Gears 5

Gears of War is arguably one of the biggest franchises in gaming history, and definitely, one of the main exclusives Xbox owners look forward to. Gears of War 4 launched on the Xbox to great fanfare, featuring incredible graphics, brand new characters and that familiar brutal combat that made the series so beloved. However, the game did have some naysayers, many not enjoying the online component and the abrupt ending to the main campaign. A few years later and The Coalition returns with a new Gears of War, looking to right the wrongs of the previous entry and blow away the naysayers. Welcome to Gears 5.

The world is crumbling. The Swarm has corrupted the Coalition’s robot army and is descending upon human cities. With danger closing in, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera. Gears 5’s main campaign shifts away from squared jawed JD Fenix and focuses purely on the story of Kait Diaz, who tragically lost her mother to the Swarm in the previous game. The cliffhanger ending of GOW4 left us to decipher the importance of the necklace she received from her mother and Gears 5 fully explores Kait as a character, her revenge story, and the game explores the intense danger that awaits her and her team.

When you first boot up Gears 5 be prepared to be amazed at how amazing it looks. Unlike the previous entry, Gears 5 was built with the power of the Xbox One X in mind and it shows. Gorgeous vista’s, fantastic character animation and of course brutal chainsaw action is represented in stunning 4K and HDR with a smooth-as-butter 60 frames per second. This title might just be the best-looking game ever to grace the Microsoft console.

But of course, looks aren’t everything and it’s the gameplay component of Gears 5 that really excels. Having taken the criticism of the previous entry to heart, the Coalition has fine-tuned an already solid gameplay experience and controlling Kait or your online character has never felt better. Online has also been revamped featuring some exciting new game modes for all the online addicts. Escape is a new, aggressive, high-stakes co-op mode featuring a three-player suicide squad that must work together to take out enemy hives from within. The overhauled Horde sees you trying to survive using new hero abilities, building defenses, collecting power, leveling up your skills and working as a team.

Gears 5 is an epic return to form for the series and even the most hardcore GOW fan will find gaming joy in this title. And as per other Xbox exclusives, if you’re a member of the Game Pass community to get to try the game for free as it will launch on Game Pass on day one. Rev up your Lancer Chainsaw and prepare yourself for the ultimate Gears experience.