Summary
Gears of War: E-Dayis taking the franchise back to its horror roots with a much darker story involving the moment the Locust Horde sprang from the ground and laid siege to Sera — the dreadful Emergence Day.As a prequel,Gears of War: E-Dayfeatures a younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they navigate the new terror and attempt to save humanity from extinction.
Gears of War: E-Dayhasn’t shown off much yet, but what it has revealed may be a sneak peek at another Microsoft franchise’s future, simply due to its use of Unreal Engine 5 during development. Specifically,Gears of War: E-Daymight be a decent representation of the nextHalogame’s visuals.
Gears of War E-Day’s Visuals Could Provide a Peek at Halo’s Future
Gears of War: E-Day Is Being Developed Using Unreal Engine 5
While graphics aren’t everything in a video game, they can certainly enhance a game’s ability to immerse players in its world. That’s where Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 comes in, and its power to make a game’s visuals look next-to-real with its Nanite system, a virtualized geometry system that allows developers to use photogrammetry and high-detail meshes without severely impacting a game’s performance. The raw potential of Unreal Engine 5 has been realized ingames likeSenua’s Saga:Hellblade 2andBlack Myth: Wukong. Now,Gears of War: E-Dayis taking advantage of the technology as well, and its announcement trailer has already shown glimpses of the result.
In the announcement trailer forGears of War: E-Day, despite the game’s characters and world being covered in a palpable darkness, the detail on each character model is exquisite.Marcus Fenix, the belovedGears of Warprotagonist and the star of the trailer, looks incredibly lifelike, and the muzzle flash of his Mark 1 Lancer Assault Rifle is so clear that it makes it appear as though he is using a real weapon in the game. If the final game’s graphics look anything likeGears of War: E-Day’s announcement trailer, players are in for a visual buffet.
TheGears of Warfranchise has always featured detailed visuals to draw attention to its characters and gore, butGears of War: E-Day’s graphics look set to impress even more.
The Future of the Halo Series Is in Unreal Engine 5’s Hands
Recently, it was revealed that developer 343 Industries would be rebranded to Halo Studios and moving futureHaloprojects to Unreal Engine 5. Prior to this announcement, theHalofranchise utilized the in-house Blam! Engine developed by Bungie and Microsoft and, more recently withHalo Infinite, the Slipspace Engine built from the ground up by 343 Industries. This marks a big day for theHaloseries, as it moves beyond its developer’s borders to secure a spot inUnreal Engine 5’s legacy.
In light of theHaloseries moving to Unreal Engine 5,Gears of War: E-Daycould provide a glimpse at whatHalo 7will look like. The intricate detail of the Locust Horde inGears of War: E-Day’s announcement trailer could spell big things for the appearance ofHalo 7’s enemies. As such,Halo 7has the potential to be one of the most horrifyingHaloexperiences yet, depending on how realistic its character models are and how far Halo Studios chooses to go in that respect with the game’s narrative.
Recent reports have suggestedHalo 7may not even arrive until 2028, which means it could potentially be made available on a newer Xbox console, thereby enhancing thevisuals provided by Unreal Engine 5even further. Unfortunately, rumors are the only thing keepingHalo 7in the public eye for the time being, but that will inevitably change as its development progresses and its release draws nearer. Until that day comes, however,Gears of War: E-Daymight be the next visual placeholder forHalo 7.
Gears of War: E-Day
WHERE TO PLAY
The Story of E-DayFourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself. New FoundationsBuilt from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
