MY GAMING GUILTY PLEASURE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS

Dear LORD do I have a guilty pleasure. Oh heavens above have I played the life out of a game. A game that is not loved at all by its own community. A game I have never even touched the campaign. A game that I have spent an embarrassing amount of hours in when all I do is play a horde based survival mode… I often wonder why I am like this too.

But I am no longer ashamed to say, I love Gears 5 horde mode.

I looked up the story on YouTube to see if it was worth playing, dear lord was it cringe (for me!). It is one of the first games I have ever ignored campaign and multiplayer and only played one game mode. It is such a strange feeling to be the casual fan/ hardcore-ish player for a game series. I found a new understanding for many of the casual players of Zombies back in the day that could not give the slightest care in the world toward the zombie story line. Sometimes, it is so nice to just enjoy game play.

Maybe— just maybe —you’ll find this as relatable as I do. We all have that one game or mode we just can’t get enough of, right? For me, it’s Gears 5 Horde mode. And when I say I’m hooked, I mean it—I’ve clocked over 300 hours and haven’t even touched any other part of the game (escape is just watered downed horde). Yes, you read that right. I’ve never played the campaign, multiplayer, or any other mode. Just Horde. And I love it.

Why Horde Mode?

You might wonder what’s so special about Horde mode that I’ve spent all those hours battling wave after wave of enemies. Well, let me break it down for you:

1. The “Thrill” of Cooperation

Horde mode is all about teamwork. You and your friends (or some really awesome random players) band together to take on increasingly difficult waves of enemies. Each player has a unique role, and the synergy needed to survive makes it feel like a well-oiled machine when everything clicks. One of my favorite synergies I learned was having a veteran class and a marksman class use their ultimates together. The veteran gives instant head shots and the marksman gets wall hacks. It is synergy made in heaven!

What’s that? You say you have experienced some awful random teammates that are selfish, spam emotes, steal crap, have no idea how to play or leave the game earlier? BAH! I say! BAH to that truth.

2. Strategy and Customization

The strategic depth in Horde mode is incredible. From choosing the right class abilities to setting up defenses and managing resources, every decision can make or break your run. It’s a mix of frantic action and thoughtful planning that keeps me coming back for more. I am shocked by how much fun the "build your own base” mechanic is. It has me coming back to play the game and level every single class. If I want to punch something I have a melee class, if I want to blow stuff up I have a demolitions class, if I want to support I can build the base. There are more options then that, but it was so refreshing to have ways that I can play the exact same match and modifiers in completely different ways.

Another comment from the audience? What’s that about random players not synergizing with the group? You ask about those lobbies where all 5 are assault classes and get absolutely destroyed because there is no defenses? I’m appalled by your accurate descriptions of random lobbies. APPALLED!

3. The “Satisfaction” of Progression

I love the sense of progression in Horde mode. Leveling up characters, unlocking new skills, and perfecting my strategy over time gives a satisfying sense of achievement. It’s like seeing your hard work pay off as you become more adept at handling the chaos. It happens so quickly with the permanent double XP on. I couldn’t ever imagine playing the game grinding through levels at a “normal XP” rate…wait a minute...oh lord.

4. Ever-Changing Challenges

With various maps and difficulty levels, no two Horde sessions are the same. The game constantly throws new challenges at you, keeping the experience fresh and exciting. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, a new boss wave or tricky enemy configuration keeps you on your toes. All the different modifiers form the daily challenges change up the gameplay so much that I don’t burn out from the gamemode. I’m surprised to even see buffs on the harder difficulties that end up making the game even more challenging and fun! It feel like the old Modern Warfare 2 methodology “if everyone is overpowered, no one is!”

Surely there are never utterly agonizing challenges that stack up to make the game unbearable, right?

Why I Haven’t Tried Other Modes

Some might find it strange that I haven’t explored the rest of Gears 5, you are correct. BUT for me, Horde mode offers everything I want in a game. It’s a perfect blend of cooperation, strategy, and action. Plus, there’s always something new to learn and improve upon. It’s like a cozy corner of the gaming world where I feel at home.

Gears 5 is a highly disliked game in comparison to the rest of the franchise. The videos created to help explain builds and strategies were nearly non-existent. The player base is less then 600 a day in many cases and I had to keep reminding myself that the game came out nearly 5 years ago, as of September 10th of this year.

That’s why I was delighted to see that absolute joy from the Gears of War fandom at the announcement of Gears of War E-Day! A return to the “Of War” branding, a return to the roots of the series, a chronicle prequel in a time where you didn’t skip the story because it was that good.

The Gears of War trilogy was exceptional. It was a flag ship game for the Xbox 360 console along side Halo.

Before we move to Gears of War E Day, I want to at least thank Gears 5 horde for being my comfort game over the past two years. It’s class base system, build your own defense, and active player base (although extremely small) made Gears 5 a special game for me. Sometimes a single aspect of a game can make it “good” for a person’s experience.

-Reed