Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Reviews
Ultimate Edition proves what an outstanding game Gears of War was and is. It's a meticulously-crafted remake, and the online modes are exemplary. Even if you've played the original, it's well worth a look.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition does a fine job of remastering the original, but a new coat of paint and some minor upgrades can't disguise the fact that the gameplay experience hasn't aged particularly well.
At the end of the day if any triple-A franchise deserves the remastered treatment, Gears of War fits the bill. It spawned a legion of devotees. Even though the campaign has shown its age, the multiplayer still can compete with today's shooters.
Some folks will be telling you that Gears isn't as good as you remember, but this Ultimate Edition proves that they're talking nonsense. Don't blame Epic's blockbuster for the dumb, dudebro sci-fi action games that followed; it's a lean, superbly-paced action game with slick mechanics, stunning aesthetics and some fantastic set-pieces, all of which work as well now as they did back in 2006. The AI has its dodgy moments, but the game is still phenomenal.
The Coalition has done great work in bringing Gears of War to a new generation, though it’s not always without its problems. Changes in general are welcome and well-executed, though some unkempt issues of the original and some compression artifacts do arise here and there. Some technical issues aside, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is an excellent ode to the original which along with backwards compatibility for the sequels will make for an excellent opportunity for new players to introduce themselves to the franchise, along with returning players who want to re-live this classic Xbox 360 title.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the Gears of War that fans didn't ask for, but it's the one they got, and it's actually pretty great, as it happens. The campaign seems to have taken a backseat to the multiplayer in terms of improvements, but it's worth buying for the multiplayer alone, so there's that. It'll tide you over till Gears of War 4 at least, but that's about it.
If anyone reading this has a One but hasn't experienced Gears first hand, this is a must buy right before the rush of the holiday releases really gets going in a month or so. For long time Gear heads, I still think this is a worthy hard drive partition, and makes retiring the 360 from your HDMI ports that much easier.
You won't see any major improvements outside of the visuals, but it's the minor improvements across the board that makes this game an incredible shooter.
Locust-capping at its finest
If you missed Gears of War the first time around and own an XBox One then I could happily recommend the admission price into this franchise and best of all, it's loaded with content and entertaining gameplay. This also means that players will be able to download the original Xbox 360 games on their next-gen console (November 2015) plus get unprecedented access to the beta of Gears of War 4.
Despite some bugs and network limitations, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition undeniably succeeds in becoming the new definitive version of this game.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition does little to pervert the gameplay formula of the original, as it is held fervently close to the heart by many a fan of the series. Instead, The Coalition takes the template and heightens its controls and visuals to a level that puts other games fresh off the press to shame. It's the same great game you loved nearly a decade ago, it just looks and feels a whole lot better.
Whether you are a fan of the Gears franchise, shooters in general or perhaps missed out on the Gears craze almost a decade ago, I recommend Gears of War Ultimate Edition due to its polish and refinement on many levels.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition isn't the Xbox One's killer app but it's a good addition to any shooter fan's library. Some mechanics have begun to show their age but as a whole, it's a worthwhile and fun experience.
A true classic that remains brilliant today
It feels good to finally get back into Gears of War. People Can Fly experimented with Judgment, but it ultimately didn't work as well as it could with the series formula.
Online aside, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is exactly what Gears fans could ever want from a remake of the original game: enhanced controls, powerful new visuals and a complete transferring of the full Gears of War experience — PC exclusive missions included — from the previous console generation to the current one.
Overall, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a game I loved playing from start to end. Should you buy Gears of War: Ultimate Edition with your hard earned money? Definitely.
As it stands, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a great addition to the collection of any Xbox One owner. The fact that you get the entire Gears collection for free and Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta access further sweetens the deal. Newcomers get to play one of the most influential games of last generation while old-timers can take stock of the slew of incremental yet important changes that make it worth playing through all over again.