Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Review Roundup

Nine years after its original release, Gears of War has been rebuilt for a new generation of Xbox. But is Marcus and the gang's inaugural mission to fend off the Locust horde worthy of your time and money again?

Critics have been delivering their answers to that question in reviews, and to give you the an idea of what everyone is saying we've aggregated the verdicts and put them in an easy-to-digest list below.

For more on the critical reception for Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic's extended coverage.

Gallery

GameSpot - 7/10

"In returning to the game that sparked one of Microsoft's more prevalent franchises, members of the Coalition kicked down their own proverbial childhood door. The return trip might have revealed a few more cracks than we remembered, but it also serves as a shield for our nostalgia. And as remakes go, that's worth the journey home." [Full review]

Destructoid - 9/10

"Microsoft has a lot riding on the continued prosperity of Gears; after all, it is one of the publisher's largest properties. Gears of War Ultimate Edition effectively reminds why that's the case, just as it reminds why this is the game that partially influenced an entire generation of gaming. It just took a makeover to help us appreciate it again." [Full review]

VideoGamer - 9/10

"While it's seemingly cool to rip on remasters, Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition is an absolute beast and a game I'm genuinely happy to see return. If you've never played any of the series it's the perfect stepping on point, and fans will revel in getting to go back through what is a classic. One of the best third-person shooters in history? It was and still is. The proof is right here." [Full review]

US Gamer - 4.5/5

"A right rollicking blast from the past brought bang up to date with a splendid, full 1080p makeover. Its campaign has a ton of macho meat to sink your teeth into, and once you're done, the multiplayer aspect provides plenty of long-term appeal. The fact that the game comes with three other Xbox 360 Gears of Wars titles makes it a veritable bargain." [Full review]

GamesRadar+ - 4.5/5

"The opportunity to revisit and remember the thrilling, affecting intelligence of Gears’ combat is more than enough reason to return to Sera on its own, but you also get to see more of it this time around. The ‘missing’ five chapters from Act Five, which previously only appeared in the PC version, are now seamlessly slotted into the game’s crescendo, greatly improving the overall pacing, and making a great deal more sense of the escalation to Gears’ climax. That they also deliver a final, grossly satisfying exploration of the combat’s potency by way of even more extravagant, multi-directional battlefields (sometimes masking several routes to hidden strategic solutions) just makes this version of Gears of War all the more complete and definitive." [Full review]

Polygon - 8/10

"Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is, largely, the same multiplayer game with the same philosophies as its original release, which makes it my least favorite of the main trilogy. I've always preferred the Lancer to the Gnasher, and felt like the shotgun's prevalence in multiplayer spoke counter to the more unique elements of the series." [Full review]