When “Gears of War” came out 20 years ago, it stood out from the crowd of shooters because of its cover-based gameplay. The novelty captured the danger and visceral nature of gunplay, where survival means hiding for safety rather than trying to dodge bullets.

Since then, more shooters have adopted that element, and it has become a standard in role-playing games such as “Mass Effect” and adventure franchises such as “Uncharted.” As the franchise enters a new decade, The Coalition and People Can Fly are envisioning a new path forward. That has coalesced into “Gears of War: E-Day,” a new title that takes players to the moment that creatures tunnel through the surface in a surprise attack.

THE STORY SO FAR

It follows franchise stalwarts Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, two war veterans having a beer after mourning the loss of Dom’s brother, Carlos, who died in battle. That’s when the tremors begin, and the city of Kalona starts falling apart. The Locust, the longtime series foe, begin emerging. Confusion reigns as humanity is figuring out the new enemy.

“Gears of War: E-Day” throws players into this invasion as Marcus and Dom form a group with other troopers at the bar: Mags Carter, a veteran from a blue collar neighborhood, and Lucas Reyes, a green cadet. Together, they transform from strangers fighting for their lives into Bravo Squad, a unit with a pivotal role in the citizens’ survival.

The four characters matter because the “Gears of War: E-Day” campaign focuses heavily on cooperative play. That’s how the developers set it apart from previous entries. It also means that “Gears of War: E-Day” will draw comparisons to “Tom Clancy’s The Division.” Both revolve around squad-based play, where teamwork is vital for success, but the two games approach it differently.

SENSE OF PROGRESSION

“The Division” sends players into a world after the apocalypse. The action has already happened. Players see the remnants of civilization as people struggle to survive. “E-Day” occurs while the world falls apart. It has more drama. Marcus and his crew fight off Wretches with lead pipes, gradually moving up to pistols and the Prototype Lancer. The campaign does a fantastic job scaling up that sense of power as Bravo Squad faces growing threats and acquires stronger weapons to deal with them.

“E-Day” opens up more in Act 2 as Bravo Squad is given free rein to explore Kalona. It seems like an open world with side quests and areas to explore for power-ups, but the developers narrow down where players can go with wreckage and emergence holes. To help players traverse this bigger environment, the team gives Marcus and company the ability to freely jump and mantle up walls. Players can also run and duck or slide to cover or go under big rigs. Lastly, players will spot destructible cover and learn that Marcus and company can scoot even lower, almost lying prone if they need that last bit of protection to stay safe.

All of this makes the environment feel more alive and dynamic compared to previous entries. “E-Day” takes players to several new environments, and the level design has more verticality and layers. What’s more fascinating is how Bravo Squad returns to Kalona several times in the campaign as they rush from one disaster to the next. Players see the city deteriorate over a few days of fighting. It grounds the world and heightens the drama as players watch it get mangled in near-real time.

THE OTHER PROGRESSION

Unlike “The Division,” “E-Day” doesn’t have a loot-based progression system. Players tackle side quests, which are generally decent, but they’ll be rewarded with hard cases that contain mods that tweak their guns’ power. It’s not as deep, but it feels right for “Gears of War” as players can access Supply Caches located throughout the levels and change their loadout.

The mods tweak how guns work, giving them more ammo, faster reloading or explosive rounds. Players also have Tactical Gear, which are devices that help turn the tide of battle or help players fill a role. Adrenaline Injector is the best for solo players, healing them while also giving a slight offensive boost. Meanwhile, the Stim Vaporizer can heal teammates around the player, essentially turning them into a medic. All of the Tactical Gear has cooldowns. Additionally, Armor Mods help accentuate a playstyle or improve survivability.

In the campaign, players aren’t locked into roles, but the fighting is more fluid, and they’ll constantly change loadouts to deal with different enemy types. Sometimes Gnashers are appropriate for hordes of Wretches that rush the squad. Other times, the Longshot is needed to take out snipers.

All of this gives players an adventure with elements of “The Division,” but The Coalition and People Can Fly tailor it into an experience that’s distinctly in the “Gears of War” mold. The action has an intimacy with its up-close camera and sci-fi world feels grounded in reality. The cooperative play amplifies the fun and offers some replay value, but don’t expect a game that fans can spend months playing.

When it comes to dedicated multiplayer mode, players have Versus and Horde. The Versus mode is the typical PvP competitive arena. The more interesting section is the Horde Siege, which puts players in a squad, and they’ll have to complete three objectives to finish. It has its own progression system and carries over many concepts from the campaign but applies them to a bite-sized experience that reuses maps from Kalona. It’s another way for players to scratch that co-op itch after finishing a satisfying story.

‘Gears of War: E-Day’

Three stars out of four

Platform: Xbox Series X and Series S, PC

Rating: Mature

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