Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

The four main characters of Gears of War: Reloaded
Gears of War That Gears of War remaster is also coming to PS5, and it's out this August for $40 – or free for some "longtime fans"
Gears of War Reloaded screenshot with Summer Preview logo
Third Person Shooters Playing Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5 is exceptionally surreal, especially in online co-op with a player on Xbox Series X
Gears of War Reloaded screenshot
Third Person Shooters Diving into Gears of War: Reloaded's chaotic multiplayer servers is like being wrapped in a warm blanket lined with sandpaper
Gears of War: Reloaded key art
Third Person Shooters Gears of War: Reloaded – Everything you need to know about the Gears of War remaster
Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer.
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day is being pitched as the ultimate 20th anniversary present as The Coalition locks in a 2026 release window
Gears of War: Reloaded screenshot
Gears of War Gears of War Reloaded is getting several weekend-long betas for pre-order buyers "to really test at scale the cross-platform play experience" and "make sure that the servers are ready for big numbers"
Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer.
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day – Everything we know about the upcoming shooter
  1. Games

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition comparison screens go from grimy to gorgeous

News
By Connor Sheridan published 3 August 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Page 1 of 34
Page 1 of 34

Page 2 of 34
Page 2 of 34

Page 3 of 34
Page 3 of 34

Page 4 of 34
Page 4 of 34

Page 5 of 34
Page 5 of 34

Page 6 of 34
Page 6 of 34

Page 7 of 34
Page 7 of 34

Page 8 of 34
Page 8 of 34

Page 9 of 34
Page 9 of 34

Page 10 of 34
Page 10 of 34

Page 11 of 34
Page 11 of 34

Page 12 of 34
Page 12 of 34

Page 13 of 34
Page 13 of 34

Page 14 of 34
Page 14 of 34

Page 15 of 34
Page 15 of 34

Page 16 of 34
Page 16 of 34

Page 17 of 34
Page 17 of 34

Page 18 of 34
Page 18 of 34

Page 19 of 34
Page 19 of 34

Page 20 of 34
Page 20 of 34

Page 21 of 34
Page 21 of 34

Page 22 of 34
Page 22 of 34

Page 23 of 34
Page 23 of 34

Page 24 of 34
Page 24 of 34

Page 25 of 34
Page 25 of 34

Page 26 of 34
Page 26 of 34

Page 27 of 34
Page 27 of 34

Page 28 of 34
Page 28 of 34

Page 29 of 34
Page 29 of 34

Page 30 of 34
Page 30 of 34

Page 31 of 34
Page 31 of 34

Page 32 of 34
Page 32 of 34

Page 33 of 34
Page 33 of 34

Page 34 of 34
Page 34 of 34
Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan
Social Links Navigation

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.

HD remakes always have nostalgia-polished memories of their source material to compete with, and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the latest to try to outshine our recollections. But if you've found yourself thinking "what's the big difference?" this gallery of side-by-side environmental comparisons should answer that question quite thoroughly.

If you look in the right places, you can definitely get some of that "destroyed beauty" art direction from the original Gears of War, but otherwise it's a bit heavy on the fog, mud, and rebar. Even if they're still the same basic areas, little touches like improved lighting and foliage help Gears of War: Ultimate Edition's environments feel more like parts of an ailing world than a discrete series of post-apocalyptic maps.

Aside from visual improvements, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition also makes some subtle gameplay changes to bring the game in line with later games, both in single player and multiplayer. You can even catch its new cinematic intro before it hits Xbox One on August 25.

You may like
  • The four main characters of Gears of War: Reloaded That Gears of War remaster is also coming to PS5, and it's out this August for $40 – or free for some "longtime fans"
  • Gears of War Reloaded screenshot with Summer Preview logo Playing Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5 is exceptionally surreal, especially in online co-op with a player on Xbox Series X
  • Gears of War Reloaded screenshot Diving into Gears of War: Reloaded's chaotic multiplayer servers is like being wrapped in a warm blanket lined with sandpaper

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!

See more Games News
Read more
The four main characters of Gears of War: Reloaded
That Gears of War remaster is also coming to PS5, and it's out this August for $40 – or free for some "longtime fans"
Gears of War Reloaded screenshot with Summer Preview logo
Playing Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5 is exceptionally surreal, especially in online co-op with a player on Xbox Series X
Gears of War Reloaded screenshot
Diving into Gears of War: Reloaded's chaotic multiplayer servers is like being wrapped in a warm blanket lined with sandpaper
Gears of War: Reloaded key art
Gears of War: Reloaded – Everything you need to know about the Gears of War remaster
Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer.
Gears of War: E-Day is being pitched as the ultimate 20th anniversary present as The Coalition locks in a 2026 release window
Gears of War: Reloaded screenshot
Gears of War Reloaded is getting several weekend-long betas for pre-order buyers "to really test at scale the cross-platform play experience" and "make sure that the servers are ready for big numbers"
Latest in Games
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo
"Games are amazingly affordable": Former PlayStation boss defends $80 prices because stuff like Mario Kart provides "hours and hours and hours with just one purchase"
FC 25
FC 25 Path To Glory tracker with all Women’s Euro 2025 cards
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Capcom agrees Monster Hunter Wilds has an endgame problem, so it's adding "a new level of quest difficulty" and Talisman crafting to "broaden the range of builds"
Hytale
Stardew Valley's ConcernedApe reportedly says he could "possibly" step in to save cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale, but he'd need to know "why it failed" first
The Witcher 3
Cyberpunk 2 director says "mature games" used to mainly be about killing and sex, but The Witcher 3 was part of a "broader process" to change that as devs grew older
Dave the Diver Godzilla screenshot
Dave the Diver celebrates 2nd birthday by sharing messages from Baldur's Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon and the Subnautica studio CEO, bringing back Godzilla DLC, and dang, delaying its next DLC
Latest in News
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo
"Games are amazingly affordable": Former PlayStation boss defends $80 prices because stuff like Mario Kart provides "hours and hours and hours with just one purchase"
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Capcom agrees Monster Hunter Wilds has an endgame problem, so it's adding "a new level of quest difficulty" and Talisman crafting to "broaden the range of builds"
Hytale
Stardew Valley's ConcernedApe reportedly says he could "possibly" step in to save cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale, but he'd need to know "why it failed" first
The Witcher 3
Cyberpunk 2 director says "mature games" used to mainly be about killing and sex, but The Witcher 3 was part of a "broader process" to change that as devs grew older
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
Squid Game creator reveals that devastating finale moment wasn't in the original plan – and why it had to happen [spoiler]
Reacher
A major Reacher season 4 role has been re-cast
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...