One of the first games I played on Xbox 360 was the original Gears of War. It’s taken nearly 20 years, but now I can do the unthinkable and play a stunning version on PlayStation 5. Dubbed Gears of War: Reloaded, The Coalition’s remaster of the iconic cover shooter feels simultaneously modern and a throwback.

Since I’m so used to playing Gears with an Xbox controller, it initially felt supremely awkward with a DualSense — so much so that I was mistiming my active reloads. Thankfully, this hang-up of mine went away after an hour, so I could fully enjoy how the game uses the adaptive triggers and get into the groove of chainsawing any enemy that got too close. There’s really nothing else that quite plays like Gears of War currently, as you run from cover to cover, and open ground is almost guaranteed death. It’s a far cry from a decade ago, when we had a nonstop supply of cover shooters coming out, so it actually felt fresh to play in the current gaming climate.

One of the biggest reasons why Gears of War: Reloaded has stood the test of time is the construction of its campaign. There are a ton of iconic scenes early on, such as the introduction of General RAAM and the Berserker, and the game only gets more interesting as it goes on, and you eventually go underground. The Locust remain interesting villains, especially with how unpredictable their spawn points can be, and the camaraderie in Delta-One gives the game a unique feel as you really trust and put stock in your teammates.

That’s also why Gears of War remains one of the best co-op shooters. From its branching paths to the natural teamwork that emerges during combat, it’s just tailor-made to be played with a friend. Supporting both local split-screen and online co-op, I highly recommend giving Reloaded a go with a buddy if it’s your first time playing (especially on higher difficulties) as it’s a very fun and rewarding experience.

While the gritty and often-rundown look of Gears is never going to be a constant graphical delight, Gears of War: Reloaded has moments where it looks quite gorgeous (especially on PS5 Pro, which receives PSSR support, plus a 25% increase in render resolution and better shadows). At 4K resolution and 60 FPS (120 FPS for multiplayer), the game runs and looks great as The Coalition has done a good job remastering a lot of aspects of Gears, from the improved lighting and textures to HDR and VRR implementation. There’s also an optional modern control scheme that new PS5 players might want to check out, although I opted for the classic control scheme since it’d be hard to get out of that muscle memory.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Gears game without a robust multiplayer offering. I’ve always had a blast playing Gears online, even if 2’s Horde mode is my favorite, so it’s great being able to jump back in and compete with Xbox players thanks to crossplay. There’s a wide variety of modes, ranging from mainstays such as Team Deathmatch and Execution to King of the Hill and intense 2v2 matches. There’s a good variety here, so you’ll have plenty of reasons to keep playing once you’ve wrapped up the campaign.

Gears of War: Reloaded (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

Ultimately, Gears of War: Reloaded is a great way for PlayStation owners to get into the series or for returning players to scratch that nostalgia itch. With cover shooters not nearly as en vogue in 2025, it’s nice to see that the game that kick-started the trend is still a delight. Grab a buddy and dive into the campaign together; you’ll have a great time.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital copy for our Gears of War: Reloaded PS5 review. Reviewed on version 1.004.001.

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