Gears 5: What is Escape and How to Play

A brand new multiplayer mode is now available in Gears 5. Here’s what it is, and how you play it.

A brand new multiplayer mode is available in Gears 5 called Escape. In it, three brave COG soldiers called Hivebusters. They purposely get captured by the Swarm and get thrown into a nest. There, they release a venom bomb; a destructive device meant to wipe out the entire nest. The mode works a little bit differently than Gears of Wars’ traditional Horde mode. It focuses on cooperative play, forcing players to grab what they can and rush towards the exit. Here are the basics of how to play the new multiplayer mode.

What is Escape and How to Play it in Gears 5

You Don’t Have Much

When you first awaken in the nest, you’re going to plant the venom bomb at the center of the nest. You and your squad of three are going to rush out of the loading area, and your goal is to make it out of current level to the next one, quickly. However, Swarm is wandering the halls, and all you have is a pistol. While you can rely on it, you’re going to discover they don’t know you’re there yet, if they haven’t spotted you. It’s a great time to use your stealth attacks, and take a few out, grabbing as many weapons as you can.

You’re going to find looking for ammunition, and new weapons are your top priority while you’re playing. Your shots are going to need to count because if you want ammo, you’re going to need to get lucky by finding an ammunition crate or by taking it from the enemy. More than likely, you’re going to need to extract it from an enemy. When you don’t have any bullets, you’ll have to rely on melee attacks, which come with a heap of risks.

You’re going to want to tread lightly, be on the lookout for any supply rooms, and never get attached to a particular weapon. When you’re out of bullets, the closest weapon to you with ammunition is going to be your best option. You can’t get picky.

Next level – Find an Exit and Extract

After you’ve gone through the first level of the nest, you’re going to need to extract while the venom bomb is going off below you. When you call it in, you’re going to need to have all hands on deck to fight your way out. Unfortunately, you’ve made a bit of noise since the first level, so the Swarm knows you’re there. They’re going to start sending stronger foes after you, and you’re going to need to grab what weapons you can to fight through them.

You won’t have to defend yourself in a fortified position or fight off a wave small wave. Instead, you need to keep your primary goal in mind: get to the exit. If you lose sight of that, you’re going to find yourself trapped in the nest, with enemies on both sides and you’re out a clip. You want to focus on your mini-map, find the exit, and make your way out. While heavily guarded, you can easily get sidetracked.

Once you make your way to the exit and you’re on the surface, you need to close the gate behind you. The Swarm is going to be coming after you, so you’ll need to defend the position as the doors close. Once they lock, you’re good to go, and you can return home.

Three-person Cooperative Mode

While some players might get used to the size of a Horde party, an Escape party is significantly smaller. You’re only going to have two other allies with you by your side the entire time, totaling a party of three. You need to stick together because if one of you strays off and goes down, your allies are going to have a tough time getting to you so you can all make it out.

The three-person cooperative choice also raises the stakes while you’re trying to escape. You won’t have as much backup. If you keep your formation tight, everyone should keep their wits about themselves.

Difficulty Settings and Weekly Maps

Before you start a game of Escape, you have the option to make the battlefield even tougher. There are eight difficulty settings, each containing a new buff to make the entire mode more difficult. Here they all are, and what they do.

• Beginner: Nothing
• Intermediate: Enemies have Increased Health, a time bonus of 1.25
• Experienced: Damage to players is increased, a time bonus of x 1.5
• Advanced: Regen Penalty: Player regenerates 50 percent slower, a time bonus of x 1.75
• Elite: Venom moves twice as fast, a time bonus of x 2
• Insane: Less ammo given in pick-ups, a time bonus of x 3
• Inconceivable: Enemies regenerate their health over time, a time bonus of x 4
• Master: No respawns allowed! Players who die cannot be revived, a time bonus of x 5

Escape is going to feature weekly maps, too. They’re going to change up the map layout, the available Skill cards players can win, and include more variety. If a player misses a previous Weekly Escape map, they can do the previous one in the Past Hives options. For those who are a bit more creative, you can make your Hive and share it with the Gears 5 community.