Gears of War 5 Plays Like Its Predecessors, But it Has More to Say than Ever

It’s really funny to be writing about Gears 5 right now. While Microsoft and The Coalition have changed the way the franchise is marketed to players, the execution in its mechanics, traversal, and storytelling, the latest title shows that not much has actually changed dramatically.

Released this past September, I was able to play through the entirety of the campaign thanks to  Xbox Game Pass. While the program is convenient, it brings up a question going forward on how games are valued when you no longer have to pay $60 for the experience. Honestly, Gears 5 is the perfect starting point for a new user to Game Pass. Besides the included recap videos of the franchise as a whole, there is no need to purchase for the full amount. It continues where the last game left off, as a cliffhanger revealed Kait’s heritage to the Locust Queen via the necklace she wore. From there, it immediately starts in the aftermath of the last game where the Kids of Gears and Marcus Fenix are doing missions for the latest iteration of the COG army. It’s not a spoiler to say that from here on forward, the rest of the game had me playing as Kait, a woman of Latinx descent and played by the video industries’ equivalent of Scarlett Johansson. Act 1 first starts with Marcus Fenix Jr. and the traditional cover shooting expected of the franchise. Act 2, meanwhile, tries to replicate the same type of open world mechanics  that were more original in 2013.

Collectible hunting, mundanely made side missions, and a vehicle that continues the long trend in open world games of backing up like a Tonka truck, it has it all! And while these new changes are welcome, it’s been more than 5 years since the last entry in the series. The changes made to this game are no longer as groundbreaking as they would have been if it was released back then. That’s not the fault of the developer, but what makes these sections in both Act 2 and 3 so tiring is how it brings a different type of pacing to the franchise that is not fun to play. By Act 4 comes around, the game starts playing it safe again like in Act 1. And by playing it safe, I mean that Act 4 does continue the trend from the previous two and has you fighting in a linear set of corridors and outdoor environments again. I don’t mind a carnival ride as much as anyone, but I’m no longer ecstatic for set pieces as I was ten years ago with other games.

Besides the way weather affects things in Act 3, these hub sized worlds are only used to travel from one objective to the next. There is no combat in the open world, even though the vehicle you ride in has a turret available for your partner. Hell, the vehicle is also a place where you can store weapons in case you find one you want to keep for later encounters. But they do not add anything to the formula that has seen the most improvements through small quality of life changes. You just travel from point to point, get distracted by icons on the map, and continue from there. Unless I missed something, there was no combat scenarios in these hub areas. The only rare exception is when you are trying to race towards a bridge in order to lower it down and not have the train you activated get there before you. That was the only moment of tension I could think of where I felt tense driving the whole time.

The combat, and the quality of life improvements made in 4 are still here, including new opportunities for stealth and the use of a robot as a drone. You can task the drone to freeze enemies, revive allies if you are not close enough, and set up diversions as well. Gears 5 also introduces a new version of the classic lancer and now comes equipped with a grenade launcher. The Mark 3 lancer is the best iterative change to a classic weapon that symbolizes the franchise as a whole. But the changes I am most impressed with is how the narrative is set up. While nothing original or groundbreaking, I can definitively say that Gears 5 does a better job of saying something in regards to its politics than this year’s Modern Warfare. Where Modern Warfare uses a real world war crime orchestrated by the United States into a fictionalized atrocity done by the Russians, Gears 5 gives a straight answer to fascists when it comes to protests.

There is a point in the beginning of the game where you learn from a new character named Fahz that he and JD were part of a mission where they shot and killed protesters. When Del finds this out and calls JD for his lies and hiding of info, JD makes excuses that they were using molotov cocktails. Instead of backing down and thinking JD is reasonable, Del stays mad and still thinks JD is horrible for that throughout the game. Even in its moments of Saturday morning goofiness, it is still impressive but meets the bare minimum to have a black man in the Gears of War franchise call bullshit on the way protestors are dealt with by JD and the rest of the COG. Another example is towards the end, where you are faced with a choice. Gears has always used choices but only for what path you and a co-op partner should take in a level. (MAJOR SPOILERS) In Act 4, you choose whether to save JD or Del from being killed by your mother, who is revealed early on, alongside yourself, to have Locust dna. While not political in the sense of the direction this took, sacrificing JD to save Del felt like a choice that actually mattered. Because JD did not deserve redemption for what he did while working with Fahz. And by saving Del, no matter how much Del and Kait cry, I made the right choice in having JD killed. Though, how this would play in a sequel depends on what The Coalition chooses as the definitive ending. In any case, let’s just say Marcus Fenix takes it really hard when he finds out another one of his family members  is dead.

In a franchise that has been scrutinized for its representation of black men and masculinity, Cole Train being the sole prominent example, it is the most innovative aspect for a game where you chainsaw mutant creatures in half. My time with the game was mediocre, even if the production values around the surface are as stellar as they’ve ever been. An early example is fighting against the Swarm (Locusts?) in a snowy tundra, or a windy desert storm. But this game was ultimately made for Game Pass and is worth taking a look at for its refreshing but minor take on the politics of protests in its world. In the current state of how games are sold, Gears 5 is not something I would pay full price at its original release for. But because of only spending 6 hours with a flawed but middle of the road campaign, a small round of multiplayer matches, and a co-op mode called Escape, I still enjoyed my time with the game and commend the chances taken by the folks at The Coalition. But with whatever they are planning next with Kait Diaz and company, all I hope is that they take more of a leap of faith and follow along with their fellow devs at 343 and dramatically play with people’s expectations. But most of all, I want Marcus Fenix to get back to growing his tomatoes again.