Gears of War Reloaded, A Guilty Pleasure Kind Of Review

When I launched the new Gears of War Reloaded, I felt like I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. You know that feeling like everyone is watching you because you're doing something weird, like doing a wee in the pool. Or, even worse, eating pizza with a knife and fork (seriously, for the love of all things holy, don't do that). 

And now you're probably wondering, what's so weird about playing the reloaded version of the original Gears of War? The thing is, I reviewed this game on PlayStation 5.

If you are in the mood for something completely different, check out our Echoes Of The End review!

From Xbox to PS5, Gears of War Reloaded Is A Surprising Port

I have to admit, it was a weird feeling when the Xbox Game Studios logo appeared at the start. I played the original Gears of War about 15 years ago on PC. But if someone told me back then that I'd play the same game on PlayStation one day, I'd say they were crazy. Imagine an action appears on the screen, and instead of the standard suggestion to press one of the ABXY buttons, you see a square or triangle. Madness!

But after the initial shock, I was flooded with nostalgia, remembering why I loved Gears of War. The original, released in 2006 for Xbox 360 and a year later for PC, was a trendsetter for third-person shooters. The cover system, over-the-shoulder perspective, brown-gray color palette, and fun cooperative elements turned the gaming industry upside down back then. And what's most amusing is that we've already reviewed this game in its original form, and later we got the reloaded Ultimate Edition version for Xbox One, which actually served as the basis for Reloaded.

For those who skipped the original, here's a quick reminder about the story. The setting is Sera, a planet that is prosperous in a resource called Imulsion. Naturally, where there are valuable resources, there's usually war, especially in a game that has war in its title. The primary opponents of our human squad are the Locusts, a strange mix of humanoid and insect forms that live underground. 

Revisiting the Story: Marcus Fenix and the Delta Squad

The initial day of conflict between humans and Locusts is called Emergence Day or E-Day for short. However, the story of the first Gears begins 14 years after E-Day, with Marcus Fenix's release from prison by his loyal companion Dominic Santiago. The two of them, along with other members of the Delta Squad, embark on a mission to map the Locusts' underground tunnels and send a bomb to destroy their habitats.

The entire single-player campaign spans five chapters and took me about seven hours to complete. It's worth mentioning the fairly one-way movement in the campaign. There's no open-world exploration, multiple paths, or simultaneous tasks. Some might not like this, but for me, it was refreshing amidst today's semi-open worlds and countless map icons. 

There's a certain peace in knowing you'll reach a new section, see a few covers, and expect an enemy attack soon. When you reach the machine gun that was firing above your head just half a minute ago, you know you'll take cover behind it, and enemies will magically swarm in that direction. I mean, simpler times! The entire campaign can also be played cooperatively with a friend, either locally or online. 

Regardless of whether you play solo or with a partner, the gameplay mechanics of Gears of War Reloaded remain as enjoyable as they were 19 years ago. The cover system and movement between covers are quite rhythmic, the feeling of reloading your weapon and immediately continuing to shoot is like a mini-addiction, and the chainsaw on top of the Lancer shotgun gives a great sense of savagery. And what I'd like to particularly praise is the decent support for DualSense features, from vibrations to using the speaker for central messages and fairly decent trigger resistance integration during shooting.

Outdated AI Of Gears Of War Reloaded

One thing they unfortunately didn't change, which stands out especially today, is the behavior of teammates and enemies. Popping out at the most inopportune moments from cover into open fields, unclear movement paths, and getting in the way of teammates while shooting at enemies were some things that really irritated me. They wanted to recreate the original faithfully, but such AI is too noticeable in 2025.

As for the multiplayer section, there wasn't much modernization here either, but honestly, I didn't feel the need. There's no leveling system, unlocking skins, or Battle Pass. You simply press one of the modes, jump in, and start shooting. Battles are 4v4, featuring classic modes like Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill, as well as various derivatives of these modes. This lack of modernization actually adds to the nostalgic feel of the game. 

Warzone is a Team Deathmatch mode with one life. One Shot One Kill is exclusively played with sniper rifles, while Gnasher Execution is played solely with shotguns. Blitz is a faster version of King of the Hill, and perhaps the most fun mode is Assassination, where each team has a captain, and eliminating them earns your team a point. 

I didn't wait long for rounds to start, likely due to crossplay support among PC, PS5, and XS platforms, as well as a higher number of deaths from experienced players who could transfer their Ultimate account to the new Reloaded version.

On The Technical Side

All multiplayer and console fans will be delighted with the performance at 120 frames per second. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try it, but with VRR, it runs quite decently. I played the online section and the story at a locked 60 frames per second and didn't feel any performance drops.

Reloaded runs on PlayStation 5 at 1620 p.m., which is then upscaled to 4K resolution. Other notable features include better water reflection, higher-quality shadows, and HDR, which significantly contribute to the feeling of light after exiting dark areas.

However, all those notes of brown and gray are still there. I know it was a hallmark of X360/PS3 era games, but now it stands out even more in high resolution. Despite upgraded textures, this game won't leave you speechless with its graphics like the original did. It looks virtually identical to the original, with a few improved technical implementations and slightly more detailed characters.

 But one thing really stands out – the implementation of rain. In the original, I felt a sense of being lost in the torrent of water on the screen during the rain. The rain in Reloaded, like in the Ultimate version, looks like a cheap Temu imitation.

Gears Of War Reloaded In Conclusion

This suggests they rushed to release the remaster. Take the previous version, add a few better textures, utilize stronger hardware, and offer higher resolution, and that's it. Even copied the bad things from the Ultimate version, like the mentioned rain. 

Don't add any new mechanics, leave the multiplayer modes identical, and copy the success of the original. And as much as I'm glad some things remained the same, we could have gotten a bit more. But again, if nostalgia is washing over you or you've never had a chance to play Gears of War, then this is the best version to start with.

Rating: 7.8/10. 

The game got this grade because it's a faithful remaster of a classic, but it feels like a rushed job with some noticeable shortcomings, particularly with AI and rain graphics.

Recommended age: 16 and up. 

The game is recommended for teenagers and adults due to its violent themes, strong language, and mature content. The ESRB, however, has rated this game M 17+.