When Vancouver-based developer The Coalition (formerly Black Tusk Studios) was entrusted with the Gears of War franchise in 2014, the team decided that the best way to learn Gears would be to revisit original developer Epic's work on the game that started the series.

Last year, Microsoft went big with the incredible Master Chief Collection , which included remakes of the first two Halo games, 1080p versions of Halo 3 , and Halo 4 as well as a bevy of extras.

Very polished 1080p / 60fps; Tons of extras; Will make any fan of the series excited for Gears 4

Stuttered loading; original game problems persist

What made Gears great almost 10 years ago still makes Gears great today. It's a beautiful game with smart cover mechanics, great core combat, and commitment to an over-the-top tone.

Strong style; Fun special encounters; Satisfying combat; Great graphics

Overused "A" button

When I initially reviewed Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for the Xbox One it was a bit of a letdown. The collection for Halo, The Master Chief Collection, was so well done that it made GoW: Ultimate Edition feel like a major letdown.

Numerous gameplay modifications; absolutely gorgeous visuals; additional content is great for people who never played the previous PC version

Visuals fail in a few spots; online multiplayer still sucks; no extra modes; abuses video cards

It's been nearly a decade since the original Gears of War debuted on the Xbox 360. A masterpiece for its time, Gears of War established drop-in/drop-out co-op play as a viable option for a third-person shooter.

All in all, I think Gears of War: Ultimate Edition owns up to its subtitle quite well. It's not a perfect remake, but it's enough of a step up to warrant a look, dependent on how much you enjoy the series as a whole, or the original game.

In 2005 I had the chance to play brand new unknown IP at E3 that I had no idea would become the juggernaut of a franchise it has become. Gears of War debuted at the annual media frenzy. I still remember playing the multiplayer demo and I chain sawed my opponent for the first time.

This review was updated on 9/14/2015 to reflect the multiplayer portion of the game, the score did not change. The original Gears of War, in my opinion, is one of the greatest action games ever made.

Damn near essential if you've yet to experience the horror that followed Emergence Day, and very heartily recommended to those who've forgotten just what a special time that was.

Still the most brutal; intelligent; affecting cover-shooting around; A fantastic; sympathetic visual update; The new chapters make this the most complete version to date

Only really excels on Hardcore difficulty; A few missed opportunities for improvements

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition provides XBox One owners a great third person shooter experience as you attempt to save humanity from the locust hoard