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Gears of War: E-Day is designed to make the Locust feel new again—not by pretending earlier games made every enemy interchangeable, but by returning to the moment when the people of Sera first encountered them. Set 14 years before the original Gears of War, the prequel frames familiar enemy types as an emerging threat and gives them distinct combat roles. The Coalition’s stated goals emphasize fear, surprise, and encounter variety; a reviewer’s early impressions suggest that smaller foes deliver more convincing reactions to gunfire than the largest enemies do.
What changes when the Locust are seen for the first time?
E-Day shifts the perspective from a war already familiar to players to the first Locust emergence on Sera. In a 2024 Xbox Wire feature, The Coalition describes the game as taking place 14 years before the original and presenting the Locust through the eyes of people encountering them for the first time. That is a change in dramatic context: enemies known to longtime players are meant to be frightening discoveries to Marcus, Dom, and the wider population.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Gears of War: E-Day | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360 (Renewed) | $18.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Gears of War 3 (Renewed) | Buy on Amazon | |
| 4 |
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Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - Xbox One (Renewed) | $19.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Gears of War 4 - Xbox One (Renewed) | $24.53 | Buy on Amazon |
Studio creative director Matt Searcy summed up the intended effect as the Locust being “the ‘monsters under the bed.’” He described the question behind the premise as what the people of Sera would do on seeing “this overwhelming army of monsters.” This is the developers’ description of the story’s design aim, not evidence that earlier games lacked horror or that every returning enemy has been redesigned from the ground up. Xbox Wire’s 2024 feature establishes the prequel’s framing and the team’s stated intent.
Why redesign the Drone?
The clearest direct comparison with earlier games concerns the Drone. Art director Aryan Hanbeck said that, as the series progressed, Drones had become “mere cannon fodder.” He described the E-Day redesign as an effort to make them “fearsome, physically intimidating, and utterly brutal.” That is The Coalition’s own account of the Drone’s changing role and its corrective ambition; it should not be generalized into a claim that all previous Locust enemies were generic.
#1 Best Overall
- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
- CO‑OP YOUR WAY — Play online with up to four players across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus, or team up locally with 2‑player split‑screen co‑op on console.
The official July 31, 2026 gameplay update describes multiple Drone varieties, with elite units using tougher tactics and loadouts and combining into formidable squads. The intended distinction is therefore not just a more imposing look: different Drones are meant to contribute different levels of pressure and tactical behavior within a group.
How familiar enemy types get different combat jobs
The official gameplay descriptions assign returning Locust specific ways to disrupt a fight, demand a response, or alter the battlefield. These are developer descriptions of mechanics, not independent test results.
Rank #2
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
| Enemy | Stated behavior in E-Day | What it asks of the player |
|---|---|---|
| Wretches | Armored Wretches can scream to disorient the player and limit their actions. In the opening encounters described by Searcy in a 2026 Xbox Wire interview, Wretches are unarmored—unlike the version players normally see in Gears games. | Deal with an early shock troop that can interfere with control, while encountering a less protected version of a familiar enemy. |
| Drones | They appear in multiple varieties; elite units use tougher tactics and loadouts and can form formidable squads. | Read the composition of the group rather than treating every Drone as the same target. |
| Seeders | They launch Nemacysts and serve as mini-bosses. The player must approach and draw them out to expose the weak head. | Change position and create an opening instead of relying only on straightforward fire. |
| Boomers | They are described as larger and more durable. When one is low on health, a coordinated, well-timed chainsaw execution can shorten the fight. | Manage a tougher target and look for a specific opportunity to finish it. |
| Reavers | They can transport Drone troops or stay in the fight as walking tanks that leap, cling to high walls, and attack from above. | Account for threats that can arrive with reinforcements or attack from elevated positions. |
The official update also mentions additional creatures from the Hollow, but does not detail their behaviors in the descriptions above. The listed roles show how E-Day aims to make enemy identity matter in combat: a Wretch can disrupt, a Seeder can force a positional response, and a Reaver can change where an attack comes from.
How encounters escalate and combine threats
The Coalition’s account of encounter design emphasizes combinations rather than isolated enemy traits. Its gameplay update says enemy mix, battlefield layout, weapon choice, and player skill jointly shape a fight. Searcy’s June 2026 interview describes a progression from first encounters with Wretches and Drones—then discovering the Drones’ weapons—toward Brumaks, armor, and the scale of the wider invasion. The arc turns individual enemy reveals into a growing sense of military escalation.
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Rank #3
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
This approach makes the comparison with earlier games more specific than “old enemies versus new enemies.” E-Day is using known types in the context of a first encounter, while varying their equipment, vulnerabilities, and relationship to the battlefield. The official sources establish that design goal and name selected behaviors; they do not provide a systematic, title-by-title comparison of enemy AI or encounters across the franchise.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What an early review says about enemy reactions
There is one useful independent counterpoint to the developers’ stated aims. In a review-in-progress accessed October 7, 2026, Windows Central praised the reactions to bullets and destructible armor of Drones, Wretches, and other early enemies. The reviewer found that Reavers, Brumaks, and other larger foes reacted less to gunfire and could feel like bullet sponges.
Rank #4
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
- Includes full game of the original Gears of War remastered in 1080p.
- Play five campaign chapters never released on console.
- Experience competitive multiplayer in 60FPS with 19 maps and six game modes.
That is one reviewer’s assessment of the version covered by a review still in progress, not a definitive verdict on the finished game or a comparison tested systematically against every earlier Gears entry. It does, however, point to a possible tension in the design: smaller enemies may communicate damage more clearly, while the scale and durability of large foes can make their response feel less immediate.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 25 Years after Gears of War 3, spurred by a series of strange disappearances, JD Fenix must embrace his father’s legacy and battle a terrifying new enemy
- Never Fight Alone: Enjoy two-player co-op with friends locally via split-screen, over Xbox Live or LAN. Player 2 can select either Kait or Del
- Redefined Cover Gameplay: New close-cover combat moves and combat-knife executions turn each piece of cover into an offensive opportunity
- Brutal New Weapons: An incredible arsenal of new weapons includes the Buzzkill and Dropshot, which can shoot around and over cover, raining destruction from all angles
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