Gears of War: E-Day Beta Has Fans Ready for More

The Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Beta is officially over. After two weekends of back-to-back grub killing, has the Coalition successfully found its roots again, or are the differences too much for some? Ultimately, Gears of War: E-Day is shaping up to be a massive success.

The Return of Gears of War

Just for a quick recap. The Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Beta rolled out over two weekends: one for pre-order customers and one open beta, on Xbox and Steam. Overall, on Steam, peak player count reached 22,084, with glowing reviews so far.

Despite some hardcore fans being skeptical of some changes, such as the Boltok Pistol being absent from the game or the changes to the cover system, targeting the popular tactic, “wall bouncing,” fans are very happy.

Firstly, the updates and renovations to the Horde mode are a smash hit. Incorporating multiple squads to fan out across a multiplayer city, all covering different objectives, makes the world feel very alive. Furthermore, those moments where other squads run into one another feel better than any NPC reinforcements could give.

The class system offers different, but not game-breaking, ways to play with different perks, abilities, and weapon upgrades; you really can lean into your class strengths or become a jack of all trades.

The Grub Killer Returns, Baby

Plus, since the Versus Mode got put into beta, fans also got to test that out as well. Again, despite the slight nerfs to the “wall bouncing” movement, Versus feels like it’s straight from the original trilogy. Maps are fun and diverse, the guns feel great, and the new objectives offer brand-new ways to play.

Aside from the previous small criticisms, the only other one that stands out is that your shots come from the center of your screen, rather than from where your weapon is. This has thrown a lot of old-school Gears of War players off so far, but we have no idea whether it will be in the final release.

Overall, Gears of War: E-Day is shaping up extremely well. Plus, with the promise of old-school progression, fans couldn’t be happier. Now all we have to do is wait for emergence day and see how the campaign plays out.