Gears 5 - Review

I have been a fan of Gears of War since the beginning so I feel compelled to play each and every one of them that has come out.  Gears of War 4 wasn't bad but definitely did not excite as much as the previous games in the series.  Perhaps this was due to Epic Games not being at the helm and instead Canadian based game's developer The Coalition taking the reins.  Naturally, I wanted to play Gears 5 but was slightly dubious, one day I thought to hell with it I'm just going to buy it and give it a go.


Oreos is something I have had a mixed relationship with.  Their normal cookies are a little dry but still tasty, the white chocolate covered ones are amazing! Then there are the new Oreo bites mixed with Cadbury's chocolate.  Initially, I was unsure but quickly I found myself really drawn to them and alas before long the bag was empty.  Playing Gears 5 I found myself asking what kind of relationship would I have it, would it be dry but manage to stay tasty or was it so it going to be my new addiction?

Story


Gears of War 4 saw the return of any long since dead and the world still very much in the process of being rebuilt.  In Gears 5 you get to see civilization like never before in New Ephyra.  The COG have grown strong again and their new city is definitely a testament to that.  The story heavily focuses on Kait, her mother, and her family. She won't be doing it alone though she will have JD, Del, Fahz, and Jack watching her back.  The story sees the all-powerful Hammer of Dawn brought online, however, this quickly goes bad. Shortly after this Kait leaves the group along with Del to try and find out who she really is and why she keeps getting visions. It seems that the Locust are back and this time they want to stick around.  Right, that's all you get, no spoilers!


Overall the story is amazing, I felt a real bond with all the characters and what happened to them mattered to me. The story starts a little slow but after that, it kicks into first gear and there is no stopping it.  One of the best Gears of War stories since Gears 2.

Visuals


The visuals are very different in Gears 5 and Gears of War 4, there is more color used in the game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The series has always focused on darkness, which I have always really liked.  That being said I really like the new art direction, the visuals are more detailed than before and it very much feels a new world.  The enemies are more detailed, the armor you wear looks more impressive and is generally just pleasing to look at it.  I like the new art direction but only hope that Gears 6 (they are totally making another one) does not go the way of New Dawn which feels way too colorful.


Overall the visuals are very impressive and have helped create a very new feeling world which is the fresh coat of paint the series needed.



Music


I'm not going to beat around the bush, the soundtrack is amazing.  Each track has this underlying somber tone but in the foreground, it has a very 'keep fighting, keep pushing forward' feeling. Which suits the game perfectly as that is what the whole campaign is about.  The soundtrack was composed by the amazing Ramin Djawadi.  He has an impressive body of work and scored the soundtracks for; Iron Man, Pacific Rim, Game of Thrones, Person of Interest, Medal of Honor and Gears of War 4.


Listening to the soundtrack again I realized that I did not have a favorite track, I loved them all.  The soundtrack is probably one of the most impressive if not the most impressive in the Gears of War franchise. It worked so well and really hope Ramin Djawadi returns for Gears 6.

Gameplay


The gameplay, where do I even start?  Let's starts with weapons, they feel better, more accurate and overall more satisfying when using them.  In fact, I almost forgot to use the classic chainsaw attached to the Lancer as I was having fun trying the other weapons. Jack is back, your little robot friend, but this time he is badass.  He can be upgraded with components and modules, he has your back and is much a teammate as anyone else in the group.  He can attack enemies, heal the team and use a variety of special abilities. Not happy with how you have upgraded him? No problem, respec him without any penalties.


The cover system feels more dynamic, this time it does not just have small barricades but multilevel ones that are often very destructible so don't get too comfortable. It made the gameplay more challenging and forces you to engage with the environment more.


The enemies go from straight forward to bordering on brutal. A new addition is The Warden, super armored, can only be shot in the head and carries maces that will annihilate you if you are not too careful.  There are many more new enemies each looking to wipe you out.  The AI seems to adapt more than in previous games in the series meaning you have to be always focused and not get careless.


There is now an element of exploration to the game, you can use a skiff which basically a retro-looking jetski with a sail attached to it.  Exploring means more fights, but also more rewards which are pretty cool. I made sure to go everywhere I could just to see what might be on offer.


Similar to the other games in the series there are collectibles in the world including COG tags, documents, and history about the old and new world.


Overall the gameplay is awesome and while sometimes fights felt almost unwinnable a little bit of patience and tactics went a long way to beating certain sections of the game.





Final Thoughts

So, after twenty-five how did I feel?  Amazing!  The story was great and there was a real feeling of being part of a team rather than just lifeless AI.  The visual was new, different and exciting and brought a new element to the series.  The music was perfect!  The gameplay was challenging but a little work and you would be just fine.  I can't wait to play this in co-op with Nolls in the future, I think we will have a blast with it.  Overall this one gets a delectable and tasty 5 out of 5