Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Review

Since the release of the new generation of consoles, many developers have seen a way to relaunch and re-release our previously-loved titles on the new platforms. This can be seen as either a cash cow or a new way to breathe new life into a franchise, introduce new players and bring back returning players in the process.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a perfect example of how a remaster should be done. The care and dedication put in shine throughout; unlike other such remastered or “definitive” editions that have arrived on current-generation consoles. Gears of War originally released back in 2006, it was a new IP and was one the defining games of the Xbox 360, a game that convinced many that the Xbox 360 was next gen. Now, almost 10 years later, Gears of War is on the Xbox One ready to curb stomp a new generation.

The Coalition - the new team manning the franchise - have taken the original Unreal Engine 3 code and rebuilt it from the ground up with a vast array of visual changes, more striking than the next. This isn’t just an upscale - the game features: 1080p output, redone textures, environments, audio and lighting all while keeping the same heart of the original. The Ultimate Edition also has a remastering of the original cutscenes much like Microsoft’s previous anniversary releases of Halo 1 and 2.

The geometry receives an overhaul as well

For those new to the Gears of War franchise, the series follows the story of Marcus Fenix, who after being broken free from prison by his closest friend, Dom Santiago, leads delta squad to fight the ongoing war against the Locust horde, reptile-like creatures who thrive underground. These creatures rise through emergence holes and rage war against the humans. It is down to Marcus and his trusted squad to secure the Resonator, a device that is humanity's best of hope of finding the source of the horde and put an end to them once and for all. It may not be the most original story, but it is told within a believable world, with well-executed set pieces and excellent voice performance from the cast. Even if it is a little too manly in its design, Gears of War is still an exhilarating experience with all the hard-hitting weaponry and brain-smashing gore to boot.

In addition to the original campaign, the Ultimate Edition features content never before seen on Xbox, as it was previously exclusive to the old PC release. This featured an additional campaign chapter that had you face off against a fearsome Brumak; which just so happens to be a giant beast of a creature with rockets and machine guns - fans of the sequels will be well acquainted. This completes the Gears of War campaign, making the Ultimate Edtion a somewhat Director’s Cut.

Gears of War may not be the first third-person, cover-based shooter, but it is certainly the first to make an impact in the industry and set the bar high in design and controls. So much so, that even the engine itself became heavily licensed. What sets the game apart from most other action shooters is movement, the heart of the Gears of War’s mechanics and design.

Whether you're Marcus in the campaign or a number of multiplayer characters throughout, you’ll need learn to love the A button. Apart from the obvious aim and fire buttons, the A button will be your most used button as it handles sprinting (roadie run), dodging and sliding in and out of cover. It certainly falls into the category of easy to learn but difficult to master and this comes with its nuisances, especially during competitive multiplayer. One such is leaping past cover when you have the intention to stick to it. Nonetheless, it is minor and with practice you’ll be able to wall-bounce (quickly sliding back and forth between cover) in no time.

After an excellent 9-10 hour campaign spanning multiple chapters, that has you stopping the relenting hordes of Locusts, closing emergency holes and surviving in light from the Kryll you can venture into the ultimate edition’s multiplayer. And what a difference The Coalition have made to the game's competitive multiplayer.

All 19 maps have the same remastered treatment

The campaign sticks to the original 30FPS cap, but the multiplayer runs at a new buttery smooth 60. With 19 maps and a choice of multiple characters from all over the franchise you’ll be able to fight in 4v4 teams in either social or competitive game modes including: classic Warzone, Execution, King of the Hill and new modes Team Deathmatch and 2v2 Gnashers, all on dedicated servers for all regions. It sounds exceptionally good on paper, but in game, the multiplayer experience has its issues and the main is the connection and consistency. This results in shots not registering and server issues; fortunately a title update has vastly improved this, but it isn’t perfect.

Don’t let it this put you off though, multiplayer is old-school Gears of War retaining the original style, design, weapon pick-ups and none of changes made in other Gears titles and that is a good thing. Still, if you’re a fan of the sequels, getting the Ultimate Edition before December 31st, 2015 will net you all the sequels as part of Xbox One’s backwards compatibility.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition keeps the heart of the 2006 release and reimagines it for the new generation. With remastered 1080p visuals and 60 FPS multiplayer it is a well recommended title to anyone’s Xbox One collection. Whether you're a new player to the franchise or a returning veteran you’ll soon find yourself gnashing grubs and stomping nubs in no time.