In a gaming swap for the decade, PlayStation and Xbox are each receiving one of the other’s biggest exclusives on the same day. Xbox is getting Arrowhead Studios’ award-winning satirical co-op shooter Helldivers 2, while PlayStation is getting a remaster of one of the most influential games of the last two decades in the original Gears of War. The latter marks the first time Epic Games’ shooter has appeared on a Sony console. And while the game is now old enough to vote in many elections, what made it great 19 years ago remains as compelling as ever, many years after release.
Gears of War is a third-person shooter set in a sci-fi future where humanity resides on a planet called Sera. After humans live thousands of years on this planet, stripping it of a powerful natural resource known as imulsion, a subterranean species emerges from the depths of the planet to put an end to humanity’s reign on the surface for good.
The game takes place a few years after what’s known as Emergence Day. You step into the large boots of Marcus Fenix, a disgraced ex-military hero called back into action to push back the Locust Army during a pivot moment in the ongoing conflict. He’s joined by Delta Squad, a group of lovable schmucks who become the last hope for the species.
Gears of War is not just another cover-based shooter. It’s the cover-based shooter. While obscure games like Kill Switch on the original Xbox and PlayStation 2 can lay claim to introducing the concept, Gears of War standardized it as a fun and cinematic combat mechanic that’s been incorporated into every third-person game with guns ever since. The game is all about tactical firefights where the difference between life and death is the ability to find cover behind your environment. You’re popping up where you can, outsmarting and flanking groups when possible, and finding opportunities to fire shots before the enemy can turn you into minced meat.
There’s a heft to Gears of War’s combat that makes it immensely satisfying to play. The playable COGs, aka the soldiers, are weighted down by dozens of pounds of protective armor, making them tank-like in their maneuverability while still possessing the speed of an elite warrior. They’re similar to the Space Marines in the Warhammer 40K universe (an apt comparison, considering the Space Marine games borrow liberally from the Gears of War series).
Rounding out the rock-solid fundamentals is a series of equally influential game ideas. Active reload turns the act of emptying a clip into its own unique challenge. Hitting the reload button at just the right moment can earn you bonus damage for your next clip, while missing that window of opportunity will punish you with a gun jam. The roadie run not only looks awesome, but it can be used to bum rush unsuspecting enemies or to push to a new location on the battlefield with needed haste. And the ability to roll out of the way in any direction is critical to avoiding incoming gunfire.
The arsenal of weapons is all iconic in its own right. The Torque bow and Boom shot deliver explosive yucks, while the satellite power of the Hammer of Dawn delivers spectacle. There is nothing more satisfying than earning a headshot with a sniper or blowing away an enemy up close with the Gnasher shotgun. And the chainsaw bayonet on the standard issue Lancer is one of the greatest weapons in all of gaming.
In 2006, Gears of War was one of the earliest games to prove that every game is made ten times more fun with a co-op mode. Its 10-hour campaign is a riot worth playing on multiple difficulties to appreciate how demanding yet rewarding its combat can be. And then when you’ve exhausted its story thrill ride, carrying those skills online is the true test.
Gears of War’s multiplayer is in a league of its own. It’s a smaller game than what many players may be accustomed to, with matches being four-on-four. But the action is simpler, more intimate dance as a result. Using smoke grenades to cut visibility is genuinely useful, as is strategizing to outflank or even isolate opponents right from the start. Mid-range fights are a game of wits that rewards intelligent teamwork. There’s nothing like flushing out a duo of baddies and downing them with a rifle before they can make it to cover.
Meanwhile, up-close shotgun fights are tense, bloody battles of attrition that require breakneck reflexes and poise under pressure. Shotty battles are an addictive part of what Gears does so well, and aren’t for the faint of heart. It requires perfectly avoiding blasts with rolls, dodges, and correct foot placement, while firing from the hip in hopes of nailing an enemy doing the same thing. If you’re a fan of the frantic action of Fortnite when firefights become close-quarters battles, note that a lot of what that game does so well is lifted from the developer’s sci-fi shooter.
Gears of War may be a late arrival on Sony’s platform, but it’s one of the finest multiplayer games of the 2000s. And for those just jumping in for the first time, the Reloaded edition comes with all of the original’s DLC maps included, as well as improved 4K-native visuals, up to 120 frames per second gameplay, and zero loading screens for the campaign. It’s a beefy package that further modernizes an already timeless game.
Whether you’re fighting the terrifying Locust horde as Marcus and Dominic Santiago, or testing your mettle against other fireteams in gritty, strategic battles in versus mode, this is one experience that you should pick up.
