Microsoft doesn’t just do HD remasters, it does full fledged remakes. Sometimes, it goes well for them, like the original Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Other times, they end up falling flat on their faces, like with last year’s Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Be that as it may, you have to at least admire their ambition.
That ambition is in full show again with the upcoming Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for the Xbox One. The game is a remake of the 2006 Epic Games developed Xbox 360 hit, which kickstarted a whole new generation of gaming, as well as a new style of third person shooter. And visually, you can see all the hard work that has gone into shining the game up for modern standards.
We can debate about the subjectivity of the differing artstyles here all day long – some people may prefer the darker approach that the original game had over the more clean look the Ultimate Edition has, and that is perfectly fine – but technically, at the very least, it is very hard to deny that Ultimate Edition is a stunning improvement.