Every Gears of War Game Ever Released, Ranked

For nearly 19 years, the primarily third-person shooter Gears of War series has served as the second most popular Xbox exclusive franchise right behind гало.

В этом году Gears has begun to break console exclusive barriers with the recent launch of the Механизмы войны 1 ремастер Gears of War: Перезагрузка, on both Xbox and PlayStation 5 platforms.

With thousands of players becoming new fans to the Gears франшиза благодаря Reloaded и приквел Gears of War: День электронов expected to debut in 2026, it’s a perfect time to look back at every game released in the Gears сериал пока что.

Не каждый Gears title is perfect, but most deliver action-packed, exhilarating, and oftentimes emotional rides that have gone on to be regarded as some of the best third-person games ever made.

10 Gears Pop!

Gears’ First and Worst Spinoff

Gears of War‘s first spinoff into other gaming genres, 2019’s Гирс Поп! is one of the most bizarre spinoffs I’ve ever seen developed for an AAA gaming franchise.

It’s a mobile, turn-based PvP, RTS crossover between the brutal and gory Gears universe and the comical, cartoony Funko Pop! bobbleheads that nobody asked for.

Гирс Поп! has no narrative to speak of and instead just features PvP gameplay similar to the more famous Clash Royale.

Гирс Поп! is easily the worst Gears game I’ve ever played. It was such an odd crossover game that it’s no wonder that barely anyone played the game, resulting in its servers shutting down less than two years after its launch in spring 2021.

Тактика 9 передач

Fun But Unremarkable Tactics

Compared to the non-cannon Гирс Поп!2020 Gears Tactics is a far better but ultimately unremarkable venture into another gaming genre, that being turn-based tactics.

Set one year after the Locust invasion of Emergence Day and 13 years before Механизмы войны 1, Тактика has players control COG Sgt. Gabriel Diaz as he is ordered by Chairman Richard Prescott and Major Sid Redburn to assassinate the Locust Scientist Ukkon.

I enjoyed the story of Тактика, especially with how it explores a bit of the origins of the Locust, Stranded communities, and the parents of Kait Diaz, but Ukkon is an incredibly cliché evil scientist and Тактика‘ gameplay is pretty by the numbers for tactics games.

Помимо вышесказанного, Gears Tactics features no driveable vehicles or multiplayer, which is a shame considering how well the game could have been improved by implementing a few vehicle sections with Centaurs or multiplayer akin to the XCOM серии.

8 Gears of War: Правосудие

Baird’s Big Adventure

2013 автора Механизмы войны: Судный was the first prequel title in the Gears series, but it was also the last Gears game franchise creator Epic Games developed alongside help from co-developer People Can Fly.

Set several months after Emergence Day, Judgment follows Kilo Squad led by then-Lt. Damon Baird as he is tried for disobeying orders and attempting to defend the city of Halvo Bay from a Locust attack led by General Karn.

Механизмы войны: Судный isn’t a bad game in its own right, but it was held back by its self-contained, score-focused mission structure centered around challenge-like Declassified Missions and relatively short campaign runtime.

Judgment additionally lacked popular features in its multiplayer, such as Horde mode and playable Locust in Versus, which quickly caused many Gears fans and I to abandon Judgment and just continue playing Механизмы войны 3мультиплеер.

7 шестеренок войны

The Start of a Phenomenon

Первый Gears of War game is one of the most important third-person shooter games ever made and was critical to the Xbox 360’s early success in 2006, becoming the console’s most popular multiplayer title until Halo 3 выпущенный.

Its innovations with cover-based combat, enemy design, co-op multiplayer, and unique weapon design, best exemplified with the chainsaw bayonet Mark 2 Lancer Assault Rifle, led many other developers to create similar third-person shooter games that can still be found building off of Gears прямо сейчас

Однако Механизмы войны 1 doesn’t hold up as well as other Gears titles due primarily to its somewhat basic, combat-focused narrative and lack of variety in multiplayer modes and PvE content.

Despite these flaws, I still find myself replaying the original Gears of War occasionally to relive one of the best games Epic Games and Xbox ever delivered.

6 Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

Gears of War Remastered 1

After Epic Games left the Gears franchise to work on other projects, namely Fortnite, Microsoft commissioned The Coalition, formerly Black Tusk Studios, to develop new Gears games, starting with 2015’s Gears войны: Ultimate Edition.

Ремастер Механизмы войны 1 похож на Годовщина Halo: Combat Evolved, Ultimate Edition was built on the original Gears‘ source code but features updated graphics, textures, cutscenes, and audio in both its campaign and multiplayer.

On top of the visual upgrades, Ultimate Edition additionally features five single-player chapters and a boss fight against a massive Brumak to the campaign that were originally exclusive to the PC version of Механизмы войны 1, along with unlockable pages from DC Comics’ Gears публикации.

Пока оригинал Механизмы войны 1 is still a great game, Ultimate Edition was the best way to play through Механизмы войны 1‘s story in the 2010s. I have many fond memories of playing its remastered multiplayer awaiting Механизмы войны 4дебют.

5 Gears of War: Reloaded

Gears of War Remastered 2

Последняя запись в Gears of War серии, Gears of War: Перезагрузка is essentially a remaster of Gears войны: Ultimate Edition, making it the second time the original Gears game was updated for new gaming platforms.

Все Ultimate Edition‘s contents are included in Reloaded, along with improved lighting, 4K resolution and 60 frames-per-second for the campaign, and 120 FPS for multiplayer.

Для пользователя Reloaded быть первым Gears game released on PlayStation platforms, The Coalition introduced crossplay for both Reloaded‘s campaign and multiplayer, granting more players than ever before the opportunity to play together no matter what platform they’re using.

В то время как Reloaded may still feature a few bugs in its campaign and multiplayer, it’s already proven to be the best way to experience Механизмы войны 1, especially for new fans, in the brief time I’ve been able to play it.

4 передач 5

A Divisive Detour From the Fenix Family

2019 автора Gears 5 was divisive for many in the Gears community for several reasons, primarily due to it ditching the «of War» in its title, debuting some subjectively obnoxious characters, and primarily starring Kait Diaz as the protagonist.

Set several months after the initial Swarm Invasion, Gears 5 follows Kait and Del Walker as they struggle to discover Kait’s familial connection to the Locust and the Swarm and attempt to stop the Swarm from wiping out the still recovering remnants of humanity.

Gears 5 примечателен тем, что был первым Gears game to star a female lead, but it was also groundbreaking for featuring brief open world sections in small hub worlds traversed using a wind-powered Skiff. It was also the second Gears title to feature a campaign expansion with Hivebusters.

I enjoyed the fast-paced gameplay of Gears 5, but it’s a bit held back by some controversial story decisions, especially in regard to its endings, and confusing multiplayer elements that keep it from being truly great.

3 Gears of War 4

War For a New Generation

2016 автора Механизмы войны 4 was The Coalition’s first original Gears title following the departure of Epic Games, and it was the first game to explore Sera beyond the confines of the Locust War.

Set 25 years after V-Day, Механизмы войны 4 follows Marcus Fenix’s son JD and his friends Del and Kait as they initially struggle to repel COG First Minister Mina Jinn and her legion of DeeBee robots, only to discover a new monstrous threat emerging from the ruins of the Locust War.

For the start of a new arc in Gears‘ история, Механизмы войны 4 has a great campaign oozing with atmosphere, featuring new horrors through the mysterious Swarm, and balancing elements between Gears‘ past characters and themes with a new generation of heroes.

Механизмы войны 4 renewed my interest in the Gears franchise, not only due to its enthralling campaign but also due to its multiplayer and its endlessly fun Horde mode incarnation, Horde 3.0.

2 Gears of War 3

A Near-Perfect Finale

Подобно Halo 3 перед этим, Механизмы войны 3 was slated to be an epic finale to one of Xbox’s greatest trilogies and Epic Games certainly delivered with their final mainline Gears игры.

Set two years after the sinking of Jacinto, Механизмы войны 3 centers on Delta Squad striving to find a way to wipe out the zombie-like Lambent Pandemic before the Imulsion-based creatures and surviving Locust kill off the last of humanity.

Механизмы войны 3‘s campaign is fantastic, featuring a plethora of new and old enemies and weapons such as the Lambent Drudges, Serapedes, and Retro Lancer, as well as displaying some of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series.

I often revisit Механизмы войны 3 still to this day for its robust Horde 2.0, the criminally underrated Locust-focused Beast mode, and the first co-op campaign expansion RAAM’s Shadow, which finally allowed gamers to play as fan-favorites Michael Barrick and General RAAM himself.

1 Gears of War 2

Gears At its Best

В то время как Механизмы войны 3 is incredible, no Gears title has been able to topple the greatness seen in Механизмы войны 2, one of the greatest sequel games ever made.

В мире, Механизмы войны 2 is epic due to it following Delta Squad and most of the COG taking the fight underground to the Locust Hollow and Nexus and discovering the Locust leaders Queen Myrrah and Ketor Skorge.

Механизмы войны 2 introduced several new creatures and gameplay elements that would become staples of the franchise, such as Horde mode, Tickers, Kantuses, Sires, flamethrowers, and a plethora of new Locust Drone and Boomer variants.

То, что делает Механизмы войны 2 лучшее Gears game, though, is its story, as it’s filled with a perfect balance of action, comedy, horror, and despair that always leaves me pumping my fist in triumph and bawling in equal measure, especially in regard to the fates of Tai Kaliso, Benjamin Carmine, and Maria Santiago.