No longer is this a third-person shooter based around cover and flanks. This can't be stressed enough: Players can now tackle encounters in any way they choose. He's where a sense of RPG-lite mechanics enter the game, as his skill trees can do all sorts of interesting things, including cloaking the player, giving the player a shield, fighting enemies, highlighting enemies and beyond. The departure from the usual Gears gameplay starts with a bang in the form of the robotic companion Jack-a mainstay of the series, albeit usually in the background and reserved as a door-opening mechanic. Details are pervasive like this in gameplay, too, with the characters even boasting different animations for opening doors based on what weapon they're holding. It is also nice to see some of the larger enemies now display health bars, which somehow manages to remove the feeling of them simply being bullet sponges.
The reloading minigame is still a joy, and it is a wonder we don't see it copied more often in other releases. Shooting the vast arsenal of guns added to the games over the years is still weighty and fun, as expected. Moving from cover is snappy and responsive with little in the way of frustration for sticking on walls a player didn't intend to. The cover-based mechanics that set an industry standard all those years ago remain. The headset experience with something like an Astro A50 shoots the immersion levels into overdrive.Īt its most basic, this is Gears gameplay with a twist. So does the banter between squadmates, the frustration of a botched reload and the ambient sound that brings it all together. The gory effects of combat as flesh flies and explosions break the silence remain. It helps that the sound design, as has always been the case for the series, is top-notch. Each environment tells a story, which makes it unfortunate that many players might run right past it. The fidelity and performance of the game never takes a hit, even when zooming about in open-world segments, which is a technological marvel for those who know how chaotic combat can get in the series.Īnd the in-world details astound, from the depth of items strewn around an office during a catastrophic event to the aftermath of battles long past, buried by the erosion of an abandoned environment-which is only to offer a brief example. The world is vibrant, and in the span of a few opening hours, the scenery goes from lush jungle and beautiful water to uber-detailed cityscapes and later to frozen tundra and sun-scorched deserts.ĭetails and functionality are where Gears 5 sets itself apart as a triumph. These aren't the typical or expected Gears-styled hellscapes. Partially, this occurs because the scenery is so diverse. There isn't an ugly or jarring moment in this offering, and in fact, the game is so good-looking and diverse to the point it can almost be a distraction. Yet here is Gears 5, a surprisingly visual treat both in comparison to current-generation games and in comparison to its predecessors. It's almost cliche to say a current-generation game catches the eye and is best-in-class material.
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