To think that 19 years after the introduction of the first Gears of War on Xbox 360, I would be playing the same title that Cliff Bleszinski once created as it finally makes its debut on PlayStation 5 is a surreal feeling, but that’s exactly what I’ve spent the past weekend doing. There’s been a multiplayer beta ahead of the game’s third launch on 26 August with Gears of War: Reloaded, and with the game now running at 120 frames per second and true 4K resolution for the first time, it’s been a hugely anticipated return to the planet Sera, where several Locust and humans have been sawed in half with a chainsaw bayonet.
The multiplayer beta for Gears of War: Reloaded that started this weekend and will continue into next is a sort of standard network test of the servers and the only thing on offer has been classic versus deathmatches. It has been more smooth and entertaining than ever before mainly due to the higher image update and the first weekend of two maps such as Gridlock, Gold Rush and Raven Down have been available to test although the personal favourite is and remains the classic Gridlock. Therefore, it was gratifying that it was included in the beta just as it did during the beta of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition a decade ago and it is also a positive contrast in comparison with Gold Rush, which never appealed to me. Next weekend you can also enjoy War Machine, Canal and Courtyard in the King of the Hill game mode instead.
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Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (which in turn was a remake of the original) and is now being released for the third time. It can be seen as at least one time too many but the big draw this time is of course that it is the first time the old Xbox sensation appears on PlayStation and if you already owned Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Xbox or PC, you will unlock Gears of War: Reloaded for free. The game will of course also be included on day one of Game Pass for those who prefer it. In addition, the game supports crossplay, which weaves together the player base between PlayStation, Xbox and PC in a smooth way.
Although Gears of War is now a Microsoft-owned series (after Epic Games sold it) and is making its debut on PlayStation, the studio The Coalition (in collaboration with Sumo Digital and Disbelief) has made sure to take full advantage of PlayStation’s advantages over the series’ original home on Xbox. Using your controller on the PlayStation 5 makes hailing lead and chainsawing opponents in half feel better than ever as the adaptive triggers available to the box have been fully maximised. You feel a satisfying resistance with every shot and chainsaw massacre you perform and using a PlayStation controller from now on will definitely become my preferred option.
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Since Gears of War: Reloaded is just a slightly revamped remaster of the ten-year-old Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, there’s no sensational news to speak of here, for better or worse. The raw and dirty and cruel graphics, the executions, the ability to reload your weapons faster via active reloads, the evocative music by Kevin Riepl, the characters’ crappy one liners when you’ve killed the opposing team and the defensive defence-based gameplay that Cliff Bleszinski and Epic Games cemented back in 2006 are all still here. This time it’s simply a case of 120 frames per second and 4K offering a game that looks a little crisper and clearer than before and, as already mentioned, flows like never before. In addition, the game now supports High Dynamic Range and has seen small upgrades to shadows and reflections, among other things.
I have no doubt that Gears of War: Reloaded will be a welcome addition to PlayStation, as it introduces the series to new potential fans who have never owned an Xbox. But on the other hand, there are also several former fans, who played the series at its peak during the Xbox 360 era, and then abandoned it and the Xbox altogether when the Xbox One was launched and instead got a PlayStation 4 as a result. Those fans who missed the series and thirsted for its arrival on PlayStation will now have their dreams realised.
Releasing games in a competitor’s format has proven to be a winning concept for Xbox, with Forza Horizon 5, Sea of Thieves and Grounded, among others, enjoying great success and sales. As long as Gears of War: Reloaded feels as polished at its launch on 26 August as it felt during the beta, I don’t doubt for a second that Microsoft has another treasure trove in its repository. I’m already looking forward to the game’s full launch later this summer for even more multiplayer matches but also, of course, to once again make my way through Marcus Fenix’s first adventure in the campaign now more updated than ever. The new Gears of War era under the new boss of The Coalition, Mike Crump, (after Rod Ferguson left in 2020) starts this summer and I’m definitely on board where I especially recommend those PlayStation owners who have never tried the series before to finally start doing it. This is a title no one should miss.
