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On The Radar: Gears 5 – A deep dive into the most ambitious Gears of War game ever created

Features
By Josh West published 30 August 2019

On The Radar is where we bring you closer than ever before to the biggest new releases and, this month, we are turning our attention to Gears 5.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: The Coalition)
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Welcome to On The Radar: The home for in-depth conversations around the world's biggest games. This month we are diving deep into Gears 5, one of the most anticipated and mysterious games of 2019. 

For the latest instalment of On The Radar, GamesRadar travelled to The Coalition's offices in Vancouver to play Gears 5, the biggest and most ambitious game in the Gears of War series to date. The Gears 5 campaign follows Kait Diaz as she attempts to uncover the secrets of her past, a mission fraught with danger as Sera once again sits on the precipice of war. We spent five hours with the Gears 5 campaign to get a better idea of what The Coalition is trying to achieve here, getting a first look at its big open spaces, side quests, and changes to play that will ultimately ensure that this entry into the long-running series is the most courageous yet. We also had the opportunity to get hands-on with Gears 5's take on Horde mode and the chance to sit down with The Coalition's creative leads to discuss the making of Gears 5.

On The Radar: Gears 5

Gears 5 is a big statement of intent for The Coalition. It's the biggest, boldest, and most ambitious Gears of War game ever made, packed with new ideas and fresh ways to play. It isn't about changing the core focus of Gears of War, but evolving it for a new generation of players. It's a game built around improving approachability and accessibility across all of its disciplines, with Gears 5 feeling fresh and energised as a result.

You may like
  • Gears of War: E-Day gameplay screenshot showing a blood soaked Marcus and Dom The Coalition believes that Gears of War: E-Day "has the potential to be one of the best stories in the Gears franchise"
  • Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer. Gears of War: E-Day – Everything we know about the upcoming shooter
  • Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer. While Gears of War: E-Day rewinds the clock, The Coalition is looking to freshen up the 20-year-old series

On the road to review, our full week of Gears 5 coverage begins today with a deep dive into the campaign, which covers our experience playing Act 2 and Act 3 of the single-player. There's more to come, of course, so be sure to keep this page bookmarked and return all throughout the week for explorations of the Gears 5 campaign, its multiplayer modes, the series' legacy, and interviews with the developers from The Coalition that made it all possible. 

(Image credit: Microsoft Xbox)

Gears 5 review
The game's biggest changes don’t reinvent the series, but give the classic shooter more room to breathe. Let Gears be Gears.

Gears 5 campaign

(Image credit: Microsoft Studios)

Gears 5 campaign hands-on preview
We get hands-on with five hours of Gears 5, the biggest Gears of War campaign ever created. It's a bold and ambitious creation, breathing new life into the long-running series. 

(Image credit: The Coalition)

Gears 5 has "levels that are 50 times bigger than any previous Gears level"
Wondering why The Coalition introduced the Skiff? You'll need it to traverse Gears 5's giant play spaces, says studio head Rod Fergusson.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

(Image credit: The Coalition)

New Gears 5 Screenshots
These new Gears 5 screenshots detail the game's evocative and vibrant world, giving you a better idea of what to expect from the awesome new environments and levels that The Coalition has built.

(Image credit: Microsoft Studios)

Gears 5 was inspired by BioShock Infinite, of all things
Gears of War boss Rod Fergusson recalls how his time at Irrational Games helped to inspire Gears 5 and The Coalition's approach to combat spaces.

(Image credit: Microsoft Xbox)

Gears 5 was built to be the most approachable game in the series
How a note passed across a meeting room table helped to inspire a shift in philosophy at The Coalition

You may like
  • Gears of War: E-Day gameplay screenshot showing a blood soaked Marcus and Dom The Coalition believes that Gears of War: E-Day "has the potential to be one of the best stories in the Gears franchise"
  • Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer. Gears of War: E-Day – Everything we know about the upcoming shooter
  • Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer. While Gears of War: E-Day rewinds the clock, The Coalition is looking to freshen up the 20-year-old series

(Image credit: Microsoft Studios)

An unsung hero takes the spotlight in Gears 5
The Coalition is channeling many of the new additions and changes coming to Gears 5 through Jack.

(Image credit: Xbox)

Meet the Gears 5 characters
Everything you need to know about the major Gears 5 characters, from Kait and JD to brand new faces.

(Image credit: The Coalition)

Why wasn't Gears 5 held back to be a Project Scarlett launch title?
Why is Gears 5 launching at the end of the console generation? We took it to Rod Fergusson to find out why Gears 5 wasn't held back as a Project Scarlett launch title.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Gears 5 adds LGBTQ+ banners to its multiplayer mode
Gears 5 is taking a giant-booted step towards inclusivity with the addition of 19 pride banners to its multiplayer modes.

(Image credit: The Coalition)

Gears of War 4 ending explained
Prepare for the Gears 5 campaign with this Gears of War 4 story recap: the Swarm and Kait's necklace explained.

(Image credit: The Coalition)

Gears of War revisited
With Gears 5 on the near horizon, developers join Official Xbox Magazine to look back on Gears of War, the shooter that kickstarted a bold, new era of console gaming

(Image credit: Microsoft Studios)

An ode to the Gears of War Lancer
From the archives of Edge Magazine, this is an ode to the Gears of War Lancer, a weapon as ludicrous as it was essential.

Check back in throughout the week for regular updates, features, interviews, and even more information on Gears 5.

CATEGORIES
Xbox One PC Gaming Platforms Xbox
Josh West
Josh West
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Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Josh West is Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 18 years of experience in both online and print journalism, and was awarded a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Josh has contributed to world-leading gaming, entertainment, tech, music, and comics brands, including games™, Edge, Retro Gamer, SFX, 3D Artist, Metal Hammer, and Newsarama. In addition, Josh has edited and written books for Hachette and Scholastic, and worked across the Future Games Show as an Assistant Producer. He specializes in video games and entertainment coverage, and has provided expert comment for outlets like the BBC and ITV. In his spare time, Josh likes to play FPS games and RPGs, practice the bass guitar, and reminisce about the film and TV sets he worked on as a child actor.

Read more
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