In just 1.5 hours of gameplay, an early look at Gears of War: E-Day reveals a story that could potentially outshine all previous entries in the franchise. If the rest of the campaign follows the same high standards, fans can expect a thrilling return to form.

Nintendo has spent decades keeping franchises like Super Mario Bros. in the spotlight. Yet “Kid Icarus,” an almost 40-year-old title, took much longer to see a revival.