Gears of War: Ultimate Edition E3 Preview

When Gears of War launched for the Xbox 360 back in 2006, it was a defining point for the genre and the console. The game had exciting combat and an interesting story and setting which immersed players in the world of Sera. The tight cover-based combat felt fresh and engaging with other players through multiplayer was an unforgettable experience.

At E3 this year fans were given a Gears overload, as both Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and Gears 4 were announced. The trailer for the new instalment evoked the originals sense of horror and isolation. Where the sequels went bigger and bolder, the original had a contained experience which focused on one squad's mission to save the world.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition has been built from the ground up and boasts 1080p graphics and runs at 60 FPS. We had a chance to go hands on with the multiplayer section of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition at this year's E3 and you'll be pleased to know it's as good as you remember. First things first the game looks great. I'm pleased that they haven't just boosted the visuals like a lot of remasters have and not doing this has really helped. The animations are fluent, colours are more vibrant and the 60 FPS makes traversing the environment feel smoother.

I played a match on the classic Gridlock map and everything was how I expected it to be. The controls whilst heavy, were how I remembered them and the weight of the character made enemy encounters tense and exciting. There have been small tweaks made to the gameplay including slight changes to taking cover, refined over-the-shoulder aiming and the ability to tag targets is now included. It being so long since I played a game of Gears of War I didn't do amazingly well. The match I did participate in though gave me a hankering to play more and refine my skills. I particularly enjoy how weapon placement in the multiplayer can change the tide of a match. Saying this I believe the first Gears of War's multiplayer mode relied more on skill than any of the other entries and weapons didn't dictate the results in too drastic of ways.

 It seems strange that The Coalition studio are only doing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition when the trilogy is such a fantastic series for Microsoft. After playing the multiplayer I can easily say it's going to be a great experience and one that should be worth existing and new players' time. Also considering the issues that plagued The Master Chief Collection the risk of another large ensemble of games coming together to work on launch might be too big of a risk. The game isn't without features though. The single-player boasts an entire five new chapters for fans to play which collects at a run time of around 90 minutes. Multiplayer will have 19 maps which include the DLC and the PC exclusive maps. New modes have also been added such as Team Death Match, King Of The Hill and a special community designed 2v2 mode. Finally a total of 17 unlockable Gears of War 3 characters will be included within the multiplayer.

Playing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition has gotten me excited. For the first time I'm considering the purchase of an Xbox One to reintroduce me to the series and get me prepared for Gears 4 next year. The release date of 28 August coupled with the low price of £29.99 makes this a serious purchase for fans and one that will lead the way into the holiday period for Microsoft.