Gears of War: E-Day Scores 88 on Metacritic, Best Since Epic Era

Have you been waiting for a Gears game that truly hits the mark? Well, the early verdict is in, and it looks like Gears of War: E-Day might just be the one. The game has landed an 88 on Metacritic based on 50 critic reviews, and that's a big deal for fans of the franchise.

Why? Because it's the best-reviewed Gears game since Epic Games handed over the reins. The original trilogy set a high bar with scores of 94, 93, and 91, but E-Day comes closer than any other entry. It beats out People Can Fly's Gears of War Judgement (79) and The Coalition's own Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 (both 84). Even the spin-offs, Gears Tactics and Gears Pop, don't come close. So, as far as the numbers go, this is the best Gears in 15 years.

Critics are loving it, too. In GamesRadar+'s review-in-progress, features editor Andy Brown calls it "the best cover shooter I've played since Xbox 360" and praises the "crunchy shootouts and a groundbreaking adaptive cover system" that make every fight dynamically chaotic. He also notes that the devastated city of Kalona is the real star of the show. The full-scored review will drop once the multiplayer has been thoroughly tested.

So far, the game has earned full marks from outlets like Pure Xbox and Eurogamer Germany. Most scored reviews are deemed "Positive" by Metacritic, with only three marked as "Mixed." However, a number of outlets have published unscored reviews, so the score could shift in the coming weeks. For now, though, it's a win for The Coalition.

But it's not all celebration. The game's story director, Juan Vaca, was laid off after E-Day went gold, and reports suggest devs are fearful of more layoffs and withheld bonuses following Microsoft's planned layoffs before the end of the fiscal year. It's a bittersweet moment for the studio.

Despite the challenges, the team behind E-Day wants to be known for "all the things that made Gears resonate in the first place," without "looking outside at other franchises." And based on these early scores, it seems they've succeeded.

What do you think? Will you be picking up Gears of War: E-Day? Let us know in the comments!