Gears 5 adds many new features to keep the long-beloved series fresh, but also brings back some tried-and-true gameplay that can satisfy returning fans and new players alike. Among these familiar features is Horde Mode and the Fabricator. However, for those who missed out on what happened in previous Gears of War titles, this mechanic may be unfamiliar.
Gears 5 brings back Horde Mode, a way for players to test their combat prowess against waves and waves of enemies. The Fabricator is just one key to succeeding in this game mode, the others being knowledge of Gears 5’s combat mechanics and good teamwork.
What is the Fabricator?
The Fabricator is one of the primary mechanics in Horde Mode. Horde Mode is a multiplayer game mode in which players can team up to fight enemies or show off Gears 5’s unlockable characters. To start Horde Mode in the first place, players must move the Fabricator. Once the Fabricator is up and running, players can access it to craft weapons, build up their defenses, get Perks to help in combat, and much more. However, all of these benefits are not available right away. To access the full potential of the Fabricator, players must first power it up.
Powering Up the Fabricator
In order to provide power to the Fabricator and take advantage of its useful features, players must pick up the conveniently named “Power” dropped by enemies in Horde Mode. After killing an enemy, it will drop small lightning bolts. When the player walks over these lighting bolts, they will acquire Power. Once the player has some Power, they must return to the Fabricator and simply press X twice as prompted to deposit it. This will get the Fabricator running.
However, if the player character dies while holding a large amount of Power, all of the Power will be lost. Because of this, it is important that players deposit Power frequently to avoid losing what they worked so hard for.
Using the Fabricator
The Fabricator is where players will go to craft and upgrade weapons, create extra defenses, and apply Perks to their characters. Weapons and defensive mechanisms can be crafted any time during the game. However, Perks can only be acquired between rounds. Perks are extremely important because they provide a wide variety of skills to use in combat. Once a round finishes, players should have plenty of time to rush over to the Fabricator and pick up some extra Perks before the next round starts.
Gears 5 releases September 10 on PC and Xbox One, but is available now in for Xbox Ultimate Game Pass subscribers.