Gears Of War Games With The Best Stories, Ranked

As one of Xbox’s premier exclusives, Gears of War has always had a lot to live up to in terms of giving players a reason to own an Xbox. Thankfully, it has also always met those expectations pretty easily by putting out games with excellent single-player combat and amazing multiplayer encounters.

One of the best things Gears has going for it, though, is its rich and engrossing lore that has been explored in comics, novels, and, of course, its numbered games and spin-offs. Leveraging what are now some of gaming’s most iconic characters, the franchise has yet to release a game that isn’t worth a look. That being said, there are a handful of games in the series with stories that stand head and shoulders above the rest.

5 Gears of War: Judgment

An Exploration Of The Series’ Most Fun Characters

Baird and Cole are two Gears that reside as far from professional as they can, while still being integral in the COG’s machine. This is why the story of Gears of War: Judgment is not surprising, as it sees them and the rest of Kilo Squad standing trial for war crimes.

This tale is spun from 4 different perspectives, allowing the game to have a bit of fun with the story’s structure. However, what Judgement did incredibly well was tell just one of many interesting, smaller stories in this universe, proving that a Gears future, sans Marcus and Dom, was possible.

4 Gears of War

Establishes The Groundwork For The Stories To Come

Gears of War serves as an introduction to a large, disheveled world that is on its heels after 14 years of war with the Locusts. However, it’s also the first in a trilogy that sees humanity clawing its way back out of the rut it finds itself in.

Players spend the roughly 8-hour runtime in the burly boots of Marcus Phoenix as he and his squad do battle through the various cities of Sera. All of this leads to the COG soldiers dealing a devastating blow to their longtime Locust enemies. This is a straightforward action story that is mostly interested in introducing players to its colorful cast of manly men.

3 Gears of War 3

The Ending Of A Number Of Legendary Arcs

As the final game in the original trilogy, Gears of War 3 manages to give players closure on a number of stories that really came to a head in Gears of War 2. In particular, the conclusion of Dominic Santiago’s arc, as well as the overall ramping up of the Locust threat.

The major reveal in Gears 3 is the origins of the Lambent faction of Locusts, introduced in Gears of War 2, but this game’s story seems to really be about snipping off loose ends. By the end of this one, both the Locusts and Lambant are seemingly taken care of, and the world can work on returning to a sense of normalcy. Of course, this doesn’t last for long given that there are two more mainline games after this.

2 Gears 5

Proves Gears’ Story Has A Lot More To Say

After the detour that was the serviceable Gears of War 4, Gears 5 brought things back to the series’ roots, with a story that reveals much about the Locusts. It’s also a campaign packed with twists, turns, and COG cover-ups to be revealed during the game’s campaign.

A lot is done here for Gears of War’s overarching story, while also allowing players to take the revelations in at their own pace during a few key open-zone sections. Add in some fun collectible hunting to reveal more lore tidbits, as well as some interesting character moments that change the way players see important faces, including Gears 4‘s main character, JD, and you’ve got a recipe for the best Gears story since Gears of War 2.

1 Gears of War 2

The Most Emotional In The Series

Over the years, Dom has appeared on countless personal “saddest moments in video games” lists, for good reason. His story in the Gears of War series is the stuff of legend, but it’s in Gears of War 2 that it reaches an incredibly emotional peak.

The game is also full of moments that work to test the rest of the gear’s convictions, as the entire COG army works to figure out how to quell the locust threat. This leads to some desperate measures being taken, even after the human race has taken massive losses up until this point, leaving players both satisfied and eager to know what’s next for Marcus and company.