As of September 10th, 2019, Gears of War 5 is on store shelves - er, digital copies notwithstanding. Following the events of Gears of War 4, players will join Kait Diaz, JD and Marcus, and Fenix, Del Walker on their mission to combat a newly reformed Locust Horde. Gears 5 also promises to deviate from the series' formula in the hopes of providing a fresh experience for both new and old fans.
That also probably means that some tricks that worked in previous games might not suffice in Gears 5. There are also plenty of changes happening outside of the game that everyone should be aware of. Luckily pour vous, that's where we come in.
10 You Won't Understand Anything If You Skipped Gears 4
This probably comes as a no-brainer to most of you, but we feel that reiteration never hurts. After all, we've likely each met someone who complained about 'not getting' Avengers: Endgame despite never watching any of the 20 something films that preceded it! Gears 5 takes place shortly after the ending of Gears 4; in fact, the sequel is set no longer than a few months later.
To summarize, Gears 4 reveals that Kait and Queen Myrrah are connected. Our suspicions that the allegedly new Swarm faction are just palette-swapped Locusts were also confirmed. Gears 5 will expand on the plot points and character arcs that Gears 4 started. If you don't want anything to go over your head, queue up the Gears 4 playthrough vids!
9 That Big Bald Guy Is JD Fenix
Even if you have played Gears 4, you've probably noticed that Gears 5 is focusing more on Kait than JD this time around. Moreover, there's a real possibility that you didn't notice JD in any of the promo material for this game. Oh, he's there alright, but he looks radically different - like Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
That big bald guy with the scar on his face is JD Fenix, but The Coalition decided to drastically remodel him for Gears 5. Some fans speculate that TC changed JD's appearance to avoid modeling his hair, a feature that fans chided in Gears 4. Either way, we think JD looks like Kratos now, sans the ashiness.
8 We Can Only Play On Certain Maps In Private Play
Multiplayer has always been the backbone of the Gears franchise - each game's story is interesting and filled with memorable characters, but there's always been something about Gears' multiplayer that brings out the competitive side of everyone! Naturally, the Coalition plans of providing plenty of support for Gears 5's multiplayer - including adding new maps and characters over time.
For the time being, Gears 5 features seven Versus Maps, four Escape maps, and five Private Play maps. For the most part, the Private Play maps are updated versions of their Gears 4 counterparts; if you liked Harbor or Forge, then you'll be able to practice on those maps in the newest Gears game.
7 Escape Has A Separate Storyline
Speaking of Escape, we'd like to shed some light on Gears 5's newest mode. Escape is separate from the Campaign as well as the Versus multiplayer. Instead of playing as Kait or Del, you'll play as one of three characters unique to that game mode.
Your goal is to battle your way out of a Locust hive, upgrading special abilities and equipment along the way. Your progression in Escape won't affect your progress in the Campaign - so you can switch between the two modes at your leisure.
6 Gears 5 Doesn't Have Dodgeball (Yet)
One mode from Gears 4 that isn't currently in Gears 5 is Dodgeball. On the flip side, Escalation, Guardian, King of the Hill, Arcade, and Horde mode have all returned. However, you won't be Roadie Running past any dodgeballs any time soon.
The Coalition could always add the mode into Gears 5 if fan demand is strong enough. Ultimately, this one falls on players to rectify. If we want to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge again, we'll need to make our voices heard! Allons-y to Twitter!
5 Halo: Reach Characters Are All Over The Place
Okay, we're overexaggerating - Halo: Reach lent two of their Spartans to Gears 5; Kat and Emile. The Coalition has featured both of these fallen heroes in a lot of their videos promoting the game, so we hope you'll understand why we hyperbolized.
Kat and Emile aren' the only guest characters gracing Gears 5, as Sarah Connor and the T-800 will also appear as multiplayer skins in-game. There's also a special cameo appearance from Dave Bautista planned, but the details are very specific.
4 Dave Bautista's In Gears 5 (For A Limited Time)
The good news is that we can start Batista Bombing Locusts in Gears 5! The bad news is that Batista will only be available by playing between September 15th and October 28th. We imagine that once this promo ends, there won't be any way to unlock Bautista, even if you want to pay for his skin.
If you don't have Gears 5, or even an Xbox One, but want the skin, we recommend logging into a friend's account and unlocking him before the deadline. Otherwise, you'll miss your chance to make Drax quotes while curb-stomping Locust Grenadiers!
3 Some People Have Played Since September 6th
Speaking of special promos, we also feel that we should mention the headstart Ultimate and Collector's Edition players received. Gears 5 officially launched earlier today, but the previously mentioned players have been at it since September 6th!
Some might not think that four days is a significant enough advantage, but that group probably isn't taking Gears 5's new weapons into account. Furthermore, 5 is supposed to somewhat reinvent the wheel, so just because you were a Gnasher pro in the previous entries doesn't mean that'll fly in 5.
2 Split-Screen Co-Op For 3 Players
Well, 3-player split-screen Co-Op is better than two. In the Campaign and Escape, you and two others can take on the Horde as a team! Or, at least, this is true for the Xbox One version of Gears 5. Recently, The Coalition removed split-screen Co-Op from the PC port of the game - much to the ire of innumerable fans.
We'll say that Xbox One players should still rejoice, as Gears 5's split-screen works surprisingly well, after all. As for PC players, we urge you to continue protesting until your demand get satiated.
1 Horde Mode Is Far More Sophisticated Than Past Games
Horde mode is also returning to Gears 5 and is much more complex than ever before. Starting from Gears 3, players have been able to build fortifications and upgrade equipment in Horde mode.
Gears 5's Horde Mode features 4's class system, as well as more varied enemy types and intuitive base building. This version of Horde mode also features plenty of modifiers that result in a personalized experience.