Summary
Gears of Warhas come a long way since its first installment back in 2006. The series has had an overarching story spanning 5 main games, a spin-off, and an RTS, plus comics and novels. It has been hugely popular with fans for its increasingly detailed lore, engaging characters, complex themes, and, of course, the ability to slice enemies' heads open with a chainsaw gun. The series could be described as a commentary on human nature, specifically the idea that humans are naturally violent and doomed to an endless cycle of wars. Each game pushes the idea further,as the end of one war seems to start another, and humanity just can’t seem to stop shooting itself in the foot each time. Often, the best that can be managed is to come out the other side in one piece, or to at least keep humans from being annihilated.
The last installment to the series wasGears 5, which gained notability for being the first installment to have a female protagonist. Kait’s story was an interesting one, dealing with her complicated family history that led to some big reveals about the previous games. Fans have been eagerly waiting for the next installment, and now it has finally been announced—only it isn’t quite what was expected. Instead of a continuation of Kait’s story,fans are getting a prequel,Gears of War: E-Day, dealing with the beginning of the war that has been central to the franchise.Although it may have come as a surprise, it is a welcome one. A lot of what has been shown so far looks pretty good.
5Interesting Choice of Weapon
An Iconic Weapon is Curiously Absent
Keen-eyed fans might have noticed an interesting detail about the weapon Marcus uses against the locust drone. When Marcus is slammed into the wall, players get a close-up where the tip is visible, and it isnotthe weapon normally associated with him. The iconic chainsaw gun used throughout the series (and especially by Marcus) is nowhere to be seen. Instead, when the tip is seen, it is a fairly conventional bayonet (a long sharp piece of metal designed for stabbing). What he is using is aretrolancer, an older model from before the locust wars. This makes sense, since E-Day happened so suddenly there would not have been time to develop new weapons. This also suggests part of the game might involve showing the origins of the chainsaw gun and how it became so widespread among the COG.
If that is the case, players might also get to see the origins (or at least, first usage) of other familiar weapons. Seeing an early attempt to repurpose the Hammer of Dawn or the first lightmass bomb would be a pretty big deal for players.
4We Finally Get to See it
The Big Moment Everyone Talks About
It should be obvious from the title, but the new game will finally offer a detailed look at a crucial event in the series. E-Day, orEmergence Day, is an event well-known toGears of Warfans. It was the day the locust hoard started emerging from their tunnels and their war against humanity seemed to begin. Technically,the circumstances leading up to it were a bit more complicated—it involved a period where Adam Fenix discovered them and attempted to negotiate a more peaceful solution only for it to break down because the COG wanted a new superweapon. E-Day marked the point where the actual fighting began and the locusts made their disdain for humanity known. To put it into perspective, this would be the equivalent of Austro-Hungary declaring War on Serbia after Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination, which marked the beginning of hostilities in World War 1, only much faster.
Yet strangely,not much of this crucial event has been seen in the games, with the original game taking place 15 years later. E-Day is talked about throughout the series, and the central characters of the original trilogy were there to witness it. The closest players have got, at least in the actual games, isJudgement(set shortly after) and a brief glimpse in4through a flashback.Gears of War: E-Dayseems to be looking to change that. Fans finally get to see the big moment when everything changed.
3Marcus is Back in the Lead
After Taking a Backseat in the Last Two Games, He’s Back in the Action
Marcus Fenix was the main protagonist throughout the first threeGears of Wargames (although technically other characters were playable through multiplayer). He quickly became a gaming icon and well-loved by fans, but4began a transition towards new faces, which culminated in Kait Diaz taking over5. She was great, and her story proved an engaging one that expanded on the lore of previous games while still offering a fresh perspective. Of course, making Kait the protagonist in this one would be impossible, seeing as E-Day happened before she was born. Instead, it looks like the developers have taken an opportunity to put Marcus back in the spotlight. But being set 15 years before the first game means getting to see a younger, less experienced Marcus.
Whether Marcus will be theonlyplayable character is unclear, though others will probably be available through optional co-op multiplayer, and having sections where Dom is playable would make sense.
2Possible Origin Story?
How Marcus Fenix Got So Good at Killing Locusts
Aside from being much younger, one interesting detail about Marcus’s portrayal in the trailer is his fight with a locust drone.This is a pretty standard enemy in the other gamesand one that usually goes down pretty easily. Although drones can be a problem in larger numbers, they do tend to be on the weaker end of the locust’s forces, and the player will kill hundreds of them throughout any installment. Yet Marcus islosingin a fight against one. He is thrown through a wall, beaten, slammed into the ceiling, and almost has his neck cut open with his bayonet, only surviving by managing to wrestle a gun into just the right position to shoot it in the head. It is an interesting aesthetic choice, showing a common drone instead of something tougher like a Brumak.
The most likely reason is to convey Marcus’s lack of experience. He is dealing with a new enemy the likes of which he has never seen before, and this might even be his first time killing a locust of any kind. It also suggests that a big part of the story will be exploring how Marcus became the man he was from the originalGears of Waronward. His character arc will probably involve adapting to the new threat and learning how to stand a chance against them.
1The Return of an Old Friend
We Thought We Saw the Last of Him
A major part of the originalGears of Wartrilogy was the bond between Marcus and Dominic “Dom” Santiago. The camaraderie among gears, to the point where they’re often more loyal to each other than they are to the COG they supposedly fight for, is a recurring theme but it goes a little further between these two. Marcus described Dom as a brother. They fought together throughout the Locust War, until the events of3, when Dom sacrificed himself to allow the rest of Delta Squad to escape. This prevented him from returning in the sequels (though he was briefly playable during a flashback in4), but he still left an impact on fans and the world of Sera.E-Dayseems to be jumping on the opportunity to revisit the fan-favorite character, and it looks like a lot of the focus is going to be on his relationship with Marcus. This might even include showing how they met or at least how they became so close.
Whether any other familiar faces will return remains to be seen. However, it would make sense to have appearances by other members of Delta Squad like Anya, Hoffman, or Baird. With the game being a prequel, it might not be a stretch for Locust generals Raam or Skorje to have some sort of presence in the game.
