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Despite many consoles launching with day-one titles, I’ve come to realize that the games that really make a platform feel “next-gen” come later on. In the case of the Xbox 360, Gears of War is the one that made my 12-year-old self feel as if I was playing something that was years ahead of everything else. While I never owned an Xbox 360, I spent countless hours playing in my friends’ homes, hosting tournaments, and gushing about the heroic antics of the Delta Squad. Now, almost 20 years after its initial release and a decade later after the Ultimate edition, Gears of War: Reloaded arrives with a fresh coat of paint and no platform boundaries.
Cogs in the War Machine
Many players might already be familiar with Marcus Fenix and his deadly squad, which paved the way to one of the most iconic third-person shooter series out there. Usually, I wouldn’t take a lot of time explaining the plot or gameplay, but there’s one exception here: Gears of War: Reloaded is coming to a PlayStation console for the first time.
Without spoiling this 12-hour story, including the extra chapters from the Ultimate Edition, Gears of War‘s narrative still stands as one of the best in the third-person shooting genre. You follow Marcus and the Delta-One Squad as they go from one perilous situation to another, traversing a dilapidated world invaded by the Locust. While it has many 2000s cliches when it comes to storytelling, it has aged well due to its presentation and characters, which are rarely seen today. While not my favorite of the series because my heart belongs to Gears of War 3, the plot is great and does an excellent job at introducing one of the most iconic military crews of the early 2000s and one that I’m eager to see back in action when E-Day launches.
When it comes to gameplay, Gears of War: Reloaded is a 1:1 remaster of the Ultimate Edition. Lately, we’ve seen countless remasters for decade-old franchises, and while not all of them have aged well, Gears of War has, for the most part. The original game was heavily inspired by other third-person titles, such as Resident Evil 4, which, at the time, were pioneering the modern over-the-shoulder camera, which then Gears of War brought into a shooter and stuck the landing perfectly.
The shooting mechanics are superb and still surpass many newer games that can’t make a proper gunplay system. Whether you’re grabbing the Gnasher Shotgun or the iconic Lancer, everything is a joy to shoot and slice with the mounted chainsaw. Even if the shooter genre is bloated nowadays, few games can surpass the high-quality gunplay that Gears of War established years ago.
The running is still a debatable topic due to how “tanky” it feels at times, but since I grew up with it, it never bothered me. Yet, if you’re a new player, do yourself a favor and go through the campaign first before jumping into a multiplayer match unless you don’t mind seeing players rushing at you with their Lancers..
Overall, Gears of War: Reloaded is as faithful as possible to the Ultimate Edition, which is excellent for newcomers. This version has all the extra DLC, including maps and the extra chapters, which add to the iconic war-torn landscape of the series. I would’ve loved to see a few changes to a few things that still grind my gears (no pun intended), but more on that later.
A Modern Way to Experience a Timeless Classic
While the gameplay and story are the same as those of the Ultimate Edition, Gears of War: Reloaded brings many improvements that make it feel like the actual Ultimate Edition of the game and the best way to experience the title that started it all.
Gears of War: Reloaded lets you play the whole campaign at a gorgeous 4K and 60 FPS and multiplayer at 120 FPS, if you have the means to hit that framerate. Since I played this on my PS5, I was surprised to see how well the Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Feedback worked, changing for each weapon, which made shooting my Lancer or launching a Hammer of Dawn attack much more immersive.
On top of that, the game got a visual overhaul, with improved textures, shadows, and lighting. In truth, and despite knowing some of the levels like the back of my hand, I felt as if I was stepping into this world for the first time and just stood there taking in all the post-apocalyptic beauty that made my jaw drop when I was 12. It was a proper Ratatouille moment.
However, I have a few minor complaints that don’t ruin the experience whatsoever. While I know Gears of War: Reloaded is the remaster of the remaster, I was not expecting a gameplay overhaul, but a few tweaks would’ve made the experience feel much more modern and polished. For instance, Dom still has a questionable AI that causes him to run straight toward enemy fire, and you need to revive him during every enemy wave. Beyond that, I encountered a few bugs with enemies not shooting at me and a few just running against the wall. Fortunately, these things only happened a handful of times and never forced me to restart a mission or look for an alternate path. It is just jank that I wish hadn’t been in this version.
Still, Gears of War is one of those experiences that has aged like the finest wine out there, and one that feels like a current-gen title at the moment, especially with all the enhancements in Reloaded.
The Legendary Third-Person Shooter, Reborn
Gears of War: Reloaded might feel way too similar to those who played the Ultimate Edition, but the truth is that many of its new additions make the 20-year-old experience feel better than ever. The narrative is as outstanding as I remembered it, and the gunplay remains one of the best in these past decades. Plus, the visual improvements, cross progression features, and framerate options are welcome bonuses that those who’ve grown alongside Delta Squad will appreciate even more.
In truth, I’m glad that Xbox is taking the first steps to break down all platform barriers and bring some of the most iconic games of the early 2000s to everyone’s preferred consoles. Seeing Marcus Fenix in my PS5 still feels like a fever dream, but one that I’m glad I got to experience. Furthermore, it makes me hopeful for the gaming landscape in the future, as we are truly in an era where gaming boundaries don’t exist anymore, and we can thank the Delta-One Squad for that.
Review copy provided by the Publisher.
Gears of War: Reloaded (PS5 Reviewed)
While Gears of War: Ultimate Edition launched a decade ago, Gears of War: Reloaded feels like the actual ultimate way to experience this timeless classic that has aged well and looks on par with many modern games due to its visual and gameplay enhancements.
Pros
- Gorgeous new visuals accompanied by smooth framerate
- Excellent use of the PS5 features
- The ultimate way to play a timeless classic
Cons
- The AI could've used a few tweaks
- Minor bugs during the campaign
