Nearly twenty years ago, the gaming landscape was transformed when Marcus Fenix and his Delta Squad made their debut on Xbox, heralding the inception of a franchise that has since flourished with numerous sequels, spin-offs, and remastered editions. Now, as anticipation builds for a prequel that promises to revise the series, Microsoft has introduced Gears of War: Reloaded—a remastered edition aimed at re-engaging both loyal fans and new players with the classic heroes and their monstrous foes.
If you’re recalling a previous remaster from 2015, you’re absolutely right.Gears of War: Ultimate Edition was released to align with Xbox One’s gaming era, and now, a decade later, this latest iteration builds on that foundation.Gears of War: Reloaded brings not only enhanced visuals and improved frame rates but also features like full crossplay and cross-progression, showcasing Microsoft’s commitment to modern gaming principles.
This remaster signifies a pivotal moment for the franchise, marking the first time Gears of War will be accessible on PlayStation platforms, welcoming a new audience to battle the Locust Horde. However, the franchise faces ongoing platform limitations. The first installment is now available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, but the remainder of the trilogy remains confined to Xbox 360, along with Judgment. Meanwhile, Gears 4 and Gears 5 are exclusive to Xbox and PC. The upcoming E-Day prequel is currently slated for PC and Xbox, raising the question: when will we see complete trilogy remasters on various platforms, Microsoft?
In this review, I experienced a few challenges with multiplayer matchmaking due to regional limitations and player availability during the pre-release stage. Nevertheless, I managed to navigate the entire campaign solo, despite encountering some stability issues and AI hiccups. Overall, it was a remarkable nostalgia trip through the ravaged landscapes of Sera.
Exploring Gears of War: Reloaded
Gears of War serves as a formidable introduction to the nightmarish world of Sera. The campaign plunges you directly into action as Marcus Fenix, with minimal exposition—humanity is in peril, and it’s your job to save it. For newcomers, the plot unfolds over ten years after the emergence of the Locust Horde, who threaten the surface world. Marcus, having just gained his freedom from prison, re-joins the fight against this monstrous adversary, armed with a simplistic yet effective narrative: eliminate everything that resembles a monster.
The gameplay is relentless, maintaining a hurried pace that underscores humanity’s desperate struggle against an overwhelming foe. There are sparse moments of character reflection, but the focus remains on the urgent mission at hand—a refreshing quality that some modern titles seem to lack. This structured pacing is a nostalgic highlight that has distinctly faded in the series’ later entries.
Throughout the journey, Marcus is accompanied by unforgettable comrades from Delta Squad. Dom’s earnestness, Cole’s exuberance, and Baird’s witty sarcasm provide a perfect blend of dynamics, crafting an engaging and humorous narrative that feels right at home in this brutal universe.
As a remaster, Reloaded preserves the core story, gameplay mechanics, and innovative cover shooting elements of its predecessor. Engaging in combat felt exhilarating—tearing through Locust enemies with a Chainsaw Bayonet, triggering explosives to create chaos, and sniping from afar offered thrills reminiscent of the original experience.
Graphically, the game shines with enhanced 4K assets, textures, and improved lighting effects. Although the original game was visually striking in its time, examining side-by-side comparisons illustrates just how far advancements have come. The remaster not only presents a darker, moodier atmosphere but also introduces a wider spectrum of colors that were previously muted.
Having first enjoyed the series on Games for Windows Live many years ago, my fondest memories include battles against iconic foes like General Raam and thrilling Delta Squad moments. While nostalgia influenced my positive reception of the campaign, it does not detract from the solid gameplay mechanics that still hold up very well.
Old Frustrations and New Issues
Despite the impressive visuals and preserved gameplay mechanics, Gears of War: Reloaded retains some frustrating flaws from the original. One of the most notable grievances is the inadequate NPC AI.
During my playthrough, I found Dom stuck on terrain and clutter repeatedly. Though AI teammates typically catch up to Marcus when he moves away, there were times when they could not progress until reaching specific locations. This resulted in frequent backtracking or mission restarts as I attempted to free my stalled companions. Surprisingly, enemies and bosses also demonstrated similar pathfinding flaws—while occasionally beneficial, these moments disrupted immersion.
This remaster excels in cooperative gameplay, yet I expected improvements in squad AI navigation and overall character movement through various environments. Audio issues, such as crackling during intense battles and missing music in key moments, also detracted from the experience. Minor annoyances included automatic kick animations failing to function effectively, creating further disruptions.
The most significant problem encountered during my review was the game crashing frequently. I experienced crashes during initial loading, in-game missions, and even while viewing cutscenes. Across approximately eight hours of play, I faced at least ten crashes that occurred without warning or error codes. This unreliability was frustrating, particularly since checkpoints prompted numerous resets, impacting the enjoyment of the gameplay.
An update was pushed out for the pre-release edition during my review period, reportedly containing bug fixes. It is evident the development team is diligently working to address these issues, and I am hopeful for more patches aimed at improving stability, especially on PC.
Performance Breakdown
While encountering instability at various points, the game’s performance remained remarkable. My system, equipped with an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB, an eight-core Ryzen 7 3700X, and 16GB of RAM, effortlessly ran the game at 1440p resolution from an NVMe SSD. With all settings maxed out and upscaling disabled, I consistently maintained frame rates exceeding one hundred.
I have no doubt that this remaster will operate smoothly on older hardware as well. For players seeking better performance, options like AMD FSR and Nvidia DLSS are available. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the game has received Steam Deck verification, allowing for handheld enjoyment.
Final Thoughts
Despite the original’s revitalization through enhanced visuals, my experience with the PC version was marred by persistent crashes. Long-standing issues like poor NPC pathfinding and new audio problems diminished my gaming experience.
I anticipate that Gears of War: Reloaded will prove more stable on consoles, as has been the trend with earlier releases. Its introduction on PlayStation 5 opens the door for a new audience to immerse themselves in this iconic saga. If you’re nostalgic for the series, a fresh campaign run shouldn’t be missed—perhaps gather some old friends for a trip down memory lane.
If you’re drawn to nostalgia and can tolerate a few imperfections, Reloaded is a solid choice. However, if crashes deter you, it might be best to hold off until a patch is available.
My experience with multiplayer during the pre-release phase was limited; however, feedback from beta weekends indicates that fast-paced action is very much intact, something long-time fans will likely appreciate. Crossplay capabilities also add a valuable touch for this classic title.
For those new to the franchise, the introductory price of $40 is appealing, especially with the much-anticipated Gears of War: E-Day prequel on the horizon. Additionally, existing players who purchased Ultimate Edition before the Reloaded announcement will receive the remaster at no extra cost. After experiencing this remaster, I sincerely hope the complete original trilogy is granted the same treatment, as they are still widely regarded as the series’ pinnacle.
Gears of War: Reloaded is set to launch on August 26, 2025, across PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, as well as Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, retailing at $39.99. It will also be accessible on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (including cloud play) and PC Game Pass on its release day.
This review was conducted using a pre-release version of the game provided by Microsoft.
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