Summary
Gears of War: E-Dayalready looks poised to be a “reset” of sorts for the series for more than one reason, but with Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago at the forefront of its narrative, it’s reasonable to expect some extensive character development between the two of them.Gears of War: E-Dayplaces Marcus and Dom right in the heart of Emergence Day — arguably the most important event inGears of Warhistory — as they attempt to navigate the sudden Locust Horde invasion and guard the planet Sera from destruction. Given the nature of the event, it’s bound to be a deep and emotional journey for the franchise’s most beloved friendship.
WhileGears of War: E-Day’s storywill undoubtedly prioritize the growing bond between Marcus and Dom, however, it shouldn’t allow Marcus' character arc to continue overshadowing Dom’s as it has done in the past. Additionally, Dom has one of the most tragic arcs in the franchise, but he has unfortunately been defined by his tragedy rather than the man that he is in spite of what has happened to him. In light of that,Gears of War: E-Dayshouldn’t neglect to thoroughly flesh out Dom’s origins, all while ensuring he doesn’t continue playing second fiddle to Marcus as he almost always has throughout the series.
Gears of War: E-Day Should Finally Do Right by Dom Santiago
Gears of War: E-Day Should Thoroughly Flesh Out Dom’s Origins
GivenGears of War: E-Day’s title, the bulk of its story will focus on the chaos and destruction of Emergence Day. However, rather than getting players right into the action of Emergence Day,Gears of War: E-Daycould show the days (and perhaps weeks) leading up to that fateful day. This would allow the story some time to flesh out Dom’s origins and show a side of his character the series hasn’t been able to explore due to the focus primarily being on the tragic deaths of both of his children during the Locust invasion of his hometown Ephyra and then his wife Maria going missing shortly after.
Gears of War: E-Dayis set in the city of Kalona, despite the fact that Dom loses his family in Ephyra.
While simply knowing Dom’s background as a husband and father may be effective enough, actually getting to see it and experienceDom’s narrative firsthand inGears of War: E-Daywould allow players to connect with the bonds he shares with his wife and children, therefore eventually leading to an emotional payoff once the tragedy strikes. Essentially,Gears of War: E-Dayshouldn’t refrain from showing Dom in his element — a family man who was always there for his wife and children, and who wasn’t scarred by the emotional trauma of losing them.
Dom Can’t Continue to Play Second Fiddle to Marcus in Gears of War: E-Day
If nothing else, Dom simply cannot continue to play second fiddle to Marcus inGears of War: E-Day’s story. Since Marcus was always the playable character in the original trilogy, it naturally put him at the forefront and gave players an opportunity to bond with him in a way they couldn’t with Dom.Gears of War: E-Daycould alleviate that by allowing players plenty of personal time with Dom in the way of letting them control him. It may even be best forGears of War: E-Dayto follow inAssassin’s Creed Shadows' footstepsby allowing players to freely swap between the two characters at any time.
Gears of War: E-Dayshouldn’t refrain from showing Dom in his element — a family man who was always there for his wife and children, and who wasn’t scarred by the emotional trauma of losing them.
IfGears of War: E-Dayreally is a reset, then Dom’s role needs to reflect that. He can’t just be the character with emotional baggage behind him. TheGears of Warseries has spent years showing who Dom became after everything was taken from him, but now it has the chance to show who he was before his world fell apart. If nothing else,E-Dayshouldn’t keep making Dom play backup in a story that affects him just as much as his best friend,Marcus Fenix.
