Gears 5 Review: Gameplay Videos, Multiplayer Impressions and Speedrunning Tips

From the very beginning, Gears 5 developer The Coalition made it clear the latest installment of the series would head off in bold new directions.  

The continuation of an Xbox powerhouse did so for many reasons, though chief among them were breaking up the monotonous nature of the gameplay and the game's presence on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. 

Gears 5 could have just as easily rested on the laurels of its reputation and positioned itself as just another sequel. Luckily for longtime fans and newcomers alike, a shift in protagonist, emphasis on accessibility, some major shakeups to the gameplay loop and an incredibly innovative addition called Jack mean Gears 5 registers as anything but just another sequel. 

Graphics and Gameplay

It's almost cliche to say a current-generation game catches the eye and is best-in-class material. 

Yet here is Gears 5, a surprisingly visual treat both in comparison to current-generation games and in comparison to its predecessors. There isn't an ugly or jarring moment in this offering, and in fact, the game is so good-looking and diverse to the point it can almost be a distraction.

Partially, this occurs because the scenery is so diverse. These aren't the typical or expected Gears-styled hellscapes. The world is vibrant, and in the span of a few opening hours, the scenery goes from lush jungle and beautiful water to uber-detailed cityscapes and later to frozen tundra and sun-scorched deserts. 

Details and functionality are where Gears 5 sets itself apart as a triumph. The fidelity and performance of the game never takes a hit, even when zooming about in open-world segments, which is a technological marvel for those who know how chaotic combat can get in the series.

And the in-world details astound, from the depth of items strewn around an office during a catastrophic event to the aftermath of battles long past, buried by the erosion of an abandoned environment—which is only to offer a brief example. Each environment tells a story, which makes it unfortunate that many players might run right past it. 

It helps that the sound design, as has always been the case for the series, is top-notch. The gory effects of combat as flesh flies and explosions break the silence remain. So does the banter between squadmates, the frustration of a botched reload and the ambient sound that brings it all together. The headset experience with something like an Astro A50 shoots the immersion levels into overdrive. 

At its most basic, this is Gears gameplay with a twist. The cover-based mechanics that set an industry standard all those years ago remain. Moving from cover is snappy and responsive with little in the way of frustration for sticking on walls a player didn't intend to. 

Shooting the vast arsenal of guns added to the games over the years is still weighty and fun, as expected. The reloading minigame is still a joy, and it is a wonder we don't see it copied more often in other releases.

It is also nice to see some of the larger enemies now display health bars, which somehow manages to remove the feeling of them simply being bullet sponges. Details are pervasive like this in gameplay, too, with the characters even boasting different animations for opening doors based on what weapon they're holding. 

The departure from the usual Gears gameplay starts with a bang in the form of the robotic companion Jack—a mainstay of the series, albeit usually in the background and reserved as a door-opening mechanic.

He's where a sense of RPG-lite mechanics enter the game, as his skill trees can do all sorts of interesting things, including cloaking the player, giving the player a shield, fighting enemies, highlighting enemies and beyond. 

This can't be stressed enough: Players can now tackle encounters in any way they choose. No longer is this a third-person shooter based around cover and flanks. Jack opens the door for any wide range of gameplay approaches, including, at least in a limited sense, stealth. It's a much-needed shakeup for the gameplay routine and is executed perfectly.  

Another fun wrinkle on the usual Gears format in a combat sense is the approach. Moving from corridor to corridor into endless fights was a staple of the series. But now, player agency reigns supreme again, and arriving in a new room doesn't see a referee ring a bell and the slaughter begin. In many instances, players are free to engage when and how they see fit thanks to the combination of enemy and encounter behavior and the options at their fingertips. 

Tucked into the campaign mode are some open-world elements, which players navigate on a vehicle called a Skiff. This is a ski-boat driven by wind, which simply needs to be steered over varied environments. There isn't a ton to talk about on this front—the Skiff is fun to control out in the wild and is a nice addition to the usual Gears formula. 

Typically, gameplay sections of Gears reviews are mundane. The series has always controlled well and offered plenty of fun, gory action. This is the case again, with some brilliant new features mixing up what players have come to expect. 

Story, Multiplayer and More

The original Gears trilogy hit on some superb plot points, characters and moments, but the evolution of storytelling in video games since has been drastic. 

Luckily for all involved, Gears 5 makes strides in the right ways and tells a compelling tale centered around a cast of characters players will undoubtedly begin to like, such as protagonist Kait Diaz.

Gears of War 4 protagonist JD Fenix is back, too, and has a compelling narrative arc of his own players will appreciate. Elsewhere, squadmates Delmont Walker and newcomer Fahz Chutani have their own personalities and arcs within the greater story that really give the feeling of a well-crafted tale. 

Without diving into some spoilers, let's just say Kait's past and conflicts are exploited for some excellent, creative gameplay sequences even longtime fans of the series won't see coming. And her plot points aren't stereotypical gender fodder, either—it's all handled extremely well and remains engaging throughout. 

Granted, it is a little weird to see the super-serious dark stories of the past give way to an old-man Marcus Fenix sticking around and offering quips here and there. The intra-squad banter is mostly excellent, and it is smartly used to deepen backstories and relationships, not just pass the time. 

That banter gets silly to the point of a groan at times, though. It also helps to illustrate one of the drawbacks of the new open-world wrinkles. At one point, one of the characters quipped that he had no idea where they were or what they were doing, which was a funny fourth-wall-breaking moment because that's just how it feels at times.

The open-world segments where players can use the Skiff to get around is a welcome development. But it can feel quite empty with little to do while going from A to B, to the point it risks the fleeting thought that this was just added on because every game these days seems to have some sort of open-world offering. 

Granted, the counterargument is this lets players control the pace of their experience and isn't just padding. This can be true. Players can pilot the Skiff to side objectives, hop out and explore, say, a downed plane or side missions that are just typical Gears-styled encounters. But with the Skiff controls so basic and the open-world so empty, the biggest redeeming feature of this new development is the conversations characters have among themselves, not the gameplay. 

Jack is where Gears 5 wins big, perhaps so much so that other games will riff off the idea for a long, long time. 

Jack is the RPG element with player agency at the forefront. This companion features three trees: Assault, Support and Passive. The first features abilities like the flash and shocking enemies. The second, the player shield and cloak. The third consists of Jack's health, stealth, weapon and others. 

Within each of these nodes are upgrades unlocked via components found within the game. Those first two trees even feature unlockable ultimate abilities that we won't spoil but that are extremely powerful, though they require unlocking via carrying out those side stories (the side missions aren't bad and help to flesh out the lore and story, but again, they simply feel like just another marker on the open-world map). 

In the context of Gears, the abilities Jack grants shake up the franchise in the best possible way. Players can approach encounters however they want, are encouraged to go out and explore to upgrade Jack and, quietly, have the ability to re-spec Jack's skill tree whenever they want. 

In the context of the overall gaming landscape, there is another angle to consider with Jack, the robotic companion: He opens up accessibility in a big way. Players not interested in the traditional gameplay can still plop down for a relaxed co-op session by merely taking control of the robot and helping in interesting ways. Even non-video game players can take command of the basic controls and make major contributions. 

Multiplayer makes several attempts at big shakeups, too, and mostly comes away successful. The expected gauntlet of versus modes makes it back into the game, and "Arcade" mode is a notable hit for the way it rebalances the game as players knew it, turning down shotguns and turning up everything else. 

Escape is an interesting offering, too, which feels like going on a full-frontal assault compared to the plodding, defensive nature of Horde mode. Given the quick-hitting nature, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the mode develop into a mainstay with a consistently large player population.

Players drop in and must quickly sprint through a level while a horde descends, with all the variances in difficulty and weaponry players have come to expect. Card-based unlocks mean a greater variety of loadouts and an ability to tack on additional challenges to runs. 

Horde modes also make a return, and while some of the staples of these modes aren't new to players, there is something fun about taking the round-based defense format, upgrading the defense point and surviving an onslaught for potentially hours on end.

A fun alteration in the form of only being able to pick one character with their own unique ultimate abilities per session means each lobby should organically feel different with players slotting into certain roles. 

On the microtransactions front, cosmetics are purchasable within the game with real money, but everything else can be unlocked by log-ins and achievements. 

And while this has been mostly positive, there are some negatives to address. Squadmate A.I. can be awful at times. These sour points stick out more than they should because they usually happen when the player needs a revive. There were also a few instances of enemies or companions getting hung up that required a restart from the last checkpoint, though that can hopefully get ironed out via patches. 

Keep in mind the presence of a map creator beta for the Escape mode that should not only allow the more creative elements of the community to go wild with things other players could want to play, but should also permit The Coalition to keep a nice drip-feed of content going for the game's lifecycle.

Speedrunning Tips

Speedruns aren't uncommon for the Gears franchise, whether it's in specific horde modes or the campaign. Either way, the variability of gameplay and difficult modifiers make it an interesting game with plenty of appeal in this category. 

When it comes to campaign speedruns, as in the past with the series, sprinting through as much as possible remains a mainstay. There isn't anything blocking an unending sprint, so whipping through environments as fast as possible is key. Enemies aren't skippable still for the most part. 

Open-world traversal is an important facet, too. The Skiff moments will require some knowledge of the map, and while it might seem like a good idea to stop and play some side missions for upgrades, none really felt integral to pushing through the campaign as quickly as possible. 

The Jack factor there is where speedrunners might diverge on their own separate paths. For now, spamming the Stim ability seems like the best bet. Not only does it grant an overshield so players can take additional damage, but it also offers an instant heal when players are in trouble.

There is some value to the cloak, but it's limited uptime, and the fact it goes away upon any action against an enemy means leaning into uber-aggressive play with the Stim seems like the safe bet. 

As for Jack's own ability, shocking enemies is invaluable, though a later ability unlocked that we won't spoil might seem even better. Investing in Jack's weapon seemed like the right approach, though runs on greater difficulties might lean harder into his health.

As always, perfect strategies will develop in time, and unlike Gears games of the past, there is a newfound depth here to explore that should make it even more appealing than usual on this front. 

Conclusion

Gears 5 could have taken the easy way out and slapped down Just Another Sequel and called it a success, which it would have been. 

But that just doesn't vibe with the series or the characters that inhabit it. This is a genuinely surprising release that not only drives the series in exciting new directions, but also doles out some serious innovation for the industry as a whole. That the last point coincides with the game potentially reaching more people than ever on the Xbox Game Pass is a feat in itself. 

Boasting more gameplay modes and accessibility points than most games on the market today, Gears 5 is a looker, a blast and returns the series to form through both the expected and some pleasant surprises.