All of the ‘Gears of War’ games, ranked

News of an adaptation of Epic Games’ Gears of War franchise is piquing the interest of the fandom despite prominent concerns that Netflix will butcher the source material.

Video game adaptations are historically terrible, and several recent examples show that things haven’t changed much. Hopes are still high that HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us will stay true to Naughty Dog’s vision, but releases like Halo and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City indicate that adaptations haven’t improved much since the days of Street Fighter and Alone in the Dark.

Netflix doesn’t have a great record when it comes to adaptations, with utterly atrocious attempts like Fullmetal Alchemist and its own mangling of Resident Evil still fresh on fans’ minds. The platform has a slightly better reputation than many of its peers, however, with examples like The Witcher and Arcane showcasing that — when approached right — Netflix has what it takes to deliver a wonderful reimagining of previously released works. Fans of the Gears franchise are hoping that Netflix brings the latter energy to its adaptation of the beloved video games.

It’s still unclear which games the Netflix adaptation will follow, but each of the Gears games offer up a solid story and a stellar lineup of characters that are ripe for the picking. Here’s a look at the entire franchise and a ranking of which games reign supreme over their peers.

A ranking of the Gears of War games

With the upcoming Netflix attempt fresh on their minds, gamers are returning to Gears with a fresh eye. The games don’t sport the rich story and complex characters of games like The Last of Us, but the existing narrative is still wonderfully enjoyable. The games tell the story of a brutal war between the humans of Sera, an Earth-like planet, and the Locust horde that threatens their existence. The initial games follow the same team of Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) soldiers, who are tasked with the nearly impossible task of destroying the Locust horde once and for all, and securing a future for humanity.

5. Gears of War 4

All of the titles in the Gears franchise are solid installments, but based on both reviews from Metacritic and this author’s own experience with the games, Gears of War 4 is the weakest of the main lineup’s options. The game offers up exciting gameplay and more streamlined, modern mechanics, but clings too hard to the past to feel like a truly new game. It’s nice to depart from the main team of hulking, overly-muscled meatheads, and the introduction of Marcus Fenix’s son, JD, adds some very interesting tension to the story, but Gears of War 4 just doesn’t take enough risks to feel like a proper revamp of the original trilogy.

4. Gears 5

It’s got the same 84 on Metacritic as Gears of War 4, but Gears 5 takes things a bit further, and in doing so delivers a much more interesting game than its direct predecessor. The game follows Kait Diaz on her quest to discover the truth about the Swarm and its connections to her family, and in doing so sports a very different approach from the rest of the games in the franchise. Add to this that the game boasts the first open world of the franchise, and it’s no wonder it’s a popular entry in the lineup. It can’t hope to boast the nostalgia of the original trilogy, but Gears 5 might just be one of the most enjoyable games in the entire franchise.

3. Gears of War 3

The third and final game in the original Gears of War trilogy, Gears of War 3 manages to largely maintain the quality of the first two titles. It’s rated a bit lower on sites like Metacritic, where it’s earned a score of 91 and the coveted “must play” label, but the third game is still an absolute delight to play. The game, like its predecessor, emphasizes the use of cover and cooperation to succeed in encounters, and pits Marcus and his team of absolute beefsteaks as they clash with a new foe called the Lambent.

2. Gears of War 2

The second title in the original Gears of War lineup is — like the third — a “must play” on Metacritic, and maintains an impressive score of 93 on the site. The title continues the story started in the first Gears of War game, jumping ahead only six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb. The group’s success in the first game saw the Locust horde nearly wiped out, but also introduced a deadly disease into the human population. Marcus and the rest of the excessively-muscled Delta Squad members decide to take the fight to the Locust, in hopes of ending the war once and for all.

1. Gears of War

It’s hard to beat the original. The OG Gears of War title remains, even after nearly 20 years, the best that the franchise has to offer. To be fair, we would highly recommend that fresh gamers seek out the 2016 remastered edition of the game, or suffer through challenging and oft-outdated gameplay, but the story and approach in the original holds up wonderfully to this day. The game introduces users to Marcus Fenix and his team of brawny warriors, and takes gamers on an action-packed journey across Sera. The title is military gaming at its absolute best, complete with excellent mechanics, delightfully intense combat, and surprisingly real, gritty characters. It’s not the most nuanced game you’ll ever play, but you’ll enjoy every second of it. This game has well earned its 94 score on Metacritic, as well as the “must play” label.

Spin-off titles

A few spin-off titles are also worthy of note, but we’ll be ignoring DLC expansions and the Gears Pop! mobile game. These games largely sport a similar setup to the other Gears titles, but none of them boast nearly the fanbase of the core family of releases.

Gears of War: Judgment

One of the only Gears of War spinoffs to follow a member of the main cast, Judgement keeps its focus on Damon Baird and Augustus Cole and serves as a prequel to the entire series. The title in no way reinvents the wheel, offering up a somewhat predictable and commonplace addition to the Gears franchise, but it is none-the-less a satisfying and enjoyably fast-paced action shooter. It’s barely rated lower than the main franchise on Metacritic, where the game has a score of 79.

Gears Tactics

The only title on this list to largely depart from the typical Gears approach, Gears Tactics shifts its direction to offer up top-down, turn-based gameplay with an emphasis on strategy. Like Judgement, it serves as a prequel to the main series of games, and maintains the action-packed energy gamers expect from the franchise. It has a score of 80 on Metacritic, where fans laud it for its challenging and experimental approach.