Gears 5: Hivebusters Reviews

Gears 5: Hivebusters is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
85 / 100
Dec 16, 2020

If you're a fan of Gears of War, Hivebusters is a DLC you should play.

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Lee Mehr
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Jan 14, 2021

The Coalition's first expansion often excites, but the ephemeral length and mismatched gameplay loop tempers its fiery ambition.

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8.9 / 10.0
Dec 23, 2020

Overall, Hivebusters is a short but sweet story DLC. It takes the familiar feeling of Gears 1-4, and adds some fresh new twists in a very focused, well produced package. You don’t need to play Gears 5 at all to enjoy it or understand it. I highly recommend it.

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95%
Jan 23, 2021

Gears 5: Hivebusters is a perfect way to test what your new Xbox Series console is capable of. Excellent graphics and a fun campaign in the good old Gears style should satisfy the fans of the series.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Meh
Jan 5, 2021

If Gears 5 it's a big loud and fun cinema blockbuster, Hivebusters it's the forced TV Spin-Off that does not offer much more.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Worth your time
Dec 19, 2020

Gears 5 Hivebusters is an impresive three-hour audiovisual tour de force that should have been there from day one on the Xbox Series X.

Review in Greek | Read full review

Essential
Feb 15, 2021

Gears 5: Hivebusters is a short an enjoyable change of pace, playing as Scorpio Squad through their origin story. It runs and looks incredible on the Xbox Series X and it’s the type of expansion I love because it adds more story to an already awesome base game.

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8.2 / 10.0
Dec 15, 2020

Gears 5: Hivebusters is a must-play for any fan of the series. From its dire situations to its jaw-dropping combat scenes, it's hard to pull yourself away from the action-packed campaign and once you've completed it, you'll gladly play through it again.

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Unscored
Dec 17, 2020

At three hours long, it passes by at a breeze, and is packed with some truly spectacular set-pieces. One particularly notable scene takes place halfway through, and fans of the recent Hobbit trilogy will see a striking resemblance between the two. It all feels as though its building to a dramatic, explosive conclusion, but ends with one of the most anticlimactic boss fights in the series' history. It pales in comparison to intense encounters with General Raam and Queen Myrrah, and blends in with the majority of the expansions' combat encounters.

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7.5 / 10.0
Dec 21, 2020

Good expansion of Gears world, its histore in lore. But 20' is a bit too much for 3 hours of gameplay.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 29, 2020

Gears 5 Hivebusters is an excellent DLC that expands the lore of the Gears saga and brings us moments of non-stop action. It's a great example of why singleplayer DLC should never die.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jan 13, 2021

Hivebusters is a safe but rewarding package that gives you more of what you love about Gears 5. The characters are strong, the campaign is solid, and gameplay is exactly what is expected. If you are a fan of Gears 5, then this expansion is a no brainer and is easily another reason to get Game Pass.

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8 / 10.0
Dec 18, 2020

Packed full of excellent action, blistering combat, a solid cast of characters, and astoundingly beautiful visuals, Gears 5: Hivebusters is unmissable for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the series.

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Unscored
Dec 23, 2020

Hivebusters is a rather interesting operation that the internal team of Xbox Game Studios used sagaciously to emphasize the deepest and most narrative direction of the saga.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Dec 26, 2020

Gears 5: Hivebusters is just what the series needed; a short but enjoyable romp, new faces, and a new perspective. It's clear that The Coalition wanted this to be special and they succeeded. Hivebusters is a showcase for those playing on either the Xbox Series X|S or Window 10 and is a perfect example that less isn't always a bad thing.

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9.9 / 10.0
Dec 21, 2020

Both my grade and my overall impressions of Hivebusters are positive, but I can't help feeling a strange feeling with this new installment. The Coalition has gotten me hooked on it and now that it's over so soon I can't stop asking myself questions about whether or not this will be the future of the franchise. I honestly believe that this DLC should set the tone and mechanics of future installments. And it is that the personality and charisma of the Scorpio Squad is something that I missed; They took love triangles away from the equation and focused on delivering shots, action, and a story almost on par with the original trilogy.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8.3 / 10.0
Dec 24, 2020

It is hard to see why Microsoft has so quietly launched a very gluttonous DLC that, in its small way, it could have represented the Xbox response to sony's operation with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In a wild race between stone idols and legendary monsters, the three hours of Hivebusters will serve to remind you why Gears is after all these years a series still so damn satisfying. Hivebusters is a must-see for all Marcus Fenix fans, and strongly recommended for anyone who wants to get closer to the saga for the first time.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Dec 19, 2020

More Gears shooting is never a bad thing.

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86 / 100
Dec 26, 2020

Hivebusters has an appropriate level of difficulty for returning Gears 5 fans. The South Islands are so beautiful that although Gears 5 is clearly extremely action-heavy, they’re simply asking for a fleshed-out photo mode. I had a few checkpoint issues, but nothing game-breaking. Scorpio Squad is a big draw of Hivebusters as the trio is composed of relatable and funny characters. Hivebusters feels like a proper expansion pack to Gears 5 rather than a tacked-on DLC that was really just removed from the main game. The Coalition clearly put a lot of work into this add-on. Though it doesn’t feel like that full step forward that a sequel would be, Hivebusters remains a robust experience and an essential one for Gears fans.

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GameMAG
Top Critic
8 / 10
Dec 28, 2020

Gears 5: Hivebusters is a great addition to the original game. It can definitely be recommended for purchase to every fan of Gears 5 and the Gears of War series as a whole.

Review in Russian | Read full review