Every Gears of War Game, Ranked

Gears of War is one of the most iconic and celebrated shooter series in gaming. It originated on the Xbox 360 and had to compete with the Halo series, something it did easily. Gears of War is a tight-rope walk balancing horror, gritty militaristic action, third-person cover-based shooting, and a surprisingly deep and compelling narrative. The series has seen multiple entries, divided between the original trilogy, spin-offs, and a sequel duology. Ranking these Gears of War games is a challenge because none of them are bad games. That said, not all are created equal, and some games remain the gold standard for the series.

Gears of War features seven games, which excludes Gears POP!, which just feels too different to include here. Another interesting fact is how the series has changed hands, starting with Epic Games before ending up with The Coalition. Since then, the Gears games have received numerous praises, with some getting more than others. Ahead of both Gears of War: E-Day and the Gears of War Remaster, we have ranked every Gears of War game from worst to best.

7) Gears of War: Judgment

Gears of War: Judgment is the first title released after Epic Games stepped away from the series and handed development over to People Can Fly. It serves as a prequel to the main trilogy and is often seen as a spin-off due to the changes. The most obvious change is a shift to Damon Baird and Augustus Cole as the protagonists, deviating from Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. All of this would have been fine considering both Baird and Cole Train’s popularity within the series, but People Can Fly made other major changes that left fans dissatisfied with the game. 

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Inconsistent pacing, lack of emotional depth, fragmented storytelling, and the inclusion of Lancers before their invention all led to fans heavily criticizing Judgment. Shifting away from the grounded and horror tones of the first three titles made it stand out, but not for the better. Its launch created a disconnect and just didn’t resonate with longtime fans. That being said, Gears of War: Judgment isn’t a bad game, but it cannot compare to the games that came before it. Judgment would introduce the Overrun mode, which paved the way for future game modes. It also had polished combat and engaging gameplay that fans praised.

6) Gears of War 4

The series was passed off once again, this time from People Can Fly to The Coalition. Instead of a prequel using previous characters, Gears of War 4 takes place 25 years after the events of Gears of War 3. It features a new cast, consisting of JD Fenix, Marcus and Anya’s son, as well as Kait Diaz and Del Walker. Gears of War 4 focused on humanity’s rebuilding of Sera and the threat of a new enemy, the Swarm. Stunning visuals and mechanically solid gameplay solidified the title far ahead of Gears of War: Judgment and a return to form, but this is also part of its problem.

Gears of War 4 played things too safe. It essentially followed the tried and true formula of the original trilogy without expanding with anything new. The campaign starts off strong but fails to keep fans engaged throughout due to weak character development and a less interesting enemy. It lacked the emotional weight of the previous entries, especially coming off Gears of War 3. However, Gears of War 4 successfully captured the polished and exciting multiplayer of the past, even bringing back the fan-favorite Horde mode. The Coalition created a great game here, but it felt more like a stepping stone to what would eventually become Gears 5.

5) Gear Tactics

Gears Tactics took fans by surprise, ditching the series’ third-person cover-based shooting gameplay for a top-down tactical shooter. Fans jokingly call it “Gears of XCOM,” and this is a fair description. Co-developed by The Coalition and Splash Damage, fans dove into a Gears of War 4 prequel, following Gabe Diaz, father of Kate Diaz. It successfully combined the gritty world of Gears of War with compelling tactical gameplay to create a thrilling spin-off title.

That said, many fans were disappointed with the change. While it maintained the visceral tone, it was a major deviation from the core gameplay. This could have been successful, but the lack of mission variety and repetitiveness ultimately led many to lose interest. Gears Tactics did offer players a robust class system with wide customization options and presented a compelling story with exciting cinematics. Gears Tactics was a bold choice, drastically changing the series, and its experiment ultimately worked. However, its flaws detract from the overall experience, but these can easily be fixed in a sequel.

4) Gears 5

The Coalition took everything they learned from Gears of War 4 and improved upon it with Gears 5. For the first time in the mainline games, players were not behind a Fenix, but instead, Kate Diaz became the protagonist. This title was the first game to move toward an open-world, even if it went semi-open-world. The graphics for Gears 5 were even more stunning, and The Coalition took big risks with its story that paid off.

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Gears 5 uses a more emotional and personal narrative told through Kait’s perspective. It dives deeper into the lore of the Locust while keeping the gritty tone the series is known for. Its open-world aspects introduced new features, such as weapon crafting, new traversal methods, and more emphasis on exploration. New combat options were added in the campaign through Jack, and The Coalition expanded on classic modes like Horde and Escape. Where Gears 5 suffered was inconsistent storytelling, and its open-world nature clashed with the series’ identity, two issues that can be overlooked.

3) Gears of War 3

Gears of War 3 is the stunning conclusion of the original trilogy, bringing the most powerful emotions yet. Not only that, but it provided a deep finale to an incredible journey, and fans praised its storytelling. Gears of War 3 possesses one of the most emotional moments in the series, one that still haunts many to this day. It pushed the Xbox 360 to its limits visually and mechanically. Where the game falters is in failing to innovate, but it uses the core aspects of the series to its fullest potential.

Not only did it nail its single-player campaign, but Gears of War 3 has some of the best multiplayer in Gears of War. Classic multiplayer modes returned, but Epic Games also added a new mode, Beast mode. The multiplayer was incredibly polished, perhaps with the exception of the Sawed-off Shotgun, and offered many different ways to play. Gears of War 3 is a balanced and dramatic experience, and a blast to play from start to finish.

2) Gears of War

The original Gears of War stands the test of time, and it is no surprise that Microsoft is rereleasing it with a new remake. Marcus Fenix’s story started here, and players were hooked from the beginning. Gears of War is the darkest game in the series, setting the gritty horror tones early on. The war-ravaged world of Sera sucked players in thanks to the presence of the Locust and its willingness to kill off characters. Additionally, Gears of War proved to be a technical marvel at the time, showcasing the power of the Unreal Engine.

Following up Gears of War is a challenging task, only accomplished by Gears of War 2. Its story was compelling, tightly paced, and just downright enjoyable. Meaty characters and brutal combat grabbed players’ attention, especially the iconic Lancer. Moments like encountering the Berserker and the final boss fight against General RAAM remain some of the best in the series to this day. Gears of War launched with a unique identity, differentiating itself from other shooters at the time and laid the foundation for the series, showing why it’s still popular today.

1) Gears of War 2

Gears of War 2 is the only game in the series to top the original entry. Epic Games improved upon every aspect of Gears of War in this sequel. Its campaign was somehow more compelling and engaging, with higher stakes, new characters, and a stronger narrative. The environments were more diverse, and its cinematic set pieces stunned players at the time. Gears of War 2 upped the emotions, having the second-most emotional scene in the games. All of this created the perfect campaign, one that is equally matched by its multiplayer.

Gears of War 2’s multiplayer truly showed off the improvements to combat. Chainsaw duals, improved cover transitions, new weapons, and tight gameplay made it some of the most fun on the Xbox 360. This doesn’t even take into account Horde mode, which saw a group of players facing off against waves of Locust enemies. This mode instantly became a fan-favorite, and almost every game has included it and expanded upon it. Gears of War 2 may not have started the series, but it certainly showed its potential and set the bar for future titles.