TechRadar Review Calls Gears of War: E-Day a Return to Old-School Shooting, With a Mid-Campaign Lull

According to the review, the title makes no attempt to reinvent the series. It retains the core loop of human soldiers fighting a desperate war against an invading mutant menace, adding somewhat more open levels and refining the weapon upgrade system introduced in Gears Tactics. The reviewer writes that mowing down waves of enemies remains as enjoyable as it was when the first game launched twenty years ago, though the story campaign feels drawn out between its set-piece moments.

E-Day is a prequel set more than a decade before the events of the first game, so TechRadar states that no prior knowledge of the series is required. The story takes place on the titular Emergence Day, when the Locust army first emerged from underground and began a full-scale invasion of the series' Earth-like fictional world. The narrative is relatively small in scale, focused entirely on the first few days of the war in the city of Kalona. Marcus Fenix, the series' long-time protagonist, is an experienced soldier here but faces a then-unknown threat alongside his friend and fellow soldier Dominic Santiago and two strangers, Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes.

The review describes the campaign's opening hours as its strongest, saying they lean into the franchise's more horrific and brutal elements. Chaos is conveyed through civilians fleeing in panic, cars crashing, trains derailing and large sinkholes opening in the streets. Weapons are limited at first, and the steady unlocking of assault rifles, snipers, shotguns and grenade launchers gives the progression a satisfying shape, the reviewer writes. Each weapon also has a stream of unlockable upgrades, ranging from basic stat increases to overhauls that change how a gun operates and can be combined. TechRadar cites the slow-to-reload lever-action Gnasher shotgun, which becomes a different weapon when fitted with a full-auto firing mode and the ability to replenish shells while stowed, and adds that all guns feel punchy even without upgrades.

E-Day introduces a small number of large, more open environments with short side missions. TechRadar notes that guidance constantly funnels the player toward the next objective, so the game never feels like a true open world, and that while collectibles are plentiful, their placement is not sophisticated and most can be found without straying far from the main path, which the review calls a missed opportunity.

The environments themselves draw heavy praise. TechRadar calls E-Day one of the most graphically impressive games ever released, with fidelity it says is far ahead of other recent titles, and describes detail extending from sweeping city views to individual items on sale in an abandoned convenience store.

On the negative side, the review lists a campaign that lulls in the middle and feels drawn out overall. It credits strong encounter design for some excellent opening and closing chapters. The reviewer also describes the co-operative play and competitive online multiplayer modes as enjoyable, offering reasons for players to sharpen their skills and keep returning.