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Gears of War

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition provides XBox One owners a great third person shooter experience as you attempt to save humanity from the locust hoard
Gears of War Game Cover
70%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story
Critic Score 70%Based on 40 reviews

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Xbox 360Xbox Series X|SXbox Game PassCloudXbox OneXbox Cloud GamingXbox
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Gears of War Game Cover

About Gears of War

Gears of War is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Epic Games and was released on December 29, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Includes: Civilian Anya Skin Animated Imulsion Weapon Skin For use in competitive multiplayers matches.

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Gears of War screenshot
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Gears of War screenshot
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Gears of War screenshot
Gears of War screenshot
Gears of War screenshot
Gears of War screenshot
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Reviews

graphics4 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Impressive visual upgrades and a smooth 60 FPS multiplayer experience enhance the classic gameplay.
  • The remaster includes additional content from the PC version, making it the most complete edition to date.
  • The core gameplay mechanics and cover-shooting elements remain engaging and enjoyable, appealing to both new players and veterans.
  • The campaign feels dated and lacks significant improvements, making it less appealing for single-player fans.
  • AI issues persist, with companion characters often being unhelpful or frustrating during gameplay.
  • Some gameplay mechanics and animations show their age, leading to occasional frustrations in combat.

  • graphics

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    Overall, the graphics have received significant praise for their stunning improvements and extensive overhauls, particularly in multiplayer modes, with many noting the remastered 1080p visuals and 60 fps performance. However, some critiques highlight that the graphical updates for the campaign feel underwhelming compared to the multiplayer enhancements. Despite minor blemishes, the visuals are generally regarded as excellent, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

    • “Greatly improved visuals and assets, great sequel-inspired improvements, additional content from the PC version.”
    • “Excellent visuals - extensive work done on environments, effects, cutscenes, and characters. Tried and true cover shooter mechanics which are still a blast. Memorable set-pieces and bosses. Soundtrack and sound effects are equally amazing.”
    • “Improved graphical fidelity, 60 fps multiplayer, additional campaign levels, weapons feel just as good as they did before, new multiplayer modes.”
    • “The campaign has aged pretty poorly and the graphical updates to the campaign side of Gears of War feel half-baked, so unless you're really excited for the competitive part of Gears of War, there's nothing for you here.”
    • “Few graphical blemishes.”
    • “Remastered doesn’t cover the graphic overhaul level here.”

  • gameplay

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The gameplay of the Ultimate Edition of Gears of War is praised for its strong cover-shooter mechanics, impressive visuals, and memorable set-pieces, making it a fun experience even nine years after the original release. However, some players express disappointment over the absence of certain gameplay enhancements and modes from later entries in the series, noting that while some mechanics show their age, the overall experience remains engaging and enjoyable. The game successfully balances nostalgia with modern improvements, ensuring that its core gameplay still resonates with players today.

    • “With a bunch of new content, a massive visual overhaul, mechanical improvements, and other subtle modernizations, the Ultimate Edition has earned the right to be referred to as the definitive version of Gears of War.”
    • “Gears' strong style and great gameplay make it enjoyable even today, nine years after the original was released.”
    • “Brilliant cover-shooting mechanics, superb set-pieces, impressive visuals, and great co-op play.”
    • “It is disappointing that this remaster is missing some of the gameplay enhancements that the series gained over the course of a decade and, even more so, the absence of the multiplayer survival mode introduced in the sequel.”
    • “I was expecting a bit more from this game in terms of meaningful gameplay improvements and AI fixes, but that doesn’t stop this trip down memory lane from being a hell of a ride.”
    • “Some mechanics have begun to show their age but as a whole, it's a worthwhile and fun experience.”

  • story

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, -25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    The story has received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing it for being shallow, incoherent, and poorly written, while others appreciate its straightforward storytelling and decent pacing. Despite its flaws, the narrative is said to complement the gameplay effectively, maintaining a nostalgic connection to the original series while still engaging players. Overall, the story may not be groundbreaking, but it does not detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “Excellent visuals - extensive work done on environments, effects, cutscenes, and characters. Tried and true cover shooter mechanics which are still a blast. Memorable set-pieces and bosses. The soundtrack and sound effects are equally amazing. No-nonsense storytelling with decent voice acting and good pacing.”
    • “By staying true to the original Gears, there are moments where the game shows its age, but they aren’t frequent enough to spoil the overall experience. You’ll be more surprised by how well the story and gameplay mechanics stand up to today’s standards, and quite often overshadow them.”
    • “The storyline is still fairly shallow, and the AI can be a little dim.”
    • “To everyone else, expect an incoherent and unimaginative story, full of holes, which fails to grasp basic writing principles.”
    • “By staying true to the original, there are moments where the game shows its age, but they aren’t frequent enough to spoil the overall experience. However, the story often falls short of today's standards.”

  • music

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting an amazing soundtrack and sound effects that complement the overall experience. The audio elements enhance the game's visuals and gameplay, contributing to memorable moments and engaging storytelling.

    • “The soundtrack and sound effects are equally amazing.”
    • “The music enhances the overall experience, making every moment feel more immersive.”
    • “The game's score perfectly complements the action, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.”

  • stability

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game's stability is marked by occasional animation glitches and frame rate drops, alongside erratic AI behavior that can frustrate players. While veterans may find little new content, the controls can feel clunky during fast-paced moments, impacting the overall experience.

    • “There are some animation glitches and frame rate drops from time to time. The friendly AI can be erratic, while Dom's behavior is downright rage-inducing. This isn't much new for veterans of the series, and single-player or co-op fans won't find much beyond the campaign mode. Additionally, the controls can be a bit clunky in twitch situations.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent stability issues, including crashes and long loading times that disrupt the experience.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs that affected gameplay, making it frustrating to progress through missions.”

  • optimization

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for being constrained by Windows Store settings, leading to performance issues and requiring high system specifications that may hinder accessibility for some players.

    • “Limited by Windows Store settings, resulting in some performance issues and high system requirements.”
    • “The game suffers from significant optimization problems, making it unplayable on lower-end hardware.”
    • “Frequent frame drops and long loading times indicate a lack of proper optimization.”
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Critic Reviews

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 34 critic reviews
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Game News

'I honestly thought Highguard looked pretty good' — Gears of War creator laments internet culture where it's 'cool to hate' new games

August 17 on techradar.com

OG Gears of War lead says "wallbouncing in Gears" is like his cult classic platformer helping turn fans into furries: "It wasn't the intended nor desired effect, yet here we are"

August 14 on gamesradar.com

Gears of War movie producer believes that video game adaptations should "contribute" to game lore rather than copy it

August 14 on gamesradar.com

Xbox unveils new limited edition Gears of War controllers, and fans say 'they look frigging awesome'

August 13 on techradar.com

Microsoft drops new Gears of War E-Day Xbox controller, and I'm just hoping these press shots aren't lying to me

August 12 on gamesradar.com

Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta blows past series' records on Steam

August 7 on eurogamer.net

WWE SummerSlam Included Gears of War and Street Fighter Crossovers

August 2 on insider-gaming.com

Gears of War E-Day's Horde Siege shines when squads collide in its dense city, but sags when they're apart

July 30 on gamesradar.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Gears of War is a shooter game with horror and science fiction themes. Common tags for Gears of War include science, first-person, gaming, third person and story rich.

Gears of War is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Game Pass and others.

Gears of War was released on December 29, 2009.

Gears of War was developed by Epic Games.

Gears of War has received mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Gears of War for its graphics but disliked it for its gameplay.

Gears of War is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Halo: Campaign Evolved, Quake, Gears 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved and others.