'Gears 5' stars a woman behind the chainsaw gun. It's a strong move

Now nearly a decade and a half old, the "Gears of War" franchise will be remembered for refining and defining the third-person duck-and-cover video game shooter. Well, that, and its trademark chainsaw gun.

That may start to change, however, with "Gears 5," which brings a surprising amount of emotional depth and - dare we say it - maturity to the series. In fact, in the somewhat conservative gun-obsessed shooter genre "Gears 5" feels relatively progressive, where its firearms and violence often take a backseat to themes of colonialism, militaristic imperialism and personal autonomy.