Common Sense Media Review
By Paul Semel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature, bloody shooter is exciting for series fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Gears 5
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
Based on 10 kid reviews
Kids say the game is an exciting and mature shooter that caters to fans of the series, but it features a significant amount of blood, gore, and profanity, which can be adjusted or turned off for a less intense experience. Many reviewers appreciate the fun gameplay and the ability to filter out mature content, although some feel the campaign lacks compared to previous installments in the series.
- mature content filters
- fun gameplay
- campaign criticism
- good for teens
- graphic violence
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
In GEARS 5, the Swarm of Locusts are continuing to attack human settlements, and it's up to J.D., Kait, and the rest of Delta Squad to stop them. But Kait is still bothered by the revelation in the previous game that her grandmother was the Locust Queen, and this may have left her with more than some serious headaches. So she and Del, a member of Delta Squad, defy orders and, with the help of their friends, head out to solve the mystery of Kait's heritage and what's really going on with The Swarm. Which, of course, will require her to shoot a lot of enemies from behind cover, while also surviving some natural disasters and a harsh terrain. Good thing she now has a helpful robot who can pick up stray ammo, electrocute enemies, unlock doors, and perform other useful tasks.
Is It Any Good?
Like every game in this third-person sci-fi shooter series, this new installment is as exciting and engaging as it is explosive. In Gears 5, Kait has to figure out why her past is giving us such headaches, sometimes literally, while she and the rest of Delta Squad continue to fight the human-hating Swarm. In the story-driven campaign, this takes you to more open areas where you can explore and complete side tasks, though never to the point of making this a Fallout 4-esque role-playing game. You also get some assistance from your robot, Jack, who automatically electrocutes your enemies, and can be told to use offensive and defensive skills such as a helpful radar-like scanner and a blinding flash. Still, it's the shooting that stands out, and in that regard the story mode gives familiar play: frantic firefights against tough enemies who both understand and test your knowledge of flanking and ducking for cover.
Gears 5 also boasts numerous competitive online modes with the campaign. Along with the usual online competitive modes, this adds "Arcade Deathmatch," which is supposed to be for newcomers and casual players, but the addition of character-specific skills and the ability to buy otherwise unavailable weapons mid-match makes it feel like a more elaborate version of "Team Deathmatch." Similarly, the co-op survival mode "Horde," in which you and four teammates have to survive waves upon waves of enemies, also juices things up by giving characters rechargeable special abilities, but that doesn't change much. Instead, the best addition to the game's online slate is "Escape," in which you and two other people have to shoot your way out of an enemy hive where you just planted a gas bomb. While this may sound like it becomes redundant, it's actually nicely varied thanks to some interesting gameplay modifiers and hives that are elaborate and have an assortment of enemies. Thanks to all these additions and changes, Gears 5 is easily both one of the better games in this series and one of the best games of the year.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence. Is the impact of the violence in Gears 5 affected by the constant focus on blood and gore? Is it necessary to kill enemies in cruel ways, including the optional execution moves, when you're already attacking them with guns and explosives?
This game has cursing and gore, but it also has options to turn them off, so do you think it needed to be gory and swearing? Does it make sense for the story?
Game Details
- Platforms : Windows , Xbox One
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Microsoft Game Studios
- Release date : September 4, 2019
- Genre : Third-Person Shooter
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate