Gears of War: Reloaded Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

Gears of War: Reloaded is the ideal homecoming gift for one of Xbox Game Studios’ greatest achievements. It is, to some degree, a souped-up version of Ultimate that launched back in 2015 on Xbox One and PC. But with Reloaded comes a few major graphical overhauls and QoL upgrades. Oh, and not to mention a cross-gen feature that allows plays across the native console and PlayStation 5 versions to duke it out over an epic co-op campaign that spans the interlude between the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day and Gears of War 2. In addition to all of that, there are also several lofty boosts to the core experience, with “4K resolution, assets and textures” and a whopping 120FPS across the campaign and the multiplayer mode.

“We really felt that bringing back the game that started it all – and bringing it to more players and more platforms than ever before – was the perfect way to kick off a celebration of 20 years of Gears,” reported Mike Crump, Studio Head at The Coalition. “I’m jealous of everyone who’s about to experience Gears for the first time because I remember what an amazing experience that was!”

So, how exactly does Gears of War: Reloaded hold up in the current market? Is it worth revving up the ol’ Lancer and trusty chainsaw attachment for, or is it something that you should consider letting slip whilst you wait for that next major cross-gen debut? Let’s jump into the fray and find out.

Xbox Royalty, Reborn

There’s a reason why Gears of War amassed universal interest during the heyday of Xbox 360’s introductory franchises. Heck, even at the ripe age of, say, twelve, I remember the solemn atmosphere that would cloak the cinema just as soon as Michael Andrews’ ”Mad World” would echo through the halls to reflect Gears’ somber yet oh-so-compelling theatrical debut. And, to think, twenty years have since passed, and I still feel that surge of excitement and nostalgia for whenever The Coalition teases a revival of its acclaimed saga.

It was only twelve months ago that I introduced a die-hard PlayStation gamer to Gears of War: Ultimate. With that, the aesthetics are still fresh in my mind, as is the timeless dialogue, the gore-addled action, and the buttery smooth reload mechanics à la Zen and the Art of Reloading. The campaign and its five distinct Acts, as well as the immensely satisfying wall-to-wall combat and punch-drunk humor, too, are common fixtures in a vessel that I solemnly refuse to let slip through the cracks of my fingers. Twenty years, and still I find a tremendous amount of pleasure in being able to chomp through these things. It’s fresh in my head, and yet, it’s a game that continues to surprise me even after two decades.

Reloaded doesn’t add any extra weight to the vessel, nor does it boost the core gameplay experience with additional Acts or sequences to explore, I’ll admit. That said, it does give it a good old-fashioned spit shine and a powerful overhaul to elevate its finest cinematic elements, with a true 4K and 60/120FPS upgrade to boost its signature performance and general fluidity. A remastered version, then, but with added cross-play, you could say. But then, there’s more to it than that.

Heroes Never Die

Gears of War: Reloaded offers a seamless gameplay experience that refuses to let up on the brakes from the moment you emerge from the cell to the second you confront your deadliest nemesis aboard that iconic freight train. Needless to say that, campaign-wise, Reloaded captures the beating heart of its core counterpart, and it takes full advantage of its next-gen hardware to propel even the smallest details to a new age, with slick combat and transitions enhancing its performance and theatrical appeal to exceed its former limitations.

Campaign aside, Reloaded also comes clean with a revised online multiplayer mode that extends its arms to a plethora of iron-fisted bouts, invigorating stakes, and gloriously challenging close-quartered battles. As a true testament to the importance of rekindled love letters to classic franchises, Reloaded paves the way for newcomers to the saga with a litter of beefy upgrades and a matchmaking system that feels good on both sides of the spectrum. The PC version, while not our go-to platform for this review, does contain a few teething issues, with a soft glitch that rejects users during online play. If you can scratch that issue out, however, and if you can focus on the positives, of which both Xbox and PlayStation have an abundance of, then freshly, there isn’t a huge amount to complain about.

At the end of the day, Gears is still unapologetically Gears. The Reloaded version, while still acting as an underling in the shadow of Ultimate, is still a fantastic piece of legacy art that deserves the attention of newcomers and returning COGs alike. It’s slick, bulky, and an absolute blast to slug through both online and in its single and co-op campaign modes. It’s still a remaster of a remaster, but at least it accomplishes everything with grace.

Verdict

Gears of War is one of those sorts of games—the kind that you could quite easily romp through and still find yourself returning to several years later to scratch an itch that, quite frankly, so many others aren’t able to reach. With thanks to its audiovisual overhauls and modernized 4K/120FPS implementations, it swiftly surpasses Ultimate to become a force to be reckoned with—a torchbearer that has the power and influence to coerce gamers from all walks of life to wage war, whether it’s for the first time or the eighteenth. The fact of the matter is, Gears of War was already a kingpin in the realm of third-person shooters before; Reloaded simply enhances its presence on a broader spectrum and makes a few new friends along the way.

While you could argue that Gears of War: Ultimate is the definitive way to experience The Coalition’s IP for Xbox users, that doesn’t change the fact that, speaking on behalf of the gaming community as a whole, it’s the best choice for other non-native console users. To that end, if you are new to the series, and have yet to bathe in the cinematic universe of Xbox Game Studios’ most beloved franchises, then you should definitely check out Gears of War: Reloaded. Heck, even if you’re like me, and have slugged through the Locust horde, I don’t know, fourteen times in the last two decades or so, then I’d still tell you to revisit it. Simply put, it’s Xbox royalty, and it deserves to be celebrated, no matter where you may pledge your allegiance to on an ordinary basis.