The emergence of new gaming platforms is usually used by developers to re-release games from previous generation consoles. One of them is Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, a remastered version of the original game available exclusively for Xbox One. The development was carried out by The Coalition and Splash Damage, taking over from Epic Games as the original developer. Actually, what does the Ultimate Edition offer that makes it a must-have for XONE owners, especially those who have played the original Gears of War?
Reinventing the War
The first Gears of War tells the story of the initial struggle of Marcus Fenix and the Gears troops he leads, to destroy one of the Locust Horde’s main bases which are underground. This is the battle that you will live again (for those who have played the original version) in the Ultimate Edition. Just like in the first game, the intense battle between Marcus and his friends against the Locust Horde feels very challenging because it presents a very intense shootout action. Especially when you are dealing with a large number of enemies, forcing your hero to do a Roadie Run and keep moving to find a better shelter.
One interesting thing that you can find in the Ultimate Edition is the improvement in a number of gameplay elements made by the developer, adapted from other Gears of War games, making it feel very different from the original version. For example, now gamers can change weapons while doing a Roadie Run like in GOW 3 – something that couldn’t be done in the original GOW. This feature allows players to adapt more quickly when encountering danger when doing a Roadie Run. Combined with the ability to adjust controller sensitivity (up to 30 levels) you can react more quickly to changes in combat situations.
Another feature added to the Ultimate Edition gameplay is enemy spotting, where you can mark and “follow in the footsteps” of visible enemies (hold LT and press left Analog Stick). That way, you can monitor his movements to know where your opponent is going, thereby reducing the possibility of being attacked suddenly. There’s also the ability to revive your squad members while taking cover behind objects (hell yeah!!) which is really useful; different from the original version where turning on your partner is very risky because it puts your hero in a position that is vulnerable to enemy attacks.
Other changes can be found in the Multiplayer mode where adopting the Tac-Com feature in GOW 3, each player can communicate with his team members both to provide information, ask for help, discuss attack strategies and much more. All these new features, well…at least in the original Gears of War, make the game feel fresher and more interesting to live.
GOW Get a Facelift
One thing that stands out the most in the Ultimate Edition is the graphics quality, which has undergone a major update. The most obvious example can be seen from the design of all the characters which now look much smoother, like in today’s GOW games (eg Gears of War 3). Not only that, everything contained in the Ultimate Edition looks clearer and is equipped with a higher level of detail; starting from the wrinkles on Marcus’ face, the Locust Horde skin texture and the surface of all objects. Thanks to these improvements in the visual field, the game appears even more stable so that it can be enjoyed even by gamers who have played the original version.
Coupled with the presence of various additional content that you will not find in the first GOW, starting from the addition of 5 new chapters that only appear in the PC version, 17 unlockable characters from Gears of War 3 that can be played in Multiplayer mode as well as the emergence of a number of new game modes, it is proven if the Ultimate Edition is the truly ultimate version of the Gears of War game. So, even if you have “tasted” the original version, this game is able to offer something new that makes it mandatory to collect.
Overall Score: 8/10
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: The Coalition, Splash Damage
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Release: August 2015
Platforms: PC, Xbox One