Throwback: Gears of War (Premium)

Gears of War: Reloaded is available today across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam, and PlayStation 5. This is a remake of the original Gears of War from 2006. Or, perhaps more accurately, a remake of a remake of a remake of the original Gears.

Let’s take a look back to understand how we got here.
OG
Gears of War was made by Epic Games for the Xbox 360. It was announced in mid-2005 and released in late 2006 as a third-person tactical shooter set in a future world in which humanity is battling for its survival against the Locust Horde. For the day, it had stunning visuals, a cinematic single player storyline with a co-op mode, and a somewhat less successful multiplayer experience over Xbox Live.

If you haven’t read it, I strongly recommend the book Control Freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games by Cliff Bleszinski, the designer behind the original Gears. It was my top audiobook pick of 2022 and is an excellent history of the game and that time at Epic Games.

The original promo video for Gears of War, the so-called “Mad World” trailer, is also worth a watch. It really sets the mood for this game.
My original Gears of War review
The Xbox 360 launched without a major new first-party title, but the appearance of Gears of War a year later solved that problem. This review is from December 2006.
Gears of War for Xbox 360 Review
If you've been waiting for the Halo 2 of the Xbox 360, that killer, gotta-have-it game title, wait no more: Gears of War is the real deal, offering the best overall graphics and sound, and most immersive gameplay of any Xbox 360 game. It is, beyond question, the best overall game of the year, regardless of platform, and is quickly on its way to classic status. Gears of War is a stunning, epic masterpiece. It is everything I expected of Call of Duty 3 but often didn't receive. If you own an Xbox 360, you must get this game, and immediately. If you don't own an Xbox 360, get one now. And pick up a copy of Gears of War. It's that good.

What's interesting about Gears of War is that it embodies everything that everyone who loves and hates video games thinks about when they think about video games. To the detractors, it is mindless violence, yet another outlet for a generation of kids more concerned about their fantasy worlds than the real-life problems in Iraq, Africa, and elsewhere. But Gears of War is Art, with a capital A, a crowning achievement that proves, once again, that video games can transcend their humble technical lockboxes and achieve true greatness. Gears of War is immersive, gritty, and realistic, and it offers stunning single player and multiplayer action, a plot that'd be right at home in a first-class blockbuster movie, killer music and sound, and the best graphical presentation seen in any video game, on any system. It is available only on the Xbox 360--you can't play Gears of War on a PC or the PlayStation 3, sorry--and it makes the...