Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Preview: Feels Both Nostalgic and Fresh

I have plenty of fond memories of Gears of War multiplayer. You couldn’t take me away from the controller when Gears of War was first released in 2006, as I would spend my entire weekend on Xbox Live. It was one of the first multiplayer experiences of my life that kept me hooked for hours on end. The only thing that could stop me from playing was the release of Halo 3 a year later.

As I grew older, my love for multiplayer modes continued to dwindle. The reason for this is not that my joy for video games lessened, because that would never be the case, but simply because the overall quality of multiplayer has become worse. While there have been some great games like Elden Ring: Nightreign, Helldivers 2, and ARC Raiders, nothing has been able to capture the excitement and addictiveness of the Xbox Live golden days when Gears of War was king.

I mention all this so you can understand my relationship with Gears of War multiplayer as you read this preview. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with the newest entry in the franchise, Gears of War: E-Day, and got a taste of what its multiplayer experience has to offer. I had a blast playing this new take on Gears of War’s multiplayer, and I can’t wait to hop back in when it releases in October of this year.

Cooperation is Key in Horde Siege

The Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer preview consisted of two different modes: Horde Siege and Versus. Due to time constraints and the fact that there were specific time sessions that allowed us to play, I spent most of my time playing Horde Siege. Still, I spent enough time with Versus mode to understand exactly how it works.

The greatest addition to the multiplayer experience of Gears of War is the way Horde Siege works. This unique mode is brand new to the IP and is a bigger, bolder take on the franchise’s unforgettable co-op. It introduces a 12-player PvE where three separate squads work together to defend the area from waves of deadly Locusts.

Each of the three squads starts on different sides of the area, and as the match progresses, they complete their own objectives scattered throughout the map. These objectives range anywhere from transporting a power cell to a specific location, closing a bunch of sinkholes with frag grenades, defeating waves of Locusts, and more. Completing these objectives and winning a match ties into the mode’s progression system, which we’ll get into more later.

As your squad works toward completing these objectives, there’s a good chance that you will run into other squads that are focusing on their own goals. Jumping in and helping these friendly teams is worth it, as it will lead you to gather necessary materials that allow you to purchase more ammo, weapon enhancements, and squad-based upgrades at various terminals throughout the map. In other words, even though they are considered a separate squad, everyone should work together to reap the benefits.

That’s what I love most about Gears of War: E-Day’s Horde Siege mode — it is all about teamwork. There are many players out there who have never been a massive fan of PvP, but still love a good multiplayer experience, and I believe those types of people will adore this mode. It has the intense, adrenaline-inducing combat that the franchise is known for, without the worry of going up against highly skilled players.

Come Back Stronger

Gears of War: E-Day’s Horde Siege mode is just as exciting outside a match as it is during one. This is all thanks to the mode’s progression system, where players can level up to earn stronger weapons, weapon and armor mods, tactical gear, and more. Players can even earn skins for their gear if they are interested in cosmetics of any sort.

Making headway along the progression path reaps real benefits, and as I continued to level up, I noticed a significant change in how well my character performed. Whether it was an armor mod that improved my accuracy and recoil when firing from the hip, or a mod that healed me whenever I executed a perfect reload, I felt like I was constantly getting stronger the more I completed matches. This is the type of progression system I love to see in multiplayer as it gives me a real reason to continue playing, besides simply having fun.

Each class, of which there are four in total in Horde Siege, has its own progression path with different upgrades. Not only do you earn upgrades and skills when leveling up, but the game also has a stat system of sorts that consists of Max Health, Damage, and Toughness. Every 10 levels, you will increase these three stats, increasing your total health, the amount of damage you do, and reducing the amount of damage you take.

I found myself loving Horde Siege simply because the PvE aspect and the focus on cooperation are exciting, but also because I always felt like I was working toward something and making progress. Wanting to hop right back into another match once one has concluded is a sign of a good multiplayer mode, and I feel as if Coalition nailed it here.

Versus Feels Nostalgic

While I didn’t get to play much of Versus mode during my multiplayer preview of Gears of War: E-Day, I did get the chance to play a couple of matches. Simply put, if you were a fan of the Versus modes from the earlier entries, you will most likely enjoy this one just as much.

Everyone in a Versus mode match enters the map on an even playing field, only starting with a Prototype Lancer, Gnasher Shotgun, Snub Pistol, and a Smoke Grenade. Unlike Call of Duty, where you get to customize and create a loadout, Gears of War: E-Day Versus makes sure that everyone has an equal chance of survival.

However, as you play through a match, you will have the opportunity to improve your arsenal by gathering different weapon pickups. Communicating with your team and completing TacCom, a new feature in Versus, is crucial, as doing so will reveal the locations of valuable weapon spawns for you and your squadmates. I found this to be a nice touch as it gives players more of a reason to cooperate with their teammates, rather than just going into a match with the intent of racking up kills.

While I am extremely rusty when it comes to Gears of War Versus mode, which is evident in the fact that I didn’t do very well and managed to die many times, I still got that same feeling of excitement of the original’s multiplayer back in the day. The run-and-cover gameplay, finding an advantage over other players, and blowing them up is as fun as it ever was.

The best part of Versus mode, however, is the fact that it now feels like a game from this era with updated controls, smoother movement, better graphics, and a faster pace overall. The core of Versus is still there, but these improvements simply make it more enjoyable to play and up to modern standards.

I can’t wait to be able to hop back into Versus mode with a group of friends when the game finally releases this year. Even though it’s around 20 years later, and my friends and I are now in our 30s, I’m hoping that this multiplayer can create that feeling of nostalgia for us that brings us back to the golden days of Xbox Live. If Versus can do that, then I’ll consider it an absolute win.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the multiplayer modes of Gears of War: E-Day. Horde Siege features an exciting take on co-op and teamwork, has progression systems that matter, and offers an experience that will get the blood pumping as you take down growing waves of Locusts. Meanwhile, Versus is what we have come to know and love, with some extra flavor on top, and fits into the old saying “If it ain't broke, don’t fix it.”