All Gears of War games ranked

Gears of War, which debuted just at the beginning of the Xbox 360 era and is now led by the same people who gave Fortnite to the world, has always been a consistent success for Microsoft's lineup of platforms.

The third-person shooters show football-sized guys lurking behind an unreasonable amount of knee-high obstacles and firing firearms at glorified mole men attempting to take over the surface.

Lead designer Cliff Bleszinski produced a trilogy of outstanding Xbox games and provided new developers The Coalition with a road map towards prosperity when they took over in 2014. Somehow, he managed to make that notion plausible and emotionally compelling. The Gow franchise has a devoted following, and it isn't just because gamers can cut Locust bastards in half.

Halo revolutionized first-person shooting, and Gow revolutionized third-person shooting. Several games faithfully copied Gow's design in the years following its release.

Although the coalition has tried to add variety to the concept, Gow is still highly recognizable. Players have continued to play each new installment, given its dependability.

Let's change the GEARS!

With its top-notch action, eclectic cast of unique characters, and heated shotgun duels in multiplayer, the franchise has stood as a true cornerstone of Xbox during both good and bad times.

Whether created by Epic or The Coalition, the Gow series games all have many of the same components. Outside of the fans, giving one title to the next may not be easy, but specific qualities make it easier to determine.

Even though every game uses the same basic arsenal of a Lancer rifle, a Gnasher shotgun, and two grenades, new weaponry, gameplay modifications, and systems provide depth to the sandbox.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Gears of War games ranked - worst to best

1) Gears Pop!

Cute, cuddly, and dangerous (Image via Mediatonic The Coalition)

Whether Gears POP is debatable! (pun intended) qualifies as a legitimate inclusion in the Gow brand. However, the series has only produced two remakes in its entire existence, so Gears POP! warrants yet another consideration before something disappears permanently at the end of April.

Created by Fall Guys creator Mediatonic, the game blends the famous Clash Royale gameplay with Funko replicas of something like the Gow characters. The monotonous mechanics of this mobile phone game couldn't entice a player, and Gears POP! would soon become nothing more than a memory despite offering Xbox accolades and the prospect of cartoon-style carnage.

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2) Gears of War: Judgment

War on gears is imminent (Image via People Can Fly Epic Games)

Gears of War: Judgment is, in many ways, a side-story for such a series and was created by People Can Fly after Bulletstorm's release. The new team aims to spice up the existing formula by introducing new weaponry, multiplayer options, and distinct tweaks to the combat system.

In multiplayer, the "down but not out" phase and excessive executions were removed, along with the ability for players to tag explosives on walls. Players did not receive the update well, but several additional features were carried over into subsequent titles.

The campaign's emphasis on small areas and its Bulletstorm-inspired ranking system are intriguing improvements, but nothing can counteract the series fatigue many players felt on debut.

Finally, Gow: Judgment deviated too far from what made a great and failed to gain a following at release, making it the franchise's weakest third-person shooter. At the very least, the devs tried their hand at this shooter style before diving headfirst into a video game like Outriders.

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3) Gears of War 4

We're not saints (Image via Coalition Games)

Gears of War 4 was the first installment in the franchise from the studio's current creator, The Coalition. It served as evidence that the company could continue the franchise without the help of its original developers.

While the team did add their spin to things, the changeover period resulted in a title that seemed like a continuation of its predecessor for most of its runtime.

New aspects such as JD's protagonist run and the robotic adversary group were just uninteresting novelties, and a number of the alterations were reconsidered in the following entry. Randomized loot box implementation in multiplayer received approximately the same amount of positive feedback as one should anticipate.

The DLC structure, which included free map additions to Gow 4's play-making cycle at regular intervals, was more well received. Although the game still sells those levels for private battles, it was a step toward the system many shooters use today.

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4) Gears of War

The cole train is going to bring the pain. Wooo! (Image via Epic Games)

The first Gears of War is a timeless classic that served as the Xbox 360 generation's answer to Halo, but it's also highly different from the franchise that came after it. Sera and its government's sinister overtones were more overt, and the atmosphere on the entire planet seemed more hostile.

The Kryll parts, which had players creeping through nocturnal locations to evade ravenous bat-like predators, presented a brilliant worldbuilding concept amid tedious gameplay. While the key members of Marcus Fenix's group remain noteworthy, the rest of the cast have yet to rise to meet them. Despite being a memorable and formative entry, the greatest has yet to arrive.

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5) Gears Tactics

Those things could stop a truck as long as you don't recoil your shoulder (Image via Splash Damage The Coalition)

While it makes sense, it is impressive how expertly developers Splash Damage adapted the Gow series for RTS and tactics. They need to change their viewpoint and add a stop button because the gameplay is about hiding behind cover and planning enemy ambushes.

Gears Tactics gives some context to the characters in The Coalition's two major Gow games while including great boss fights and notable personalities. This isn't that good compared to other games in its genre, but it's a nice change of pace for fans of the franchise.

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6) Gears of War 3

We got a grandstand view - we're crossing the bridge, right above the ship (Image via Epic Games)

Gears of War 3 is undoubtedly the most content-rich installment in the series. The Epic Games-created trilogy is complete with an entire co-op campaign. An additional downloadable campaign depicts General RAAM's reappearance.

The large deathmatch mode features an extensive range of unlockable characters and modes. Horde 2.0, an enormous update to the classic that allows players to build defenses in their time, and Monster, a game mode that casts gamers as that of the Locust in a Horde reversal, is also available.

All of this, plus an unlockable avatar voiced by Ice-T, provided Gow 3 with a befitting conclusion to Epic's tenure with the franchise.

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7) Gears 5

Yeah, but I got a problem. Something's wrong with this thing! (Image via The Coalition)

Gears 5, the newest in the sequence now known as Gear(s), takes new moves forward to ultimately build on the game formula found throughout the remainder of the saga. Gow 5's varied fighting situations suggest a next-generation future, while the plot branches out in new and exciting directions.

The co-operative and Horde modes remove much of Gow 4's more odious monetization features and deliver something streamlined for its loyal fans. However, most of them could probably be without the Terminator and all of the other crossover characters. Nonetheless, Gears of War 5 is an excellent addition to the franchise that bodes well for Gow's future.

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8) Gears of War 2

You're the first humans to ever desecrate this palace with your presence (Image via Epic Games)

The coalition has undoubtedly gone close, but nothing has come close to the heights attained by Gear of War 2 upon its initial release. The second edition of the series, a revision of the iconic edition, demonstrated how much space for development existed inside the Gears of War War realm.

It was the second time in the franchise's brief history that a new feature had been introduced, and this time it was Horde mode, which other games quickly copied. Aside from that originality, solid character introductions and several new settings contributed to the original Gears of War trilogy's middle act being strong and memorable.