Gears 5 Reviews Roundup

Gears 5 was personally my game of the show from the recent Gamescom, and I am beyond excited for this latest instalment in the series. Being one of the last major 'triple-A' console exclusive titles remaining for Microsoft before the newest Xbox arrives, there is some pressure on this title to live up to the high standards that the series is known for. So did it deliver? Here's the reviews roundup: 

*Note some reviews are still in progress

IGN 8.8/10*
"Gears of War may have initially thrived because it refined and helped revive the third-person cover shooter, but it has survived for a much less obvious reason: it has heart. From Dom’s search for his wife Maria in the first two games to the breaking of a bond in Gears of War 3 to the passing of the torch to a new generation of Gears the last time out, this series matters because its characters make you care. Gears 5 is no different, and the consequences from your actions here – along with its welcome gameplay improvements – will affect both this and future games in a way I’m eager to see."

You can click here for the full review.

GAMEINFORMER 8.5/10
"Gears 5 is exactly what it needs to be. This old war vet still packs a punch. The open-world exploration has issues, but that isn’t enough to steal away the thunder The Coalition expertly deploys on the battlefield. The campaign is a fun ride that concludes with a shocker moment and a hell of a setup for a sequel. I’m already looking forward to that follow-up."

​You can click here for the full review.

GAMESRADAR 4/5
"Gears 5 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it changes enough to keep its signature style of cover-based shooting from feeling monotonous. Going into this review, I was convinced Gears of War needed to change drastically or risk obsolescence. But the Coalition has found a different way forward, using new mechanics to polish the old, making the whole game shine."

You can click here for the full review.

POLYGON
"Gears 5 is personal, like its predecessor, and insistent in focusing on its characters. It’s thoughtful, and unafraid to stop the action in favor of slower story beats and sections focused on exploration. And those are the parts that I enjoyed the most. There’s often a little dab of fighting, followed by a light dusting of exploration."

​You can click here for the full review.

DESTRUCTOID 
"Gears 5 focuses on Kait, and unraveling her lineage is a narrative I want to see through to the end. It's a personal story, a cue this game carries over from Gears of War 4. The original trilogy was, for the most part, a tale of large-scale conflict. The tonal shift with the new games isn't necessarily more interesting, but it's more intimate. Thus far, Gears 5 is shaping up to be a solid Gears game, even if I'm not keen on the new things it's trying. Gears works best as a linear cover-shooter, not as something with "open-world" sensibilities. Sometimes things don't need to evolve. Sometimes you just want to keep wrecking shit with the chainsaw gun." 

You can click here for the full review.

Gears 5 currently has a meta score of 86 based on 37 critic scores over at Metacritic, placing it round about inline with Gears of War 4's score. Of course many reviews are not final as many preferred to properly judge the online multiplayer modes after the launch date, so look for this score to change in the coming days. For more reviews roundup check the roundup for Astral Chain and CONTROL.