In terms of storytelling solely through video games, the Gears franchise has always fallen a little short. Relying extensively on novels, comics, and other extracurricular material, those just getting through each campaign often have an incomplete picture of what's really going on in Gears games. Tie-in stories are all well and good, but problems arise when characters pop in out of nowhere with plot-relevant information and all of the protagonists act as if they've met before. It's something that's happened with both of Microsoft's premier shooter franchises from time to time, but The Coalition's Gears 5: Hivebusters takes Gears as a whole in a better direction.
In pure gameplay terms, Hivebusters is a compact three hours of additional Gears 5 covering material not even touched on in the original campaign. Main characters Keegan, Lahni, and Mac are Scorpio Squad, the same crew from the game's Escape mode. This level pack shows how they came together on their first missions, dives into their backstory, and serves as a general prologue to Escape as a whole. Each level is a linear affair, so don't expect to climb onto a skiff and explore a more open area like in Gears 5's main game. In that way, it feels like classic Gears action, almost to a fault. There's nothing here that wasn't already in the base game outside of the campaign debut of ultimate abilities.
Each character in Hivebusters brings over their character abilities from Escape. Keegan can resupply ammo in the field, Mac can deploy an impenetrable shield, and Lahni can whip out an electrified melee weapon. All three have their moments to shine, and those playing single player can use squad tactics to activate the abilities of AI teammates. However, it's clear that Hivebusters is a co-op focused affair, even more so than the main campaign. The abundance of co-op doors and character-specific locks are tedious to get through without a partner.
None of this will surprise longtime players of the series, and new players will likely not want to start here as the difficulty is a step above the average Gears campaign. The real thing that Hivebusters brings to the table is a character study of these three soldiers, all atypical of the types of characters typically found in a Gears game. Mac is a depressed Outsider looking to go out in a blaze of glory. Keegan is a soldier with a sense of duty that was never fulfilled. Lahni is seeking redemption from her people after making some hard life choices. Each character shares these backstories throughout the levels via dialogue, and they really start to grow on the player by the end.
However, as good as these characters are, Hivebusters does them a disservice by not dedicating itself solely to their plight. Instead of showing anything from these backstories in a cutscene or a playable flashback, players have to just listen close in between firefights while a far less interesting plot about killing Swarm hives plays out. Placing all this backstory and a setup for a multiplayer mode together in one three-hour experience makes everything so dense that it's easy to find oneself tuning out the good bits and focusing in on the shooting.
Even one more hour focused on really telling the story of where Scorpio Squad came from could have made Gears 5: Hivebusters into a far more memorable and substantial DLC. There's easily enough material to even make a full side game, but the expansion feels less like a genuine extension of the Gears universe and more like a way to make players more receptive to playing Escape Mode and purchasing the comic series featuring these characters. At the end of the day, that ethos makes for a disposable expansion that only diehard fans of the franchise or those looking for an Xbox Series X graphical showcase will really get the most out of - though if a player fits that bill, they'll be more than happy with what's on offer here.
Gears 5: Hivebusters is available as a paid expansion for Gears 5 on Xbox and PC or as an added bonus for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Screen Rant reviewed the DLC with a copy procured through Game Pass.