Gears of War: Reloaded

Is there such a thing as too much Gears? I don’t think so, and that is proven with the release of Gears of War: Reloaded; a game that is as good as ever, slightly better looking than before, and now absolutely chock full of content.

Gears of War: Reloaded is an excellent game. Sure, it's quite basic compared to modern Gears games and sure, the core of the experience is very similar to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - but I still think this release was a worthwhile endeavour, and then some. PS5 players joining the party means that Gears 1 multiplayer will remain alive and thriving, and those quality-of-life improvements to online play are also a massive win in my eyes. Campaign perhaps doesn't benefit quite as much, but boosts to resolution, performance and that lighting upgrade are definitely noticeable - and welcome for those of us who will probably play this campaign another handful of times over the years. Gears of War: Reloaded is a great reintroduction to one of Xbox's most famous franchises, and I'm going to soak it all in as I wait with baited breath for the next Gears installment in 2026.

Gears of War: Reloaded delivers pure nostalgia in stunning 4K, with excellent optimization for the latest consoles. The Coalition has done an outstanding job bringing this legendary title to new platforms, allowing players on PlayStation and beyond to experience one of the greatest games of all time.

Gears of War: Reloaded follows a classic that is extremely fun and shows how to make a good third-person shooter, even though the game has some minor issues with bugs during area transitions and the companions’ artificial intelligence is quite poor, but it remains a must-play classic for everyone.

Gears of War: Reloaded doesn’t reinvent the game for those familiar with the original one or the 2015 remaster, nor does it address all previous shortcomings in campaign or multiplayer. Still, it offers a substantial set of graphical improvements, making it enjoyable on modern platforms and competitive with newer releases, while delivering the most polished and content-rich version of Gears of War to date.

Gears of War: Reloaded is the best way to return to where it all began. It goes beyond the Ultimate Edition, updating the classic without losing the raw grit that defined it back in 2006, and reminds us why Gears of War grew into one of gaming’s most iconic series.

Despite a number of flaws, Gears of War remains an excellent game with polished gameplay. The same can be said about the Ultimate Edition. As for Gears of War: Reloaded, this re-release is worth recommending to new players on PlayStation 5.

This new version rejuvenates the old Ultimate Cut, which was already intended as a soft remake of the first episode. Without being a revolution, it brings new access to a whole new audience, whether on the studio's original console, or the PlayStation audience.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a solid graphical update to one of Xbox’s most important games. It is nearly 20 years old now, though, and some of that age is starting to show. With no true gameplay improvements it would be tough to tell Xbox’s hardcore to spend $40 on it. Thankfully it’s both a free upgrade if you ever played GoW: UE and is of course a Day One Game Pass release. For PlayStation and PC players who have never touched the franchise, this classic is still well worth checking out.