What is the Early Reception of Gears of War: E-Day?
Other By TXH - October 15, 2026 Our HubsAny fans of the Gears of War series who haven’t yet taken the plunge and bought the game might have been pleased to see the early E-Day reviews. Critics generally feel that…
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October 15, 2026Our Hubs
Any fans of the Gears of War series who haven’t yet taken the plunge and bought the game might have been pleased to see the early E-Day reviews. Critics generally feel that the prequel uses what worked from the original trilogy, and successfully made some changes to combat and level design.
Critics praise a return to classic Gears
Men’s Journal’s Brian Marr reported an 87/100 average from 28 critic reviews when the embargo lifted five days before the game’s release. Several writers focused on the game’s connection with the tone and mechanics of the early games.
IGN Spain gave it a perfect score, praising the story, locations, weapons and returning characters. Console Creatures was similarly enthusiastic with a 90/100, highlighting the darker atmosphere, sense of danger from the Locust and gunplay that is “some of the best” from Gears ever.
Marr also noted the significance of the reception after Gears 4 and Gears 5 received a less enthusiastic response from fans.
Combat and set pieces
Eurogamer’s Dom Peppiatt found the campaign effective when it puts players through staged battles and cinematic sequences. His review describes a campaign that can run beyond 20 hours on Hardcore.
Weapon customization is one of the additions. Peppiatt wrote about the upgrades that can alter weapons’ effectiveness and reload mechanics, giving familiar guns new uses rather than simply replacing them. The review also praised the encounter design, which encourages players to make deliberate use of Gears’ weapons and cover mechanics.
The story starts with Marcus and Dom reuniting after the death of a former comrade, giving their return a vulnerable starting point before the Locust invasion.
Open sections are a sticking point
The biggest criticism in Peppiatt’s review concerns pacing. E-Day alternates controlled missions with more open areas, and he found those freer sections less effective. Some slow the campaign by sending players through similar parts of the city and asking them to explore, collect upgrades and complete optional objectives.
There are smaller gameplay complaints as well. Peppiatt had awkward moments involving wall-cover controls, camera positioning and checkpoints, including a fight in a cathedral that had them “pulling [their] hair out”.
Overall, critics think E-Day has lived up to the hype
Despite the praise, any gamers not sure about E-Day may want to check every review possible before purchasing. Some gaming sites may be geo-blocked; a VPN can help in these situations. You can see how CyberGhost works on Windows PCs.
The early consensus is encouraging, but the range of scores is intriguing. Gamekult gave E-Day 50/100, arguing that the game does not match some newer shooters that followed in Gears’ footsteps. So if you’re not sure about the game, whether it’s worth it may depend on what you want from a modern Gears campaign.
In short, most reviews broadly agree. E-Day is not a complete reinvention. It’s more of an attempt to restore the series’ strongest qualities. Critics broadly agree that the shooting, spectacle and Marcus-Dom dynamic work. The main reservations are around pacing, open-area design and the occasional technical hassle.
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