Long rumoured and final unveiled, the Xbox Showcase has finally given long suffering fans what they want: A new Gears of War game.
Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set well before the first game, back when the terrifying Locust Horde first emerged from beneath the feet of the human race – and the trailer does a great job of spotlighting a well established character and their return to the series.
Of course, you likely think I am referring to Marcus Fenix, the gruff protagonist of the first three GoW games – but no. The big returning presence in this trailer is the mournful cover of Tears For Fears “Mad World” that forms the backing track. Hell yeah.
All jokes aside, the trailer does show a brutal showdown between Marcus and a Locust drone – and we do see his signature bandana get knocked off, showing a crop of jet black hair, highlighting how youthful the young Fenix is. The trailer is presented entirely in-engine (which is impressive, but it’s UE5, so of course it looks good) and ends with the appearance of the fantastic Dom Santiago giving Marcus a hand.
From the video description, we are filled in on just how dire the situation is:
Experience the brutal horror of Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix in the origin story of one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas.
Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself.
Built from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
So effectively we are looking at a Gears of War: Year One kind of vibe, with the war just starting out and our established characters finding their footing within it. It’s a neat direction to take, but I am always mindful that opportunities to look back does open the door to some hackneyed tropes that can be quite tiring, such as one-off characters and enemies that need to be quietly dispatched to explain their absence in future entries.
I am always on board for more Gears of War however, and on a selfish note – I hope we see a young Dizzy Wallin doing his thing. He is the real secret protagonist of the series, after all.
Are you excited for the return of Gears of War? Happy to see Marcus with such a lovely crop of hair? Let us know in the comments or on social media.