Reaction: Gears Of War: Reloaded Makes Perfect Sense For Microsoft, But Not For Xbox Fans

Well, there we have it – Gears of War: Reloaded is official, and it’s set to launch on Xbox, PS5, and PC this summer. After all the speculation we’ve encountered regarding some form of Gears re-release, this update is hardly shocking, but the specific details of this remaster are undeniably different from what we anticipated. Gears: Reloaded aligns perfectly with Microsoft’s current direction – yet this re-release is less satisfying for devoted Xbox enthusiasts. Here’s why:

1. This Is Essentially The Same Game As 2015’s Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition

Let’s just kick things off with this point, shall we? Xbox and PC users have experienced a fantastic remake of the original Gears of War for nearly ten years at this stage. Sure, Microsoft didn’t heavily promote it as a remake (a bit like Oblivion Remastered), and yes, the team aimed for Xbox One specs at 1080p back then, but Gears Ultimate is a true, comprehensive renovation that already appeared and played significantly differently from the original 360 version.

The fact that Gears: Reloaded merely updates the resolution and frame rate settings of the 2015 title for modern consoles tells you a lot about what’s coming. It’s all positive for PS5 players who have never accessed Gears of War, but Xbox fans? Well, you’re essentially revisiting a ten-year-old game with a graphical enhancement – even if players receive a complimentary upgrade.

2. Xbox & PC Gamers Are Still Lacking Modern Versions Of Gears 2 & 3

Another underwhelming aspect of the announcement today is the continued absence of some ‘Marcus Fenix Collection’ – and the chances of that seem to be dwindling. Yes, Xbox aficionados specifically possess decent backward-compatible versions of Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 – but relative to the original title, these two Gears installments warranted a remake on contemporary hardware. PC (and now PS5) players still lack access to those two Gears games altogether!

We understand, the forthcoming Gears of War: E-Day serves as a prequel to the original game – thus, it makes sense to focus on that for now. And yes, the initial point mentioned indicates that Gears: Reloaded will have been much simpler to assemble than a hypothetical ‘Gears Collection’, but neither of these qualifiers diminishes how disappointing that reality is. We’ll see what the future unfolds, but for now, it appears we might need to put Gears 2 and 3 remakes on the back burner.

3. Gears Of War: Reloaded Seems To Exist Exclusively To Introduce The Series To PS5

This is more of a big picture consideration, but if you examine today’s reveal and the content of this Gears re-release, you get the impression that this product would not have come to fruition without Microsoft’s recent shift towards multiplatform gaming. Gears of War: Reloaded offers notable technical improvements over the Xbox One release, sure, but this is the type of enhancement Microsoft has been providing in free updates and initiatives like FPS Boost recently. For Xbox players, it’s hardly groundbreaking.

As noted earlier, we appreciate that complimentary upgrade to ensure Gears: Reloaded doesn’t feel like a cash grab, but it still seems unnecessary for Xbox users, and it wouldn’t even exist without these new PS5 iterations that Microsoft has pledged to.

4. Gears Of War: E-Day Is Another Lost Xbox Exclusive

The recent news about Gears of War: Reloaded serves as almost a definite sign that Gears of War: E-Day will be launching on PS5… right? Alright, we’re slightly exaggerating — Microsoft hasn’t confirmed that just yet — but you might as well place bets on it. Furthermore, we’re reasonably sure that Gears: E-Day will also be available on PlayStation from day one, whenever that may be.

We recognize the trends, the signs have been evident for a while, but it still feels peculiar to witness Gears of War transitioning to PlayStation. This franchise has been a pillar for Xbox, a significant reason we would encourage friends to purchase an Xbox console to go online — and now not only is an old remake shifting to PS5, but so will a brand-new entry in the series quite, very soon. Remember this statement.

5. Bonus Positive: Gears Of War Multiplayer Gains A Significant Player Base Boost

Despite the numerous complaints up to this point, there is one enormous advantage stemming from the launch of Gears of War: Reloaded – a substantial boost for Gears multiplayer. The online aspect of 2015’s Gears of War: Ultimate Edition has been quiet for several years now, and while some of the later installments in the series are more vibrant, it does feel like Gears has been somewhat declining recently. After all, Gears 5 is nearly six years old at this stage – it’s bound to have lost some players over that duration!

And now, with Gears 1 making its grand comeback — and including PS5 users this time — we can expect thousands of fresh players joining the mix, which is certainly a positive outcome. The inaugural Gears of War is a true classic — even its minimal multiplayer mode — and genuinely, we are eager to dive back in and chainsaw some newcomers this August. There will be fresh challengers in multiplayer again, and as a dedicated Gears enthusiast, I am excited to take them on.

What are your thoughts on this new iteration of Gears of War? Share your opinions with us down below.