Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: Xbox One
Tested on: Xbox One
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition – Review
When in 2006 the First installment of the Gears of Wars franchise hit the stores, it was immediately clear that this series would be one of Microsoft’s top IPs. When the Gears of War universe stopped to exist after the initial trilogy and prequel, many fans were sad to see the end of the adventures of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, the ideal duo, who went through many hardships together. Luckily Microsoft changed its mind and decided to breathe some new life into the franchise, by remaking the first game, with which it all began, and the announcement of the fourth (not counting the prequel) installment, which will guide the brave soldiers through a new adventure.
Story
After the Locust invasion fourteen years ago, the so-called Emergence Day where the Locust invaders simply emerged from the ground, the human forces have been decimated whilst they are still trying to push back the invading forces. When shit truly hit the fan, the Coalition of Ordered Governments decided to set free their incarcerated military personnel, including you, Marcus Fenix. Marcus, once considered a traitor for leaving his post in order to save his father, is still frowned upon by his superiors, but they have no other choice than to reenlist him, as they need all the extra guns they can get. Together, with Fenix’s trusted friend Dom Santiago, they join Delta Squad in order to devise a new plan to beat (a portion of) the Locust forces.
It seems the Locust forces’ main attacking route is a series of tunnels beneath the surface and it’s up to your squad, at least if you can find some extra help, to come up with a way to map and/or destroy those tunnels. Nonetheless, you’ll have to wade through a lot of enemies before you can actually try to actually accomplish your mission.
Graphics
Compared to the 2006 edition of Gears of War, the Ultimate Edition truly renewed the original game. Textures have been updated, all of the rough edges have been removed and the game looks as if it is actually a brand new title for the Xbox One.
Once again you’ll be treated to a grim looking world, with nasty monsters and brutal looking soldier. Whilst some pieces of rubble or cover are repeated through the course of the different chapters, there are many little details, which add another layer of realism to this tale of alien invaders. The colors are still a bit faded, to add to the overall atmosphere and everything makes a great whole.
Nonetheless, this facelift of the original game has a few bugs and glitches that could have been prevented. On many occasions it was possible to run through NPC characters and roll through walls. Only small mishaps in a world filled with monsters, but surely preventable ones.
Sound
After nearly ten years it’s still a joy to listen to the banter of all the members of the Delta Squad, with ample swearing and witty remarks. Each of the character still holds its own unique (and great) personality.
Other than that, the music still sets the mood for combat sequences and other important scenes. When out of combat the music immediately gets a lot calmer and moves to the background even further. Nonetheless, the music feels a tad more adventurous than many other ‘shooters’ on the market.
Gameplay
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a third person shooter, with a slight tactical touch, as you can’t simply rush into the hordes of enemies, seeing it would mean certain death. Other than that, the game is actually very straightforward with not that many options, to keep things fairly simple, but very enjoyable.
As you progress through the campaign mode, you will see that taking cover is of big importance, if you wish to reach the many chapters to come. You will primarily depend on advancing slowly by going from cover to cover, with a fairly limited, but effective arsenal. At all times you will be able to carry a few grenades, one pistol and two other weapons such as a shotgun, sniper rifle, assault rifle and so on. Often the levels themselves will present you with the proper gear for you to slay your foes, but of course it’s possible to simply push through with your trusted assault rifle at all times.
It’s fun to see that ‘reloading mechanic’ has remained intact, where you will not simply be able to reload your weapon with the press of a button. You will have to press your reload button (RB) and press it again at the right time to either perform a quick reload, or a miss the mark and suffer a slow reload. This makes sure you will have to pay attention, even in the midst of a fierce battle, making every second count
Other than the enjoyable campaign mode, which you can either play on your own or with a friend (locally and online), there are the typical online modes, in which you can duke it out. Overall the game has not really changed, except for the graphical makeover.
Conclusion
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition shows us that a classic game that is nearly a decade old, is still great even with ‘only’ a graphical update and some minor changes. Sadly there was not that much added to the original successful formula, but sometimes it might be best to keep great things in their original state. Those who missed out on this game in 2006 should certainly give this one a go, as well as those who want to enjoy this classic with new nifty graphics. Those who don’t care that much about a makeover and have the original still lying around, will not find that much extra value.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - Review,
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