Gears of War: Reloaded: A classic reborn

When I first stepped into the world of 'Gears of War' back in 2014 on our modded Xbox 360, I knew nothing about the lore, the characters, or how significant the game had been in shaping an entire generation of console gaming. 

Stepping into the shoes of Marcus and Dominic in split screen, my brother and I took on the responsibility of protecting a post-apocalyptic planet against a ruthless domination of monsters.

'Gears of War: Reloaded' is the second remaster of the original 2006 game. Over the last two decades, the entire gaming culture has shifted multiple times. But one thing remains steadfast in the hearts of gamers: the overpowering need to kill hordes of monsters without any reserve.

Just like the original game, this game takes place 14 years after Emergence Day, when a race of genetically altered humans launched an unprecedented global-scale genocidal attempt on the surface of the planet Sera. 

You play as Marcus Feniz, a former soldier, who is being saved by a close friend to fight against the monsters and take the final hail-mary at saving the people of Sera from the brink of extinction.

But, this remaster does add new things that were absent in the last remaster.

Crossplay

This remaster adds a new dimension to this gameplay. Being released simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, a newly added crossplay functionality means that players across these platforms can party up together to play the campaign in two-player co-op mode, or team up in Versus Multiplayer.

This allows an entirely new generation of players to play this amazing game together in a way similar to how I got to enjoy this game. With co-op gaming almost wiped out of mainstream gaming, this remaster has a more significant impact than it has gotten attention for.

Gameplay and performance

In terms of technicalities, there have been significant performance boosts, especially for consoles. The campaign runs at a locked 60FPS, while multiplayer can run up to 120 FPS. This fluidity makes every gun fight, dash, and jump over cover feel precise and responsive, which occasionally suffered in the previous editions. And with minimum load times and zero loading screens added, you are rarely sucked out of the thrilling action.

Releasing on the PS5 allows players to experience the game through the adaptive triggers of the DualSense and hearing certain sound design come through its speakers. It makes the combat feel more urgent and real, but if you do not enjoy it, you can also toggle it off.

Graphical Improvements

Visually, the game has never been better. Lighting and shadows have been made sharper, allowing the 4k textures to pop and make every environment feel much more real. The grittiness in every fight and environment gets a new life. However, for me, I do miss the old foggy and 'dirty' look the old games had. They are not realistic visually, but that particular look did make the environment feel more intense and scary, perfect for a game like this.

Is it worth the price?

Gears of War: Reloaded maintains a high standard for how a classic third-person shooter should look and feel in 2025. It makes sure to appeal to a generation that was not born at the peak of this masterpiece.

So, if you have never played this game before, I would highly suggest it for its expansive campaign and buttery-smooth gunfights. And, if you have someone to play this with, diving into this post-apocalyptic world of Sera with a friend is an absolute blast and a highly suggested experience.

Not to mention long-term players who played the 2015 remaster will notice the difference, but it probably would not add enough to their overall experience. The game includes the DLCs but not any new content, so there is unfortunately nothing you have not experienced before.

With the 39$ price tag, you might want to consider renting out the game if you just want to try out the game to feel that sliver of nostalgia.