Every Gears of War Game Ranked
Gears of War spans 7 critic-rated games on CriticDB, released between 2006 and 2025. The highest-rated is Gears of War 3 (88) and the lowest is Gears of War: Reloaded (78). Across 160 critic reviews, the series averages 82, and Gears Tactics has drawn the most reviews. Next up is Gears of War: E-Day, due on October 6, 2026.
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Gears of War 3
887 critic reviews·Sep 19, 2011·Microsoft StudiosXbox 360Xbox One“Gears of War 3 represents state-of-the-art design and gameplay where you become the king badass among a gory world of bad-asses.”
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Gears 5
8633 critic reviews·Sep 8, 2019·Xbox Game StudiosPCXbox OneXbox X|S“We like it when creators are able to recognize their mistakes. Gears 5 lets go of the expedition company of rookie boy scouts, and serves a hard-boiled action shooter instead. Just like the old days.”
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Gears of War 4
8518 critic reviews·Oct 10, 2016·Microsoft StudiosPCXbox One“It goes without saying that if you want a great third-person squad-based shooter then Gears of War is the place to go.”
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Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
8223 critic reviews·Aug 24, 2015·Microsoft StudiosPCXbox One“Gears of War: Ultimate Edition isn't the Xbox One's killer app but it's a good addition to any shooter fan's library. Some mechanics have begun to show their age but as a whole, it's a worthwhile and fun experience.”
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Gears Tactics
8040 critic reviews·Apr 27, 2020·Xbox Game StudiosPCXbox OneXbox X|S“On the gameplay front, Gears Tactics nails the transition from high octane shooter to tactical strategy. You'll be hooked even as you grind through an overlong campaign filled with repetitive missions.”
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Gears of War: Judgment
7810 critic reviews·Mar 18, 2013·Microsoft StudiosXbox 360“There's no doubt that Gears of War: Judgment is a great game and one that will probably be used as the standard to which other third-person cover-based games will be measured.”
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Gears of War: Reloaded
7829 critic reviews·Aug 25, 2025·Xbox Game StudiosPCPS5Xbox X|S“2006 feels like a very long time ago, especially as I turned 43 this year. Gears of War, however, is arguably still a teenager, and now an entirely new generation of players gets to enjoy the addictive,…”