Gears of War was a watershed release for Xbox 360. It not only popularized cover-based third-person shooters, but the original also provided Microsoft with a bonafide hit that spawned a franchise capable of sitting alongside such stalwarts as Halo and Forza. Now nearly a decade later, Gears of War is returning for a new generation with the fourth mainline entry, but to usher in the Xbox One era, the series is going back to where it began with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is actually the third version of the seminal shooter. Instead of being a direct translation of the 2006 original, this iteration is a product of the 2007 re-release for PC. The result is that console gamers will now get to experience the five chapters created for the fifth act that were heretofore exclusive to Windows. The new content follows Delta Squad as they escape from and later confront a giant heavily armed beast, the Brumak. The three PC-exclusive multiplayer maps also made their way over, as well as all of the downloadable maps that were released for console.
A few improvements were made during the transition. Casual difficulty has been added, and the checkpoints have been adjusted slightly in the campaign. Cog tags also unlock five comic books that detail events surrounding Emergence Day, the invasion event when the Locust burst out of their subterranean lair to destroy humanity, kicking off mankind’s prolonged struggle to retake the surface. But by and large, the campaign in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the same one from 2007.
For a game in a genre that was subsequently blistering hot and increasingly crowded over the next five years, the campaign holds up well. Areas are typically designed with a handful of viable cover options, with some open enough to allow for wider maneuvering. Given that this is when the lore was finding its feet, there aren’t too many enemy types to battle, with most encounters relying on grunts wielding shotguns or assault rifles. Occasionally, a swarm of crawlers rush out to cause panic, and firefights become increasingly punctuated by an elite armed with a crossbow that fires explosive bolts and a brute with a grenade launcher. Enemies typically come in waves and offer basic support to keep players on their toes, with some lobbing grenades and firing while others close in. The weapon types cover the basics, and enemies generally keep behind cover in order to maximize their firearm’s range. Firefights rarely drag out for too long, which also helps to keep from highlighting the limited enemy variety. In all, the set is serviceable, at least for the original campaign.
Chalk it up to familiarity, but I didn’t get much out of the additions, as the limited enemy set became stretched too thin with the extra chapters, which are themselves more of the same ‘funneled from one area to the next down box- and obstacle-filled corridors.’ Something more inventive would’ve gone a long way in picking up the final act, with its lackluster final boss encounter. That said, longtime fans who have stuck with the console version should appreciate seeing the side events, and the showdown with the Brumak provides the game’s largest fight, which is perfect for tackling with a friend.
Considering the squad’s AI, every level is better with a friend. If there is one thing that I had forgotten about over the years, it’s the shockingly bad AI. Enemies occasionally exhibit questionable behavior as well, from running into corners and stopping, to standing around and not reacting. It also wasn’t uncommon to enter a scene too soon and see enemies spawn out of thin air, and then hang around before triggering. But unfortunately, even the dumbest enemy seems like a genius next to Dom, Baird, and Cole. I lost track of how many times I watched the others doing absolutely nothing during firefights, running around in circles, or leaving me to progress solo because they lagged behind. A rudimentary set of commands is intended to give the player a sense of leadership, but it has the opposite effect, as the squad tends to ignore whatever they’re told. As a matter of fact, I only saw any of them respond twice, and that was after they had a bit of a think. The increased difficulty of having to progress through an area while the others admire the scenery wasn’t nearly as frustrating as when mission parameters relied on them behaving like sensible soldiers. An extended scenario in the second act requires staying near light to avoid being swarmed by monsters, which was a real struggle for poor Dom. Equally frustrating is having to load a checkpoint because a character won’t move out of a doorway. The handful of times the gang did move as a squad only highlighted just how much better the game could have been had things been improved. A purist might argue that this is how it should be, but I say that poor intelligence wasn’t integral to the original experience and was a glaring flaw that would have been addressed given time and resources. I’m surprised nothing was done to rectify the problem, as this is a prime example of how a game could benefit from being revisited years later. Is digging into the guts of intelligence too much for a re-release? Perhaps, but this is supposed to be the ultimate edition, after all.
Newer players will find a few other surprising holdover elements that should’ve been tweaked but weren’t. The ones likely to stand out the most are the momentum-shattering conversations, which cause Fenix to walk excruciatingly slow and prevent him from taking any action. These are oddly frequent, too, with up to three or four even in small areas. Not only could that downtime be spent looking for ammo or Cog tags, but I also had Emergence Holes appear while I was strolling around, finger to earpiece, unable to retaliate because I was being told the objective that was then being listed on the screen. But like a bushy soul patch, some of the unfortunate byproducts from that era are destined to remain.
Going through the campaign with another player obviously alleviates many of these problems. Both online and local co-op is available, with the latter supporting play through a local network or on the same television via split-screen. Co-op squadmates can join in and quit at any time, which helps to maintain the game’s pace if someone has to pop off for a few minutes. Other improvements were implemented as well, many of which were adopted from Gears of War 3, including the ability to switch weapons while dashing, resuscitate teammates while in cover, and spot enemies to tag them. Even without the upgrades, the game is far more enjoyable whenever it’s two friends—or hell, even strangers—tackling the story, covering and rescuing one another, suppressing enemies, and helping out during the branching-path sequences.
Versus multiplayer has even more to offer. In addition to the inherited Gears of War 3 mechanics, the game runs at 60 frames per second—which looks great but also highlights the campaign’s lower framerate—and features 19 maps, 17 unlockable characters, and two match types, Social and Competitive. Social Matches are more casual in nature, offering less experience but also not penalizing players for quitting. Warzone (team deathmatch with no respawns) is joined by two new modes, King of the Hill and Team Deathmatch. Competitive Matches are for those wanting to test their skills against more challenging opponents for extra experience. This route also offers more modes: Assassination, Blitz, Execution, King of the Hill, Team Deathmatch, and 2v2 Gnasher Execution. Annex is in the game, but it’s only accessible through Private Match. I freely admit to being terrible at competitive play, but it’s still thrilling to take part in Social or Competitive matches even after all these years. And as a bonus, by the time multiplayer becomes long in the tooth, there’s always the free copies of Gears of War 2, 3, and Judgment that await everyone once the backwards compatibility program launches this fall.
Overall: 7.5/10
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition adds a nice visual shine and beefs up multiplayer but neglects some noticeable issues with the campaign. The updated and jam-packed multiplayer component stands in stark contrast to the campaign, which adds five previously PC-exclusive chapters and adjusts checkpoints but is otherwise untouched. This might please some purists, but there is no doubt that the campaign would have benefited greatly from an improved AI. Few things date the game more than friendlies standing around and staring while the enemy closes in, and it stands as the perfect example of a legacy problem that could’ve been improved for an ultimate version. It’s still enjoyable enough, but it’s even better to forego any squaddie troubles and get some others involved for the always-fun co-op play.
(This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher.)