Pre-order Gears 5

We got our first hands-on with Gears 5 earlier this year at E3 2019, where Microsoft was showing off the Escape gameplay mode. More recently, the Gears 5 Tech Test gave the world a chance to run a section of the Gears 5 multiplayer through its paces in a real-world test. While it didn't offer any new insight into the single-player portion of the title, what we saw bodes very well for the competitive future of Gears multiplayer.

Before jumping into the game, Gears 5 runs you through one of the better HDR calibration screens available. Games in general have done a pretty poor job of this, so the triple split-screen that changes in real time is a nice touch. You can also adjust the HDR settings while paused, with your changes immediately reflected in-engine. It may not seem like much, but it makes trial-and-error adjustments much faster than popping out to a menu, saving, and then going back to the game to see if the image looks as you'd expect.

There is also a training mode (Boot Camp), which serves as a quick introduction to the controls for new players and a refresher for Gears veterans. It was short, but effective.

Multiplayer had the standard ranked and casual gameplay options, with a character level system that pulls inspiration from prior titles. Completing certain tasks during the test would earn skin and banner unlocks, which will likely also be a focus once the game is released.

What's most important about the multiplayer is how well it ran, and playing on an Xbox One X console, I saw a consistent 60fps across the matches in which I played. Movement was solid and smooth, with controller inputs that responded right away. I had to play a bit with adjusting the speed of turning and the controller dead zone, but after a bit of fiddling, there seemed to be a sweet spot that worked.

Unlike games like Call of Duty, where multiplayer seems to be focused on an extremely low time to kill, Gears 5 felt like it had more of a focus on strategy. Yes, you could kill (and be killed) rather quickly with the right weapon, but for the most part, everyone in Gears 5 is a bit more robust. Maybe this has something to do with the skill level matching, but it more likely has to do with the game tuning, and I like it. Small mistakes aren't brutally punished, but you still have to play smartly. It also means that one-on-one firefights offer up more of an adrenaline rush, especially if you're evenly matched. Just barely eking out a kill is more rewarding than one-shotting a player because it feels earned.

Speaking of characters, each character offers up a different loadout and a different set of perks when playing. For example, if JD Fenix is on your team, he'll spot enemies that damage him. Any enemies that he spots will reward health to whoever kills them. Effective teams can use these perks to their advantage, especially when pushing forward to overtake an entrenched position.

Eliminating opponents earns you skulls, which act as the weapon upgrade currency for each round. Some characters have set weapon upgrades, and others have random upgrades. The upgrades only last until you die, so spend your skulls wisely. With that said, I didn't have much trouble earning skulls in the matches that I played, giving me plenty of opportunity to try out the better weapons. My favorite was a spiked club that sent out a ground shockwave and could kill an enemy in one hit. Using that in close quarters with multiple opponents is a glorious feeling.

Both of the maps that I played on during the Gears 5 Tech Test were fun, but I found myself preferring District over Training Grounds due to the visual design. Both looked fantastic in HDR, but the detailed urban landscape of District felt more alive than the relatively spartan look of Training Grounds. The visuals also masked the otherwise symmetrical layout of District. After playing for a while (or looking at the minimap), the symmetrical layout was obvious, but while playing, the two sides looked different enough that it was easy to overlook the fact that they mirrored each other.

My only real complaint during the Gears 5 Tech Test was how the game handled lag. Playing on a gigabit fiber connection, I had a ping between 12-16, while other players could easily be 2x-5x that. One matched opponent was pinging over 200. For the most part, lag was invisible, but it wasn't totally hidden. I did experience occasional "teleporting" of opponents across my screen, which I'm assuming was a result of a lagged connection catching up. Those moments were not common, but they were frustrating when they occurred, as they seemed to put me at a disadvantage simply because I had a better connection.

Microsoft will be showing off the Gears 5 Campaign and Horde modes at Gamescom this month, and the full game drops in early September, so keep checking back for more updates and impressions.