Gears 5 is a third-person shooter action game for Xbox One and PC, developed by Canadian studio The Coalition and published by Xbox Game Studios.  It is the sixth installment in the Gears of War series, started in 2006. The game follows the character of Kait Diaz, an Outsider living on planet sera in the post-Locust War era. The game features the appearances from the characters of previous games, such as Marcus and JD Fenix. Gears 5 includes a three-player co-op campaign and several multiplayer modes. 

Return of the classic Xbox series

Gears of War was one of the founding titles of Xbox 360. It premiered in November of 2006 and immediately took the gaming world by storm. Players fell in love with Gears’ gameplay mechanics which derived from several other successful titles. It included the over-the-shoulder camera angle, popularized by Resident Evil 4 and cover-to-cover fighting system, which fans can remember from Namco’s Kill Switch. The gameplay of the Gears series turned out to be an exhilarating ride and the tough-as-nails characters, such as the protagonist Marcus Fenix and his friend Dominic Santiago quickly became one of the most memorable in gaming history. The series received widespread acclaim and won several industry awards.  

Action-packed gameplay

The gameplay of Gears 5 remains pretty similar to that of its predecessors. The game is a TPS action game with the cover-based fighting system. The player proceeds through levels by moving from one cover to the next, firing at the overwhelming enemy forces. Gears 5 introduce several novelties to the mechanics such as the 3-person co-op campaign, either online or on split-screen. The game features Jack, a drone companion of the main character, who can be controlled by the player lay covering fire to protect allies and fire at enemies, damaging them. There is also the “Tours of Duty” mode, which rewards players for fulfilling specific challenges with ranks ad gear.  

Gears of multiplayer

Gears 5 features several multiplayer modes, both cooperative and competitive. The main campaign can be played in three-person co-op. Other modes include Escape, a timed co-op mode where a team of three players must eliminate the hordes of enemies before the bomb explodes. Escape mode includes a map builder, so the players can create their own levels or try out those made by others. Versus mode pits players against each other in arcade-style fighting arenas, where victories are rewarded with cool new weapons. The Horde is a classic survival mode where four players must survive waves of enemies.

Campaign story

Even though the Locust threat is over, the war is far from finished. The Swarm, a new type of enemy, has taken control over the Coalition of Ordered Governments military resources. The hivemind creatures ravaged the planet Sera leaving its inhabitants at the brink of extinction. Kait Diaz, a former Outsider-turned-Gear, fights to prevent further spread of the Swarm plague. Alongside JD Fenix and his father Marcus, she takes the battle to the Swarm spread across the planet, vowing to rid Sera of their influence. But will her true identity as the Locust heir get in the way of her mission?

Reception

Gears 5 was met with positive critical reception. Reviewers praised the game’s dedication to both staying true to the series’ roots and introducing new features. Other strong points noted by the reviewers were the multiplayer modes and the bootcamp mode, which allowed players unfamiliar with the core gameplay of the gears series to quickly learn the ropes.

Key features:

• The saga of the Gears of War series continues
• As Kait Diaz, fight alongside the Fenix family to protect Sera from the Swarm horde
• Enjoy new mechanics such as aerial support form a drone and Tours of Duty challenge system
• Take on the A.I. or other players in competitive multiplayer mode
• Fight alongside your friends in a three-person co-op campaign