Considering how the Gears of War series is one of Microsoft's flagship titles, Gears 5 has gone mostly under the radar in the run up to its release. The only song and dance we saw was during E3 where we got a fake out with the Gears Pop game before they assured fans with the announcement and reveal...

Solid wall-to-wall gameplay; Long campaign that tries new things; Plenty of game modes to keep you busy; Escape mode is especially fun

Frame rate dips in the campaign on Xbox One; New features might not appeal to Gears purists

Here’s everything we know so far about Gears of War 5

A more mature Gears 5 returns the series to its former glory

Dark; twist-filled campaign; Classic Gears of War combat; Jack is a great companion; Escape is perfect for aggressive players; Open areas add variety

Microtransactions don't belong; Only human allies for Escape

The Gears of War series has been uncompromising in its apocalyptic vision, holding the line with the same cover-based shooting, gruff armor-clad heroes, and wealth of multiplayer modes in all of its installments. You know exactly what you are getting from each game, and that's a great thing.

What a package. Truly the main event the Xbox One desperately needed after years of disappointing or underwhelming exclusives, Gears 5 is significantly better than the enjoyable Gears Of War 4, and a reminder of the power of a console exclusive that’s given the full backing of its platform holder. And amazingly, if you’re paying the 7 quid a month for Game Pass, you get it for nothing else. An astonishing value proposition, and the title Game Pass needs to take it to the next level. Fantastic.

A thrilling, expansive campaign; 4k60 takes Gears to the next level; Escape mode is a fantastic addition;

Multi still has the potential for horror; Not going to convert those who hate Gears (whoever they may be);

Gears 5 is the series' most ambitious entry to date, bringing with it an endless wave of revolutionary ideas that the franchise has been in desperate need of for years. The Coalition's mark has finally been made, and it's one that focuses on narrative importance alongside bright, energetic mechanics that show that Gears 5 can happily stand alongside this generation's other blockbusters without fear.

A long, varied and ambitious campaign; Characters have some narrative depth; Plenty of variety in gunplay and other mechanics; The world feels massive and full of potential;

Campaign's biggest moments are somewhat underwhelming; The camera still feels too isolating at times;

Gears 5 proves that when it comes to heart-pumping firefights and slick shooting mechanics, it is still king. But while we appreciate The Coalition experimenting with open-world elements and trying to build a deeper narrative, it doesn't always stick the landing.

Visually intoxicating; Plenty of multiplayer modes; New mechanics make it feel fresh; More areas to explore and lore to uncover;

Open world elements feel off; Doesn't flesh out narrative to full extent

Gears mixes things up but still retains its signature brutal combat and gore!

+ Strong voice acting and some decent writing in the campaign; + Jack's combat abilities freshen basic gameplay up; + Open world elements a welcome attempt to do something different; expand the Gears universe; + Series' strengths - Horde mode; basic combat; weapon variety; presentation – all still...

- Campaign's deeply unsatisfying ending; - Open world is for sure nice to have; but not very in-depth; meaning it feels a little like padding; - New Escape multiplayer mode not quite hitting its stride yet

The story is far from high art and is much too self-serious to be amusing. Gears 5 's plot fails to entertain in most regards, since the majority of the characters are flat and unlikeable, with the exception of Del who had some personality by way of being optimistic, and having the funnier lines of...

With gratifying combat, practically unmatched visual grandeur, a new focus on exploration and some of the most interesting locations and characters at the high-budget end of modern gaming, Gears 5 is an incredible leap forward for the original cover-based third-person shooter series.