Hot on the heels of Gears Pop! and Gears Tactics, Rod Ferguson walked on stage, presenting Gears of War 5. The story trailer, followed by a brief gameplay trailer, positions Kait Diaz as this entry’s new protagonist. The video embedded above contains the trio of announcements. Skip to 2:20 for the entire Gears of War 5 presentation. The game launches in 2019.
The low-down
Rod Ferguson walked on stage, setting the stage for Gears 5‘s story: “As Kait, you’ll journey across the biggest most beautiful world we’ve ever created. Where the war for humanity escalates on two fronts. Outside the capital city and within Kait herself. In this moment from the game, Kait leads a rescue mission to a revoked village, but something goes horribly wrong”
*Cue the cinematic trailer*
The trailer opens with Kait mourning the death of someone close to her. As Kait kneels on the ground, sobbing, what appears to be JD urges them to move on. Kait refuses, stating that she’s been having nightmares. Kait grips onto a locust pendant as she regains her composure. She describes her nightmares as messages. Hoping to seek answers, Delmont volunteers to abandon the mission to aid Kait on her journey.
After Kait walks off, the trailer smoothly transitions to a gameplay montage showcasing various points of Kait and Delmont’s adventure. While a relatively small slice, the gameplay gives long-time fans a few glimpses. New enemy types added to the mix include organic locust/synthetic hybrids. We also see Kait utilizing a giant spiked melee weapon (4 did not have melee weapons, though previous entries did) in addition to some nail gun. Gears of War 5‘s story and gameplay trailer blend, showcasing The Coalition’s stronger narrative focus.
While Gears of War 4 may have failed to tell a compelling story, The Coalition seems to be doubling down on it this time. Opening with a story trailer that transitions into gameplay as opposed to 4’s more traditional gameplay reveals may be a sign of the franchise’s new direction.