This week, we see the sixth instalment of Gears of War and the latest expansion of Monster Hunter World

Gears 5

The most valuable player (MVP) in Gears 5 goes to Jack the floating robot. He is cool, he is charming and, most of all, extremely helpful in a fight and one of the best additions to the series. The second MVP will always be the legendary Lancer weapon, equipped with a chainsaw bayonet to eviscerate the enemy with ease.

Gears 5 Developer: The Coalition

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Price: ₹3999 for Windows 10 PC and Xbox One

The Xbox, albeit a worthy console, has not had a decent exclusive in a while. Considering we are not getting a Halo anytime soon, we’ll happily jump at the prospect of a Gears of War game, titled Gears 5.

What’s it about?

The story picks up after Gears of War 4, which sees our protagonist Kait Diaz go on a path to discover her origins and her connection to the enemy. Around her, the war continues, as the Swarm advances on what’s left of the Coalition forces to wipe them out. In many ways, Gears 5 is a blast from the past, but also paving a way forward for the series. The campaign is exciting and has excellent pacing, but the best part is the refreshing verbal sparring by your teammates that peps things up and helps you bond with them.

How does it play?

The Gears formula has not changed since Gears of War 1 introduced the world to its fantastic cover system. After being used to the ease of The Division’s use of cover, it could initially be a little hard to get into the latest system, but your instincts will soon take over. It is familiar yet new — including the nifty reload-at-the-right-time-to-get-explosive-ammo mechanic, that is an adrenaline boost when you get the timing right in the middle of a firefight.

The game is structured differently this time. Rather than the traditional on-rails levels, the game opens up into an open world environment, much like Metro Exodus.

Gears 5 looks incredible, both on the Xbox One X, where it runs 4k at 60 fps, as well as on PC. The game has the same chunky heavy metal look, but the characters display a lot more emotion and a lot of work has gone into crafting the game. The only downside is playing it on the PC, wherein the Windows 10 version 1903 is a requirement. And, it did not go smoothly at all — it required quite some work to get Gears 5 up and running.

Should you get it?

If you are looking for an excellent action game with tons of spectacle and a great story to boot, then Gears 5 is your jam. While it does not reinvent the wheel, it is still a wild ride.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

It was a successful mission for Capcom in bringing Monster Hunter World outside Japan, with millions of players taking down monsters, to get glory, fame and loot. Now with Iceborne, a downloadable content, Capcom throws down the gauntlet at the players.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Developer + Publisher: Capcom

Price: ₹3499 for PS4 and Xbox One

What is it about?

Welcome to Hoarfrost Reach, your new home, as a flurry of migrating monsters has sent you and the Research Commission’s third fleet hot on the heels of a new elder dragon, Velkhana.

How does it play?

Think of Iceborne as the main boss that stares at you after you complete the entire original game. You have to face a barrage of monsters that are tough to take down, requiring you to go into battles with your team, with a strategy in mind. The reward: more loot to help you create better equipment to help you survive.

That said, Hoarfrost Reach is a winter wonderland, with a thriving ecosystem of smaller monsters, and the larger beasts that prey on them. With you at the bottom of that pecking order, Iceborne gives you the Clutch Claw, so you can latch on to the massive monsters like Shadow of the Colossus and hack wildly, giving you a fighting chance against walking nightmares like Banbaro, Betodus or Zinogre.

Should you get it?

If you have been into Monster Hunter World, then Iceborne is entering the big leagues. However if you are just starting out, then it is best to get your toes wet trying the base game first.

The writer is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day finish his sci-fi novel