Gears of War: E-Day is getting closer, and if you were hoping Marcus Fenix might catch a break before launch, its latest trailer has some very bad news for him.
The Coalition dropped a new story trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live, giving us another look at the early days of humanity’s war against the Locust. More importantly, it introduces a particularly unpleasant new enemy who seems determined to make an already disastrous situation even worse. And yes, at one point, someone gets Emulsion poured directly over their head. E-Day certainly isn’t easing us back into the Gears universe gently.
Marcus Fenix is having a very bad day
The trailer spends plenty of time with Marcus and Bravo Squad as they attempt to survive the rapidly deteriorating situation in Kalona. We also get a glimpse of the sheer scale of the threat when the squad ventures underground and discovers a massive Locust force gathering below. That’s not something you want to stumble across.
Marcus, unsurprisingly, isn’t about to turn around and go home. He continues pushing forward even as everything around him becomes increasingly hopeless, which should give E-Day plenty of room to show us a younger version of the character before he became the battle-hardened soldier fans know from the original games. The campaign will reflect that escalating chaos through a three-act structure, with the situation becoming progressively more desperate as the Locust invasion takes hold.
E-Day is looking seriously impressive
Beyond all the explosions, monsters, and general misery, the trailer is also a pretty impressive showcase for the game’s visuals. Character faces are incredibly detailed, expressions look noticeably more natural, and there are some wonderfully obsessive little touches throughout. At one point, you can even make out individual droplets of water sitting on characters’ faces. It’s the kind of detail you probably won’t notice while you’re busy trying not to get torn apart by the Locust, but it makes the cinematic moments look fantastic.
And because this is Gears of War, the trailer couldn’t simply fade to black. It closes with the unmistakable sound of a Chainsaw Lancer revving to life. Some things really shouldn’t change. Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. The campaign is expected to run for more than 14 hours and will let players control different members of Bravo Squad. There will also be plenty to do once the story is over, including Horde Siege co-op and a full suite of multiplayer modes.