Remastering an old game which is very close to many, many peoples' hearts is always a positive sign that shows the devs care. For a franchise like Gears, which has a very dedicated fan base, this was a move to bring in new players into the fold, because with the release of Gears 4, the franchise would turn a decade old. Even though it starts off a new trilogy, it does borrow characters, lore, and settings from the first trilogy. It does start afresh but players who have played through the first 3 will definitely feel more at home. Hence the need to play the first, groundbreaking title that started off the grub-killing spree spanning 10 years and giving us plenty of memories and settings to remember fondly.
One thing you notice once you start the game is it looks stunning. Forget the game from 2006, this actually looks like 2016 and plays like one too. There are no stutters, no glitches, playing is absolutely smooth without crashes and at 1080p 60FPS, its a tribute to the game that won GOTY from this very site in 2006. I have not played the original Gears (I'm one of the guys they managed to bring on the bandwagon for the original trilogy after playing Gears 4) so I cannot comment on how true the levels are to the original, but it must be said they look very crisp. Lighting and shadows are put effectively to give a dark, almost gothic tone to the environment. Massive walls of dilapidated buildings, huge statues overlooking what once was a happy civilization welcome you to a time when humanity has greyed like the paints on the walls and are clinging on to fighting a war they aren't sure of winning anymore. Ignoring Gears Judgement, this is the earliest title which is closest to Emergence day when humanity has spread thin fighting each other, and now hordes of Locusts who are constantly rising to the surface chipping away at the establishments to gain control of the surface. As a part of the Delta squad, Marcus Fenix, Dominic "Dom" Santiago, Damon Baird and the always-hyped Augustus Cole have been tasked with obtaining a "resonator" which will map out the tunnels below the surface where the Locust reside and then deploy a lightmass bomb to bring an end to their survival at one fell swoop. As you might expect nothing goes smoothly and the campaign meanders through many smaller objectives which ultimately lead you to the final objectives of ending the Locust.
Your journey will take you through morose, dark locales through rainy and dry climate fighting monsters who are well aware of their surroundings to take cover and shoot at will. The cover shooting mechanics were never invented by Gears but it was very well perfected by them. There are no complaints about the game mechanics and on higher difficulties, they present a lovely challenge to movement, planning and execution skills. One thing they could not remaster is the AI which absolutely sucks if you aren't playing co-op (which is THE way to play all the Gears games) and you will find your teammate constantly downed in the most inappropriate places, forcing you to change tactics and put yourself in danger trying to rescue him. It is this frustration alone that keeps the game from getting a perfect score.
Filled with a variety of locations, each staying true to the overall tone of the game, featuring excellent shooting mechanics and graphical upgrades this is a game which starts off the franchise on the 4th gear. If you can get a friend to play through the campaign with you, there are few games which will please you in the way Gears of War will.