Today marks the worldwide launch of Gears of War: E-Day[www.xbox.com], now available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, Game Pass and Steam. One of XBOX’s most iconic sagas returns to where it all began, taking players back to the opening hours of Emergence Day and the catastrophic event that changed the world of Sera forever.

Emergence Day is a defining moment for the Gears of War universe – the catastrophic event changed the world of Sera forever, but the story of that fateful night has never been fully told, until now.

Gears of War: E-Day transports us back to the opening hours of the Locust invasion, where an unsuspecting world is ruthlessly plunged into chaos as monsters erupt from underground. Across three harrowing days and nights, Marcus Fenix, Dom Santiago and their fierce new squad mates fight desperately to survive the onslaught consuming the city of Kalona, while uncovering the true scale of a threat unlike anything they – or humanity – has ever faced.

From the moment the prologue opens, Gears of War: E-Day showcases a masterclass in action-horror. This is not the Locust enemy you’ve fought before. They’re equally cunning as they are violent, and frankly, you should be terrified to face them. If this is your first deployment, or you’re coming out of retirement to fight the war ahead, we’ve got you covered. Before you step out onto the streets of Kalona, here are a few things every Gear should know.

Gears of War is famously a cover-based shooter, and you’ll rely on it to stay alive as you push through the Locust. Keep your head down and dip from cover-to-cover – and avoid walking out into the open unless you’re rushing an enemy with a melee attack. Even a handful of Drones can deal massive damage while you’re exposed, which can be trouble for both you and the squadmate that may have to come and revive you. Sometimes, the best course of action is to hold patiently and pick off enemies as they come, and there’s no shame in that strategy.

Sometimes, you’ll just need to haul ass and stay as mobile as you can, which I quickly learned during an early fight with a Brumak wielding a horrible chain weapon. There’s no peace to be found in cover for that situation – fan out, keep it distracted, and pray that it doesn’t decide to charge you while your gun is jammed.

Each weapon you’ll find in E-Day is deeply situational, which makes for a great tactical experience. The Chainsaw Lancer is a great all-rounder, offering close-to-mid range firepower and a big ol’ (upgradeable) mag to chew through. The Gnasher is a stellar shotgun, fantastic for devastating point-blank damage. The Longshot Sniper, one of my personal favorites, pops a slick, long-range slug into unsuspecting foes from a great distance. Not only is that incredibly satisfying each time, but it lets you get a stack of damage into a tankier enemy – like a Boomer, before it gets close to you. There are caches dotted around Kalona that let you switch up your loadout, too, so don’t feel like you’re locked into a specific style of play forever. Mix up your strategy, swap roles with your friends, but above all – experiment!

I know I said this is a cover-based shooter, but sometimes you’ll need to resort to more personal measures. Before E-Day even lets you look at a gun, it hands out a crash course in melee – one of the most useful, life-saving abilities for a Gear. Spend some time getting to grips with how it works when wielding a metal pipe and the Snub pistol – figure out the weight of the swing, and how it feels to hit enemies in front, and more importantly, behind you. Later, melee becomes even more fun with the Chainsaw Lancer, and you’ll feel extra confident with it once you’ve got the basics of backhanding down.

As soon as you pop your head up to aim a shot, you’re a giant bullet magnet, effectively inviting every weapon-wielder on the map to pop you like a balloon. Fortunately, Gears can shoot blind from behind cover, which is a superb way to dish out additional damage to something getting too close for comfort. If you don’t have the health to rush out for a melee takedown, or you need a few seconds of recovery time, blind fire from cover is a clutch move to get the job done.

While E-Day‘s campaign is primarily linear, Kalona has large pockets of open space with multiple pathways towards the next objective, as well as side paths that may lead to side missions. These are smaller, optional objectives that let you support other squads, help civilians, and otherwise contribute to saving the city. Not only do they offer additional insight into the wider story, you’ll also get a nice reward for doing it, often a weapon mod.

While you’re exploring, keep an ear open for a sharp chime whenever you enter a new area of the city – anywhere from inside a building to a side street. That means there’s a collectable nearby. These range from familiar items like COG armor and tags, to esoteric pieces like… a can of soup. They all come with great little lore entries too, some written by the squad members themselves. It’s a wonderful added insight into their stories, and the wider world, so pick them up when you can.

Now that you’re equipped with the basics, there’s only one thing left to do – get out there. Gather your squad, load up, and uncover the world-shattering event that started it all. Gears of War: E-Day is available today on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, Game Pass and Steam. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.