Set 14 years before the original Gears of War, E-Day follows the first three nights of the Locust invasion in the city of Kalona. This is the Emergence Day that the series has talked about for almost 20 years (starting with the original game on the Xbox 360), when the Locust Horde erupted from beneath the ground and caught humanity completely offguarded. We know how this ends, of course. But for now, life on Sera was normal. People were commuting, attending sporting events and getting on with their lives only hours earlier. Then City Hall has been turned into a military command post and medical facility, while a stadium is now being used as a base. Nobody really knows what is happening yet, much less how to stop it.
I recently got an early access to a demo of the campaign section, which begins in Act 2, after the first night of the invasion. We see Marcus and Dom being placed in Bravo Squad alongside new recruits Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes, before being sent to secure a bridge needed for an evacuation. While veterans of past games will find a lot of familiarity with the game’s lore and setting, the E-Day shows just how confusing the ground really was on that fateful day. At one point, Marcus picks up a tourist pamphlet and even uses it as a map of Kalona.
Image: Xbox
Speaking of Marcus. Our hero is not quite the same man we remember either. Not only is he younger, but he also isn’t wearied nor stubborn when we first saw him in the first Gears game. Then there’s Dom, whom we get to hear more insights about his wife Maria and family. In many ways, this prequel pays homage to the original trilogy with plenty of fan services. And if you haven’t played any of the original games, the emotional pulls and impacts of some scenes may be lost on you.
Action-wise, E-Day is still very much a Gears of War game, but you now get to pick more routes that play to your style and strength. For instance, in one bridge battle that I encountered, I could either stay above the road and use longer-range weapons to take down the Locust or move down among the abandoned cars with the Lancer for some close quarter combat.
Read Full Article At Source
