Gears 5 has emerged from development to launch on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows, and early reviews suggest that developer The Coalition have produced a title that will be as divisive, if not moreso, than Gears of War 4 was for franchise fans and critics. According to reviews, Gears 5 attempts a lot of innovations to the genre, and while some of them are successful, still others are problematic setbacks for a game that could ill-afford too many of them following the slowly decaying average review score for its titles.

More concerning is the fact that several reviews suggest some of these innovations come at the cost of gameplay mechanics that had previously come to define the series and make it great. There's certainly a chance that Gears 5's willingness to tinker with the formula of what makes a Gears game work was too risky, but it's equally probable that some reviews are railing against these developments simply because they were expecting something else. In Screen Rant's discussions with The Coalition, it became obvious that Gears 5 would push the envelope of what the series was capable of, swapping out protagonists, settings, and time periods in order to tell a different sort of story.

Related: Screen Rant's Gears 5 Review - A Brave and Bloody New World

With all of that said, however, Gears 5 is still reviewing well enough to be considered a success, especially for an exclusive lineup like the Xbox One's, which has felt pretty dry for much of the console's existence. Metacritic and Opencritic both have Gears 5 at an 85% and favorable review average at time of writing, with some in-progress reviews contingent on Gears 5 multiplayer performance still pending. Gears 5 sounds like a success, then, provided its multiplayer lives up to the potential that many who went hands-on with Horde mode felt it had. The Coalition has definitely shook up the Gears franchise in a big way, and perhaps additions like Dave Bautista joining Gears 5 as a playable character can help massage players afraid of these changes into giving them a shot and enjoying them for what they are.

Kotaku - Maddy Myers (Campaign Review)

Gears 5 is a strong entry in a series that had been undeniably flagging on its campaigns. Gears 5 has a few too many new ideas, both narrative and mechanical, but its choice to put Kait at its center helps carry the game over its rougher spots. Gears 5 doesn’t top the original Gears trilogy, but it’s easily my favorite of the latter-day Gears games.

IGN: 8.8/10 - Ryan McCaffrey (Campaign Review)

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.

Game Informer: 8.5/10 - Andrew Reiner

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.

Screen Rant: 4.5/5 - Rob Gordon

As the dust settles and the gibs fly, Gears 5 leaves an imposing impression. This is a hugely successful game, helping to move Gears of War forward with some strong and sensible additions to the relatively conservative Gears of War 4. It’s not a complete overhaul of the series, but it’s a refreshing take on the Gears formula and one that fans of the series will truly enjoy.

VICECameron Kunzelman

Don’t get me wrong. Gears 5 is fine. It has all the combat encounters and explosions you could want. But after playing through the whole thing, I can see the seams produced by trying to stretch this world and characters beyond what their core capacities, and the strain threatens to tear the whole franchise apart.

US Gamer: 3/5 - Hirun Cryer

 Gears 5 survives on its solid cover shooting gameplay and a campaign that isn't afraid to pose difficult questions about problematic topics. But the largely stagnant Horde mode and general mess of an Escape mode really pull the sequel back from being a bold step forward.

Gears 5 Square Key Art

Early reviews seem to suggest that one of Gears 5's biggest strengths is its campaign mode, which has seemed to impress most of the reviewers who have played through it. Some reviews that aren't campaign-centric seem to have issues with the game's multiplayer, though, which might mean the game's average score will drop once more comprehensive reviews begin emerging. While many are excited about Kait Diaz in the spotlight, others seem to believe that Gears 5 is tackling a story it's ill-equipped to tell - another divisive element for critics in a game that appears to be full of them.

It's difficult to get a complete picture of Gears 5 just by looking at the game's review scores, since many of them are still in-progress pending multiplayer experiences and the remaining ones seem to vary enough to suggest a game that appeals to different demographics of consumers. Gears 5 has started strong enough, however, and if it were a AAA game of a lesser pedigree than what The Coalition is working with, we'd be calling it a smash success just for its average scores. That it's a Gears game makes the context a little different, but for fans of the series, it likely won't be so different they don't look at what critics are saying and believe they'll have a good time with what's on offer.

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