Gears 5 screenshot

Gears 5 – available for free on Game Pass

A reader insists that just because Gears 5 is a hit on Xbox One doesnt mean its a good game, just that Game Pass is a good bargain.

There was a lot of talk this week about how Gears 5 has become the most played game on Xbox One, ousting Fortnite for the first time since it hit it big. That is interesting and I agree with everyone that says that Game Pass is a great idea and, hopefully, a vision of how well buy games in the future. Except for perhaps the selection changing when you dont want it to its an idea without any major drawbacks and, at the moment in particular, incredibly good value for money.

However, one of the interesting things about Game Pass is that a game being successful on it doesnt necessarily mean people like it. All it means is that they downloaded it to have a look, and who wouldnt with a big name game like Gears 5. Im not suggesting that Gear 5 is unpopular, its competent enough that most people probably did enjoy it. Although Im dubious about whether they got to the end because, in my opinion at least, it is the most boring game about shooting giant squishy monsters Ive ever played.

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I would generally agree with GCs review of the game except Id go further and say that the open world parts are actually completely awful and suggest the designers had no clue what they were doing or why God Of War, which is what they were so obviously copying, worked. Theres nothing in the open world except for a handful of short, completely unremarkable side missions and traversing it is totally uninteresting thanks to the dull landscapes and tedious skiff transport.

Ive heard people say Gears 5 is one of the best-looking video games ever and I suppose maybe it is on some nerdy techy level. But despite all the details and colours it doesnt show you anything of interest. The same half-destroyed cities as usual for Gears Of War and a snowy area and a sandy area. Except the sand is red – oh! Its like the Isle of Wight!

Theres nothing I havent seen in the other four Gears Of War games or a dozen other similar games. And I cant tell whether the developers just couldnt think of anything else or honestly thought different coloured sand was some amazing innovation. The worst thing is the level of interactivity for the graphics – the amount they can be destroyed – is actually worse than Gears Of War 2 from over 10 years ago.

I know the problem with these old franchises is they feel they have to pander to nostalgia but its obvious that Microsoft thought this was going to be their Zelda: Breath Of The Wild or God Of War reboot moment. Its nowhere close to that. Theres no new ideas, the story is a barely comprehensible middle chapter that ends for no reason, and the combat feels clunky and old-fashioned. Certainly, nowhere near the fun I had with Control recently (which also has better destruction effects).

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The character of Kait almost becomes interesting at the halfway point, with the storys big revelation, then she barely says or does anything for the rest of the game. That is probably better than most Gears Of War games, its true, but its such a low bar it hardly seems to matter.

This does not encourage me for Halo Infinite (or Fable IV) at all and I Read More – Source