Gears of War: E-Day Nails the Gunplay and Loses the Plot in the Middle

The game is built around cover-based third-person combat, and the praise is concentrated there. Showcase footage described a prequel focused on Marcus and Dom, with the cover shooting and active reload system the series is known for. Several critics say the shooting feels better than ever, and Worthplaying puts it plainly: the campaign may not be all that exciting, but it works fine and is elevated by the solid gunplay.

The criticism is almost entirely about structure. The campaign is the target. PC Gamer's in-progress piece called it a slog, and its final review describes an exhausting firefight that outstays its welcome. GameSpot says the story is disappointing, that the open areas are fairly dull, and that the combat has not changed much over the last twenty years. Wikipedia's summary of the critical reception notes pacing issues in the semi-open levels and boss battles. The shooting is the thing that carries you through the stretches where the level design does not.

Multiplayer is a bright spot in the coverage that exists. IGN praises the multiplayer suite, with Horde Siege singled out as an evolved PvE mode, and PC Gamer calls the multiplayer strong. Steam players have, however, complained about missing features such as custom lobbies.

Performance is the main PC story. Independent testing found that even top GPUs struggle at the Ludicrous preset at native 1440p and 4K, and you will likely need upscaling and some settings tuning to hold a high frame rate. Worthplaying hit 60 frames per second at 4K on ultra with native resolution on its test rig, and Futurefive found strong frame rates on a maxed-out setup. Some Steam users report crashes, desync and frame-generation tearing, while others describe a smooth experience on high-end hardware. In short, the game is scalable but demanding.

The visual side is the one area where nearly everyone agrees. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the game has drawn plenty of superlatives: Futurefive called the maxed-out PC version stunning and the visuals amazing, and one review called it one of the best-looking games they had ever played. The darker tone, which Wikipedia lists among the praised elements alongside the combat and customization, suits a story about the day everything went wrong.

The atmosphere reads as heavier and more horror-tinged than the series' usual bombast. Shane the Gamer praises the atmosphere while noting that the combat can become repetitive over longer sessions, which echoes the structural complaint above.

It is a big, expensive-looking game, and the technology is a mixed blessing. The same fidelity that makes screenshots look incredible is what drives the demanding PC requirements.