Review #039 – Gears of War: Reloaded

The original Gears of War blew my teenage mind back in 2007. I'll never forget watching the train demo at Future Shop (old Canadian big box store) and thinking, "video games can look THIS good?" Luckily enough Gears also ended up being a super fun shooter and not just a visual showpiece. The couch co-op experience is especially memorable.

It's been speculated that this edition is just a way for The Coalition to dip their feet into the PlayStation ecosystem (to prepare for an inevitable PS5 port of E-Day). I can't say I would disagree with that. Gears of War is still a great, nostalgic game, but this version is far from being a Bluepoint-esque remake or anything.

I’d even argue that parts of it look worse, actually. Both the rainy factory and nighttime Kryll sections lack the creepy, foreboding atmosphere of the original. Though, I will say other parts like the bright yellow imulsion-heavy underground caves do look nice in HDR. But either way, being able grab the game from Game Pass and replay the old campaign in 4K is a fun trip down memory lane.