Although the series initially became somewhat notorious for its ultra-bulky character models, gruff protagonists, and over-the-top gory shooting and chainsaw action, the Gears of War games hide a surprising amount of narrative depth. Beneath the machismo of its surface, it’s possible to find several relevant and thought-provoking themes at play in the Gears of War franchise, with the topic of loss and how humans deal with that loss front and center in nearly every title. Characters in the Gears of War games often find themselves at a crossroads after suffering a devastating loss, and it’s how they band together and overcome adversity that makes each game’s protagonists true heroes.