Gears 5, published exclusively on Xbox by Xbox Game Studies, is a daring MMOG running off the heels of established Gears games. This campaign returns with popular modes like Versus and Modes, with a refreshing breath in a new mode, Escape. There’s no doubt Gears 5 gives an immersive 12-hour gaming experience, but the game’s progression leaves an unforgivable dent.

An Improvement of the Past, But Hardly a Step Into the Future

Gears 5 comes with brilliantly new worlds that’ll leave previous campaigns in jealousy. But they’re not completely convincing on the purpose they serve. At one end, it seems they make Gears 5 better; on the other end, they look like non-essential additions to the shooter series. However, it’s undeniable that these open worlds are breathtaking, offering chances to take a pause and explore.

There seems to be a disconnect between gameplay and these open worlds of red desert and frozen wasteland. The map features marked spots with tasks you have to complete, giving you no reason to visit these worlds. You’d be lucky to hit your foot on something important in these fascinating worlds.

That aside, we can’t help but mention how incredible the set pieces are or the combat as smooth as you can remember. You play as Kait, a colorful character whose journey is just as incredible as you can find. With relatable themes forming the bedrock of the game’s story, you’re playing for more than glory. You’ll fill in her shoes, make difficult decisions, and live her experience.

Bigger Combat Areas, Better Combat

There are a handful of new additions we can talk about. One we cannot ignore is the combat that makes for an entertaining experience. The combat area is now larger than ever, and that makes the fights more thrilling. Moreso now that you have Jack, a robotic character who gives you incredible fighting abilities. Now, you are just a better combatant, compared to previous Gears campaigns.

With Cloak, you go completely invisible, allowing you to run through an enemy camp undetected. In higher levels, you remain unseen even while shooting. Jack brings so many abilities and does so in a fun way. When the going gets tougher, Jack becomes even more important. You can choose to ignore some side quests, but the rewards are yours to lose. These quests – sometimes as boring as hell – are the keys to unlocking powerful abilities like Mass Effect, Shock Trap, Hijack, Flash, and Stim.

It’s surprising, however, that Gears 5 isn’t as heart-racing as other Gears of War games. The effects from using your guns feel a bit toned down. Even the iconic chainsawing begs for the thrill we all know it for. Now, these downsides don’t drag Gears 5 in the mud in any way. It’s just important to mention how much a regular player would miss that pumping feel.

The Game Modes Give a Mixed Experience

Gears 5 primary campaign offers a fantastic, horror-filled playthrough. That aside, there are other three play options to revel in – Versus, Horde, and Escape. 

Versus is the typical 5v5 encounters Gears lovers are used to. It doesn’t lose touch of the classic in any way, with the Gnasher fest as intriguing as ever. There’s also the Arcade Versus that offers, probably, better thrill and intrigue. Thanks to the loadouts and abilities unique to each character. While Versus is an interesting mode, there’s not so much change to win over skeptics.

The second play option, Horde, also comes with new dynamics, but not so much to overwhelm the annoying gaps. Of course, it’s fun to have Jack fly over and terrorize the enemies with sophisticated weapons. But when you can’t play as Jack or any other character you want (because someone on the team already takes them), you have to settle for something else. It’s even worse when you consider the arrangement that forces you to choose a character to play the class that syncs with your style.

When we look at Escape, we appreciate what we have in Horde. There’s very little chance there’s anyone more of a Gears fan than I am. But one can’t pretend that the features of Escape aren’t far from disappointing. You’re part of a three-person COG team, with each player having unique loadouts and abilities. The team’s ultimate goal is getting to the extraction point. On the way there, they must escape the fangs of the Swarm while effectively managing your resources. But it’s shocking and annoying to see a player running ahead of the team or another hogging the ammo.

Tour of Duty: Takes All the Fun Away

The annoyances in the game modes are manageable, but the frustration that comes with the battle pass (Tour of Duty) is unbearable. The battle pass is Gears 5’s system of leveling up players and unlocking new features. While they aren’t necessarily a bad thing, they slow down the game.

For a player to level up, they must earn a certain amount of stars. These stars are attached to objectives the players have to complete. You get three objectives every 24 hours. The implication and downside of that is that you have to wait 24 hours to get a new set of objectives. That means there’s a lot of waiting to do before you can rank up. While this may be a way to keep gamers coming to the game every day, it bores the hell out of me.

So, Where Do We Stand     

Gears 5 doesn’t have any extremes, so it’s hard even to pick a well-defined spot. Undeniably, it brings a set of interesting features in a thrilling campaign, but ranking up is frustrating. The new open worlds, side quests, and Jack’s incredible abilities all make for an improvement on the Gears of War series. However, so much is desired in the pump of combats.