Gears of War: Reloaded is a strange beast; a remaster of a remaster, almost 20 years after the original defined an era of cover-based shooters on Xbox 360. For many, this was the game that shaped what third-person action could look and feel like. Its influence is undeniable, paving the way for the likes of Uncharted and Mass Effect while spawning an entire wave of similar titles.
The question, though, is whether that legacy is enough to carry it in 2025. It is worth noting before I continue that this is the first time a Gears of War game has appeared on a PlayStation console, marking the potential end of the decades-long console war between the two companies and an ultimate win for gamers, who can now experience console-defining franchises on other consoles.
Campaign: A Classic Showing Its Age
Reloaded’s six-hour campaign follows Marcus Fenix and his squad of COG soldiers in a desperate push to halt the Locust invasion. Played solo or in co-op, it’s a blast of nostalgia, but it doesn’t disguise its 2006 bones.
Levels are strictly linear, with only the occasional split path, and firefights are dictated more by the game’s rigid scripting than emergent action. AI quirks, teammates wandering casually through chaos and enemies charging out of cover at odd times all make the dated design even more noticeable.
That said, the shooting still holds up. The cover system, revolutionary in its day, remains punchy and tactile, while the Lancer’s chainsaw bayonet and Gnasher shotgun still deliver grim satisfaction.
Encounter design is rigidly scripted, and the pacing sometimes feels like a product of another era. Yet when the action clicks, Reloaded reminds you why the formula was so groundbreaking. The shooting is meaty, deliberate, and satisfying in a way many modern shooters still struggle to replicate.
Treating the campaign as a museum piece of sorts helps, it’s not a modern blockbuster, but a clear window into how Xbox built one of its flagship franchises. If. you are looking for a lengthy single player campaign, this may not be the game for you.
Multiplayer: Still a Standout
Where Reloaded shines is in multiplayer. Long considered one of the most unique competitive shooters around, Gears’ online suite feels as fresh as ever, largely because nothing else plays like it.
The cover-based movement, shotgun duels, and brutally gory executions make for a distinctive, high-skill meta that’s both unforgiving and deeply rewarding. Sure, there is the online player option that also serves as a cross-play across Xbox, Playstation and Steam (cross save as well!).
What worked the most for me was the couch co-op, distant memories of Friday nights with a pizza and couch co-op games (granted mine was Crash Bash and Crash Team Racing) The couch co-op is what really worked for me here and I can understand the hype around why this game is considered a pinnacle of the genre.
All 19 maps return with visual upgrades, matchmaking now runs on dedicated servers, and PS5 players can push frame rates up to 120fps. There’s no battle pass, no cosmetics grind, and no microtransaction clutter. It’s old-school in the best possible way: jump into a match, play, and let the action speak for itself.
Modes include standard team deathmatch and objective-based variants, alongside Gears-specific offerings like Gnasher-only matches. The skill ceiling is high, and new players will likely struggle against veterans who’ve been perfecting their roll-cancelling and wall-bouncing for years. But with persistence comes one of the most rewarding competitive experiences in gaming.
Newcomers may face a tough climb against seasoned veterans, but persistence reveals one of the most intense multiplayer experiences still available in gaming.
Presentation: Next-Gen Enhancements, Last-Gen Assets
The Coalition has worked hard to bring Reloaded up to modern standards. On PS5, it runs at 4K and 60fps with HDR, improved lighting, sharper textures, and seamless transitions between missions. Playing on the PS5 Pro has even more enhancements, including PSSR scaling and higher-resolution shadows. While all of this does add enhancements to the remaster, there is no denying that it still looks like an early PS4-era game
The upgrades are noticeable, but only up to a point. The environments and assets are still firmly rooted in a mid-2000s design language. Corridors of rubble and war-torn streets carry more detail than ever, but they can’t disguise their age.
Characters benefit from improved lighting and skin textures, but they remain blocky by modern standards. The end result is a game that plays smoothly and looks sharper, but rarely stuns. If anything, it often resembles an early PS4 game polished for a 2025 release, rather than a fully modern showcase.
Assets and environments lack the fidelity expected of a showcase release, especially when stacked against true next-gen shooters. It’s smoother, sharper, and better lit, but it’s no visual stunner.
If you are a fan of the original game, you will be sure to notice and appreciate the enhancements here, it’s just a shame that it wasn’t completely done from the ground up to truly make it next gen.
DualSense support at least adds some tactile flair. The adaptive triggers give weight to the Lancer’s chainsaw and the Gnasher’s devastating blast, while haptics make firefights a little more visceral. It’s a modest but welcome addition.
Extras
The extras menu offers a plethora of goodies, particularly if you are new to the Gears franchise.
There are cinematic clips and concept art to unlock, but the most intriguing are the five different issues of the Gears of War comics you can unlock by collecting the COG tags throughout your gameplay (there are 33 to find!). You can also watch the original credits alongside the reloaded credits.
A Legacy Worth Preserving
Gears of War: Reloaded is not a perfect remaster, nor is it intended to be. It’s both a celebration of what the series once was and a reminder of how far shooters have come since 2006.
The campaign, though undeniably dated, is still worth experiencing as a piece of gaming history, an origin point for one of Xbox’s most important franchises. The multiplayer, meanwhile, is still remarkably fresh, offering something distinct in a market flooded with online shooters.
For PlayStation players, this release is especially notable. Reloaded marks the first time the series has appeared on Sony hardware, offering a chance for a whole new audience to discover the origins of Marcus Fenix and the Locust Horde. With Gears of War: E-Day expected on PS5 next year, this remaster acts as both a primer and a promise of what’s to come.
Final Thoughts
Gears of War: Reloaded is a paradox, both dated and enduring. Its campaign shows every bit of its 2006 origins, and even with heavy remastering, it never dazzles visually. But the gunplay remains tight, the cover mechanics are still satisfying, and the multiplayer is as distinct and compelling as ever.
For PlayStation players new to the series, this is an important, if imperfect, introduction ahead of Gears of War: E-Day. For long-time fans, it’s a nostalgic return that reminds you why this franchise became a cornerstone of Xbox in the first place.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Cross console fun, Old school mutiplayer fun.
Lowlights: Not complete rebuild from the grown up, Short campaign.
Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC via Steam.
Available: August 29th.
Review conducted on PS5 Pro with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured header and article images also provided by the publisher.
