Gears of War: E-Day Early Impressions Praise Classic Combat, Darker Locust and Story Potential

The first impressions of Gears of War: E-Day have started to emerge following hands-on sessions with parts of the campaign, and the game appears to be heading in a direction that could particularly please longtime fans of the series.

Most impressions focused on one key point: E-Day is not trying to move away from the familiar Gears identity. Instead, it aims to reintroduce it in a modern style suited to the current generation, while preserving the heavy atmosphere, cover-based system, and combat that made the series famous.

A Clear Return to the Roots of Gears of War

Early hands-on impressions strongly praised the game's classic feel, whether in terms of combat atmosphere, encounter design, or the cinematic pacing of the story.

Windows Central went even further, suggesting that E-Day's story could become one of the best in the series if the full campaign maintains the same level of quality shown during the early preview.

VGC also praised the combat for preserving the spirit of classic Gears while modernizing movement and adding a range of new options.

More Flexible Movement Without Sacrificing the Cover System

Character movement has become smoother compared to some previous entries, with the addition of jumping, climbing, sliding, going prone, and switching aiming sides.

Despite these additions, the game still relies on the cover system as a core gameplay element, giving longtime fans a familiar feeling while introducing improvements that fit modern third-person shooters.

The Locust Return More Brutal Than Ever

One of the most praised elements is the return of the Locust in a more terrifying and dangerous form.

Encounters with them appear more intense, featuring smarter and more aggressive combat behavior, which reinforces the feeling that players are facing a genuine threat rather than simply fighting traditional waves of enemies.

This approach fits perfectly with the nature of E-Day's events, which go back to the earliest days of the Locust emergence and the catastrophe that completely changed the world of Gears.

Larger Levels While Keeping the Experience Linear

Level design has also undergone some important changes.

Areas are now larger and give players more room for exploration and environmental interaction, but the game does not turn into an open-world experience.

The focus remains on delivering a linear and cinematic campaign, while offering spaces that give players greater freedom during movement, exploration, and combat encounters.

Marcus and Dom at the Heart of E-Day's Events

The relationship between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago is considered one of the strongest aspects highlighted in the early impressions.

The game takes players back to an earlier period in the lives of both characters, opening the door to presenting a different side of their relationship before the events players experienced in the original games.

The visual presentation also received notable praise, especially the level of detail within the city of Kalona during the events of Emergence Day and the chaos surrounding the beginning of the Locust invasion.

Could E-Day Be the Comeback Gears Fans Have Been Waiting For?

So far, the overall picture looks extremely positive.

Gears of War: E-Day aims to preserve the elements that shaped the identity of the series, while updating movement, combat, level design, and visual presentation.

If the full game maintains the quality seen in these early impressions, E-Day could become one of the strongest Gears of War releases in recent years, and possibly one of the standout entries in the entire series.

Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled to launch on October 6 for Xbox Series X|S and PC.