Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Reviews
The campaign has aged pretty poorly and the graphical updates to the campaign side of Gears of War feel half-baked, so unless you're really excited for the competitive part of Gears of War, there's nothing for you here.
In spite of the older design choices holding back this game, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is one of the best remasters around.
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.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a fine Xbox One remastering of a classic, important, Xbox 360 game, but it could have been so much more.
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.
The Coalition has crafted a faithful homage to a great nine-year-old game, but hasn't completely erased the blemishes of the past.
The original Gears of War holds up better than you might think for a game that inspired years of me-too shooters. It may not be worth $40 for everyone now, but if you haven't touched the series before and want a good starting point before Gears of War 4 hits next year, this is the best place to start.
The return of Gears of War is a bittersweet one. The updated graphics detract from the original artstyle, but the improved netcode and online features drag Marcus and the gang kicking and screaming in to the next generation. Putting aside the issues with frame rate, it is a smut have for any lancer enthusiast.
It was one of the more fun campaign experiences I've had in a very long time, and at 15 hours for a first play-through, it's not too bad for a game that's $30 USD at the time of this review. On top of an improved multiplayer experience and a good chunk of replayability, it's hard not to recommend this game. It's also really fun seeing what terrible situations you can get Dom stuck in.
I was expecting a bit more from this game in terms of meaningful gameplay improvements and AI fixes, but that doesn't stop this trip down memory lane from being a hell of a ride.
Fans of the original Gears of War will enjoy visiting Sera one more time to play out humanity's last hope against the Locust. The sound and the visuals all receive the requisite upgrades with just a bit of extra story thrown in for those who did not play the game on PC the first time around. But what will really keep you coming back for more is a robust multiplayer that takes some of the best elements of all three games and serves it up in a smooth framerate that makes it a joy to play.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is anything but a lazy remaster. With a bunch of new content, a massive visual overhaul, mechanical improvements, and other subtle modernizations, Ultimate Edition has earned the right to be referred to as the definitive version of Gears of War.
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.
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.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is truly the ultimate edition of Gears of War. It may suffer from some sporadic performance issues and the occasional loading glitch, but the campaign is entertaining, the Brumak chapters are intense, and the game is great to play in co-op with a friend. Its multiplayer remains addicting and fans of the original Gears will find haven in the game's numerous modes for months to come. Any fan of Gears of War owes it to themselves to buy and play this amazing game.
Despite being almost a decade old, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition comes to Xbox One feeling fresh and having lost little over the years. The remaster job isn't perfect, though, and some slight technical issues do present themselves within the game's updated campaign.