Review: Gears of War: Reloaded

Gears of War stands as one of Xbox's greatest achievements. Going into the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii era, many anticipated a redux of the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era where PlayStation would dominate thanks to PS2's large install base and Sony's iron-grip on several exclusives. Team Xbox, however, proved everyone wrong and came out of the gate swinging with several high-profile exclusives. One of those was Gears of War, which went on to spawn a highly successful trilogy during the Xbox 360 era, and a mildly successful duology during Xbox One's lifecycle. Times have changed, though. Third-person, cover-based shooters aren't as popular anymore, and Microsoft's strategy for Xbox has shifted. Despite this, the appetite for Gears of War remains strong, strong enough to bring back the title that started it all. Gears of War: Reloaded promises the complete Gears of War experience enhanced for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and for the first time ever, PlayStation 5. Is Reloaded the ultimate way to experience the 2006 original or is this merely a forgettable stopgap as we wait for Gears of War: E-Day?

Welcome to Sera

Gears of War: Reloaded takes place on the planet Sera more than ten years after the start of the war between humanity and the monstrous Locust. Having pushed humanity to the brink of extinction, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) plan a hail mary mission to wipe out the Locust once and for all. Players take on the role of Marcus Fenix, a prisoner pulled back into the war to aid the mission who, after a series of unfortunate events, finds himself leading this mission. Opposing him are the Locust who will stop at nothing in their mission to eradicate humanity.

Gears of War: Reloaded's story should sound familiar because it's the same story that's been around since 2006 and completed in 2015. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition included the bonus campaign act that helped tie together the end of Act IV and start of Act V. While there is nothing new included in Reloaded, it's rather interesting returning to where it all began. The plot is rather smart at laying foundations for plot threads that would be answered in later entries. It's entertaining getting a refresher course on all things Gears of War.

As entertaining as it is, Gears of War's plot remains the weakest of the franchise when it comes to its characters. While the franchise has produced strong characters and brilliant character moments, all of that was done in subsequent games. In Gears of War, each character is merely a walking stereotype. Marcus is the stoic leader, Dom is the best friend, Cole is the loud one with a heart-of-gold and Baird is the annoying smart guy who loves to complain. They all become amazing characters, but you don't get any of that here.

Gears of War: Reloaded's campaign doesn't provide anything fresh, but it's a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane. Spread across five acts, the campaign will take you anywhere between 6-8 hours depending on selected difficulty. With few collectibles and no alternative paths, this is as pure an old-school campaign as you can find these days. In many ways, the linearity is refreshing, especially compared to the bloat of many modern titles.

A remaster of a remaster

Much like the story, there's nothing new here when it comes to content or gameplay. The Coalition, Sumo Digital and Disbelief have delivered a 1:1 remaster of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, which itself was a nearly 1:1 remaster of the original Gears of War. Due to this, the game features all the same great things included in the Ultimate Edition (i.e. the bonus campaign missions, all multiplayer maps and modes and all cosmetics) as well as the negative (i.e. AI, lack of updates to gameplay and limited weapon selection). If you ever had any issues with Gears of War or the previously released Ultimate Edition, you'll have the same issues here.

What Reloaded does bring to the table is a complete package that takes advantage of current-gen hardware and shifting attitudes around console exclusivity. The franchise's signature campaign co-op and heart-pounding multiplayer can now be enjoyed across Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5 thanks to cross-play and cross-progression. Are the mechanics and balancing showing their age? Sure, but being able to experience these classic modes with any friend on any platform is simply amazing. On top of that, considering how few remasters include the original multiplayer suite, getting that classic multiplayer back is a true treat.

A shiny new coat of paint

Where Gears of War: Reloaded truly shines is in its presentation. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition looked gorgeous, but hardware technical limitations kept the campaign locked to 1080p running at 30 fps, though the multiplayer topped out at 60fps. Reloaded bumps that up, allowing players to enjoy the campaign at a 4K resolution while running at 60fps. While updated gameplay mechanics would have been nice, the smooth framerate more than helps make up for it. On top of that, new updates like HDR, 4K assets and textures, and improved shadows and reflections help turn a 2006 Xbox 360 game into a modern era beauty. It's an impressive effort, and one that looks and runs beautifully on PS5.

The game features all the same great things included in the Ultimate Edition (i.e. the bonus campaign missions, all multiplayer maps and modes, and all cosmetics) as well as the negative (i.e. AI, lack of updates to gameplay, and limited weapon selection). If you ever had any issues with Gears of War or the previously released Ultimate Edition, you'll have the same issues here.

Would it have been nice to see some new content or a collection that contains remastered versions of Gears of War 2 and 3? Absolutely. Would some gameplay and quality-of-life improvements have gone a long way to modernizing the game experience? Sure. For the low cost of entry (or free if you own a digital copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition) though, Gears of War: Reloaded offers a visually enhanced trip down memory lane complete with campaign, co-op and a full multiplayer suite.

Closing Comments:

Playing Gears of War: Reloaded is a beautiful reminder of how far the industry has come and what we've lost along the way. Upfront, Reloaded is a remaster of a remaster and does nothing to improve the nearly twenty-year-old game. Various quality-of-life improvements for AI, balancing, mechanics, the UI and more would have been greatly appreciated. Outside of that, however, Gears of War remains as compelling an experience as ever. The story, while lacking character development, remains exciting with stellar worldbuilding, foreshadowing and setpieces. The linear campaign is a true gem and reminder that you don't need a bloated 30-60 hour campaign to tell a compelling story. Gameplay remains basic, yet fun and majorly improved thanks to the enhanced framerate. It also goes without saying how spectacular it is to get the full multiplayer suite included given that most remasters don't even bother. The visual presentation is stellar, bringing what was originally an Xbox 360 game up to modern day standards. Reloaded is a stellar value with its campaign, cross-play co-op and full multiplayer suite, especially on PS5. Would a Gears of War Collection been nice, especially given the fact that neither Gears of War 2 or 3 are available on PC or PS5? Absolutely. What Gears of War: Reloaded does set out to accomplish, though, is successful, especially at giving PlayStation players their first of hopefully many trips to Sera.