Last week, the officialGears of WarTwitter account shared an image of someone holding loose COG tags. Immediately, speculation started to spread online that The Coalition was teasing aGears of War 2remaster, and the idea seemed to spark a lot of excitement in the community. And while game studios typically avoid commenting on rumors or speculation, The Coalition made it a point todebunk the rumors that it was teasing aGears of War 2remaster.
As it turns out, the image in question was actually atease forGears 5Operation 6, the most recent content update for the latest game in the series, adding Hoffman and Queen Reyna to the game’s growing roster of playable characters. But while The Coalition may not have been teasing aGears of War 2remaster, there are a few reasons why pursuing such a game could be a worthwhile endeavor for the developers.
Here is why aGears of War 2remaster would make sense.
Stuck on Xbox 360
Gears of War 2originally launched in 2008 as anXbox 360 exclusive, and it has remained that way ever since. While the game is technically playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X thanks to those consoles being backward compatible, it has never been released for PC. The same goes forGears of War 3andGears of War: Judgment, even though the first game,Gears of War 4, andGears 5all had PC releases.
The Coalition also releasedGears of War: Ultimate Editionon PC, and theGears Tacticsspin-off game hit the platform as well. So someone that games exclusively on PC is only able to get bits and pieces of theGears of Warstoryline. They could play the originalGears of Warand its remaster on PC, but then they’d have to dig out an Xbox 360 or another Xbox console to playGears of War 2,3, andJudgment.
The original Xbox 360 version ofGears of War 2is well over a decade old at this point, so fans may not be too happy if it was simply ported to PC. However, a remaster that gives it better graphics and other bells and whistles could do the trick, something in a similar vein toGears of War: Ultimate Edition. Then fans may want to seeGears of War 3andJudgmentmake the jump as well, but aGears of War 2remaster on PC would be a good place to start.
Major Entry in the Franchise
Gears of War 2is considered a landmark entry in the franchise as not only did it carry the kind of gameplay that made the first game so popular to begin with, but it also made several innovations that changed the series forever. Take, for instance, the introduction ofHorde Mode. Horde Mode has become synonymous with theGears of Warfranchise, with fans expecting the mode to return in each game. Horde Mode has proven to be hugely influential for the video game industry in general, with many other titles attempting to replicate its success.
Gears of War 2also introduced some subtle new gameplay mechanics to shake up the core gameplay a bit, including the ability to grab enemies and use them as meatshields. Players are also able to participate in chainsaw duels, which adds some more melee-focused action to the proceedings. AI-controlled bots can also be utilized in multiplayer, meaningGears of Warfans have many more options for private and offline matches inGears of War 2than in the first game.
Gears of War 2also moved the story forward quite a bit, providing significant new information onfan favorite character Domand upping the emotional stakes of the plot. Some new characters were also added to the game, like Dizzy, who have remained popular withGears of Warenthusiasts to this day.Gears of War 2was an important sequel that laid the foundation for the franchise’s continued success, and so it’s no surprise many are excited at the possibility of revisiting it.
Fans Want It
Considering the reaction that fans had when they thought thatThe Coalitionwas teasing aGears of War 2remaster, it’s clear that many people want to see the game come to fruition. There is an audience for aGears of War 2remaster, so it seems like a wasted opportunity if The Coalition doesn’t pursue it.
Fill the Gears of War Gap
As it stands, there is no new information on a potentialGears of War 6. It’s almost certainly in development, but beyond that, fans have no clue about the game or when they may able to expect it. While aGears of War 2remaster would be no small undertaking, it would be a comparatively less taxing project thanGears 6, and would theoretically take a lot less development time. This way, Microsoft could get it out relatively quick and help fill the gap whileGears of Warfans wait fornews onGears of War 6, which could be years from now.
