Returning To The Series’ Origins With Gears Of War E-Day Was The Perfect Idea

It might not mean much to the gamers of today, but Gears of War was a pretty important and popular franchise back in the day. Halo for the first-person and Gears of War for the third-person, these giants were the kings of Xbox Live and one of Xbox’s strongest hitters. 

Gears of War’s dormancy is about to end as well. The recent Xbox showcase was one hell of an event with many powerful announcements, but the Gears of War E-Day reveal at the very end managed to hold its own among the monstrous lineup.

The Prequel Choice Was Incredible

It was known for quite a while now that a new Gears game was in development. Not officially, but there were so many signs that you couldn’t help but believe. Even its presence in this recent showcase was more or less confirmed. Yet all the prior news did nothing to reduce the massive shock which was Gears of War: E-Day.

Why’s that? Because I and almost everyone else firmly believed that it’s Gears 6 that’s inbound. While we were all preparing for a Gears 6 to be displayed, Xbox said “I’ll do you one better,” and came up with a prequel instead. And I can’t tell just how much of an excellent move this was.

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I’m not that much of a fan of the last two games, while I absolutely adore the original trilogy. I’m sure there are many people out there who share this sentiment. That is precisely why a prequel that exists closer to those games is such a big deal, it’s a game reminiscent of the glory days of the series.

When the trailer began with Marcus taking on the Locust, I thought “Hey, Marcus looks pretty young here.” Immediately, my mind went to the “Gears of War 1 remake” possibility, and I was pretty happy with that. Then, Dom appeared and things got complicated, only to see the E-Day name. That’s when I knew, this was a prequel. 

Marcus and Dom Appearance Change
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When the rumors of a new Gears project first surfaced, I wanted this to be a Gears of War 1-3 remastered collection. The point is that I wanted something close to the original trilogy and away from the underwhelming Gears 5. While Gears of War E-Day is not exactly what I expected, it’s still pretty close to what I wanted.

The Horror Promise Is Certainly Exciting

The original Gears of War and the subsequent two games had a good grasp of what they wanted to do. A meaningful and dreadful concept always made itself known. It was a fight for survival, and the atmospheric horror and design elements certainly maintained that. The events of the Emergence Day and the ensuing Locust Swarm created a feeling of dread that brilliantly gave the series an identity.

Gow 3 is the best gears of war ever existed. not only the gameplay view is much better than the ones before it, but also the lore is crazy. the plot of Marcus passing from trying to survive from locusts and lambers or even starvation, to saving sera itself with the help of his father.
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This horror aspect and atmospheric impact slowly dwindled as we moved to the last two games. The seriousness of the situation was replaced with awkward humor, and the quest for survival became an action spectacle first and foremost. The environments of the original were unmatched, the latest entries just abandoned them for mindless action.

It was like an integral part of the series’ identity was stripped away. This is why I wanted any new project to lean more toward the original experience, rather than be an immediate sequel to Gears 5. 

The atmosphere in the first Gears was unmatched. This level still scares the hell out of me.
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With the E-Day reveal, my wishes were close to fulfillment. And now, we’ve got even more confirmation. According to the devs, Gears of War E-Day will take the series back to its roots, with an extensive focus on the horror element reflected in the atmosphere of the game. Design philosophy will shift towards maintaining the sense of dread. This is the best news I’ve got in a long time. The return of the horror was all I wanted.

All I Need Now Is Gameplay

With the reveal trailer, the prequel setting, and the promised return of the series’ horror-centric origins, It’s safe to say that Gears of War E-Day has earned a pretty strong position on my radar. I was ready to pay top dollar for a Gears game like the original trilogy, all these revelations have only strengthened those feelings.

When you see Gears Of War E Day announced and it looks amazing.
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However, the concept of the story is all well and good, but I want the gameplay to be like the original trilogy as well. The contextual and tonal changes weren’t the only thing bad in Gears 4 and 5, the gameplay shift was as well. For a true “back to origins” game, the gameplay needs to be equally in sync with the original formula.

Since this was the first reveal, there’s still time before we know anything about the gameplay. However, Xbox and The Coalition have the opportunity to do something magical here. They’ve already won the hearts of long-term fans of the series, it’s time to seal the deal by bringing back the classic gameplay elements.