Key takeaways

  • E-Day launches October 6 and is exclusive to Xbox Series X|S on console ,with Xbox Play Anywhere for PC ,plus Steam and Game Pass. Ref Windows Central
  • Critics are broadly positive ,with an 88 on Metacritic based on 26 reviews at the time of one report. Ref mobilesyrup.
  • Reviewers flag real flaws ,and the PC hardware demands are steep.
  • Behind the launch, developers at The Coalition reportedly fear layoffs.

A Gears game with a lot riding on it

Let’s start with the good news. This is the first main Gears game in seven years ,and Microsoft opened early access on October 1 ahead of the October 6 full launch.

It’s a prequel, set 14 years before the original ,on Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde first broke surface on Sera.

f you’re new to the series, you don’t need to know the lore to jump in. If you’ve been waiting since Gears 5, this is the one you’ve been asking for.

What the critics are saying ?

Reviews are good but not flawless! Game Informer’s early verdict praised the frequent ,impressive action set-pieces.

Windows Central called it a fantastic game overall with satisfying combat and technical chops ,held back by some baffling design decisions. Its reviewer also noticed that larger enemies barely react to gunfire ,making them feel like bullet sponges.

Ref Gears Of War: E-Day Review In Progress – Game Informer.

PC Gamer was cooler ,calling it good shooting, but a campaign that’s a slog. PC GAMER

Several of these are reviews-in-progress, because versus and siege modes weren’t playable before launch and the full picture will come together this week.

Heads up, PC players

If you’re planning to play on PC ,check your hardware first. One benchmark roundup found only seven GPUs clear 60 FPS at 1080p on the Ludicrous setting ,with upscaling and frame generation effectively required.

The price is $69.99, and it’s also on Game Pass, so you may not need to buy it outright.

The story behind the story

Here’s the part that bothers me. According to Eurogamer ,as reported by Kotaku ,developers at The Coalition fear the axe will fall after launch.

Story director Juan Vaca was cut in late September, just two weeks before release. Ref Kotaku

There’s a bonus angle too. Staff reportedly have bonuses tied to the game’s Metacritic score, and one source said the team has been crunching hard.

To be fair, this is all reported by anonymous staff. Microsoft hasn’t announced any cuts to the E-Day team, and no bonuses are confirmed lost. Still, a team shipping one of the best-reviewed Xbox games in years shouldn’t have to worry about its jobs.

Ref spilled.

The bottom line

If you love third-person shooters ,E-Day looks like a strong pick, especially on Game Pass.

Just go in knowing the campaign has pacing complaints and the PC version is demanding.

What do you think? Are you playing it at launch, or waiting for the reviews to settle? Subscribe for next week’s gaming news roundup.