Getting older means you might wake up one day and realize you've missed Gears of War. I never counted the cover shooter that birthed a thousand copycats among my favorites, but the seven year break between Gears 5 and E-Day has reminded me how rarely a grungy, uncomplicated third-person shooter comes along these days, and just how good The Coalition has gotten at making them.
Last week, I played a few hours of Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer split between Horde Siege—this game's expanded take on its long-running PvE co-op—and standard Versus PvP. Both modes were unexpected, but not because Gears is venturing into uncharted territory. It's actually the opposite: There is no surprise battle royale, no extraction elements, not even Call of Duty loadouts.
