you hoping for or concerned about the next Gears game?