They don't do much to further the story but are a welcome addition nonetheless.
When Gears of War first made it to PC, it came with five extra levels, and these also find their way to the Xbox One. Thankfully, playing through it unlocks comic books that you can read that explain the series' lore to an extent. It's as much a missed opportunity as the original was, leaving a lot to be discovered outside the game rather than in it. (Also see: Gears of War Ultimate Edition Is 7 Times Bigger Than the Original )Īpart from this, nothing has changed in terms of the game's narrative. All of these keep the spectacle of violence that is Gears of War: Ultimate Edition a smooth, slick affair. The new checkpoints make some of the original's more frustrating moments, such as finding yourself in a cramped maze evading a Beserker - a monster that can kill you in one hit - easier. There were some missions in the game where you would have faced an incredibly long and difficult firefight, only to get into a second encounter before the next save point.
The biggest plus point though, is the improved checkpoint system. Also, aim assist and haptic feedback appear to be a bit more responsive on the Xbox One controller. These include the ability to revive teammates while in cover and toggling weapons while dodging gun fire or running.
In terms of controls, a lot of small improvements made in the series over the years have found their way into the game. With this remaster, the most crucial additions are the most subtle.
Needless to say, this is one game that makes full use of its 18+ rating. From landing a perfect headshot with a pistol that leaves your target decapitated, to decimating an entire squad of locusts with a frag grenade resulting in an explosion of gore and gibs, the visceral nature of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition's combat is bloody, and entertaining. (Also see: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Remakes Iconic 'Mad World' Trailer for Launch )Īll of the technical advantages combined with timeless gameplay come together to make each kill extremely satisfying. Active Reload - which lets you reload your guns faster with more damage by employing a well-timed tap of a bumper - is still an elegant, yet simple way to keep you reloading for maximum carnage. Using the environment as cover to avoid getting shot while gunning down seemingly insurmountable odds never gets old. Some of its trademark gameplay features hold up extremely well too. From a technical standpoint, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is solid. Visual distortions like aliasing, or jagged edges as they're known, are next to impossible to spot. Thanks to the horsepower of the Xbox One, there's none of this anymore.įurthermore, it feels a lot more fluid compared to the original. Most games running the Unreal Engine 3 were notorious for slow-loading textures, and for having bits of detail such as foliage or bricks pop in at the last moment.
(Also see: Rare Replay: Witness the Evolution of Gaming on One Disc )įor one, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition looks every bit as good as most current games. Considering how poor some current generation remasters have been - Saints Row 4 and Prototype come to mind - we half-expected this to be a phoned-in attempt at cashing in on the franchise's popularity before Gears of War 4 hits the shelves. The remake, dubbed Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, promises to be the same third-person shooter as before, with some modern day trappings to make it palatable to newcomers and fans alike. You're thrust into the role of Marcus Fenix, a soldier charged with a crucial mission that could turn the tide of the war.
For the uninitiated, Gears of War takes place on the planet Sera where humans are at war with a subterranean race of monstrous creatures known as the locust. With every game - from 1983 classic such as Jetpac to the likes of Halo 3 - seeing a release on the Xbox One, it was just a matter of time before 2006's monster hit Gears of War found its way onto Microsoft's new console.