When comparing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition vs Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, the Slant community recommends Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation for most people. In the question“What are the best online multiplayer games on PC?” Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation is ranked 50th while Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is ranked 51st. The most important reason people chose Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation is:
This game is DX12 compatible which allows for a higher frame rate over DX11. DX12 is only able to be taken advantage of on Windows 10, so that is something to consider, but for those that can take advantage, there is a slight gain to be had.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Nice improvement in graphics over original console release
The game has been cleaned up for PC and optimized. It can be played at 1080p at 30fps, all while performing smoother than it did on s=console. So for those that have not played the game before this would be the definitive version, and for those that have, if they would like to experience the game again in a way that improves over the original, the PC version is a good choice.
Pro Fun cover system thanks to smart AI
The cover system is the main mechanic in this game, and it is something that needs to be used often thanks to the smart AI of enemies. Some will flank you while others may come running straight at you, which means you need to balance where and when to use the system in order to outsmart the enemies surrounding you.
Pro Additional content over original PC release
There are 5 extra levels added to the game (that were not in the original PC release) as well as the addition of two new multiplayer modes (Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill). The 5 campaigns add to the story of the game and have one of the best action sequences to be found. The two new multiplayer modes add to the replayability, as these modes will mot likely feature many players for now to go up against being that they are new to anyone on PC.
Pro Fun multiplayer
One of the best aspects of the game has always been the multiplayer modes. Players will have a lot to experience here, especially when considering there are two new modes. The gameplay in multiplayer plays at 60fps and features some of the most fun arcade third person shooting out there thanks to the great cover mechanics and overly powerful and over the top guns.
Pro Well told story
Every aspect of the game helps to flesh out the story being told in Gear of War. Objectives and environment plays a big role here as the player learns more and more as they progress, but not though overly explanation based cut-scenes but through the game itself. Each objective the player needs to complete brings them a bit further in the story and in understanding why what is happening. This helps to make the player feel more involved, especially when expanded upon through well crafted environments. While the world in the game may be outlandish, it feel believable because it has all been presented well to the player.
Pro Better framerate when ran in DX12
This game is DX12 compatible which allows for a higher frame rate over DX11. DX12 is only able to be taken advantage of on Windows 10, so that is something to consider, but for those that can take advantage, there is a slight gain to be had.
Pro Pleasing graphics
The graphics stand out as polished and make for a really nice looking RTS. This is top of its class in graphics for an RTS in 2016.
Pro Cool mechanic for controlling troops
There is a tool in the game that allows one to "lasso" their units together into an army. By making an army the player can then control that army as they would one troop unit, meaning that all micromanagement for a large group of troops is unnecessary as the game will deal with it in a more intuitive an easy manner. This can be done with as little or as many troops as the player want, which overall makes for an easy way to control the game when in the heat of battle.
Pro Good mix of gameplay modes for any skill level
The game features a single player story mode, a story mode called Ascendancy that will walk the player though how to play the game and multiplayer modes that are ranked as well as custom multiplayer modes. Through the assortment of modes the game allows for any type of player to find gameplay that they may like, whether they are a seasoned RTS player or a newcomer to the genre. Whether playing locally in single player or online with friends or random people, there should be plenty on offer for any skill level.
Pro Focuses on positioning over micromanagement
The maps in this game are large, sometimes taking up as many as 20-30 zones in a single map. What this means is that the player will need to focus a lot more on position of their units over actually micromanaging every aspect of each unit (due to the vast size of maps and the amount of units on them). This allows for gameplay that has a broader scope in strategy, as it forces the player to plan out what is best to protect and the best position to hold of enemy attacks all while still trying to grow their army in order to overpower their enemy.
Pro Easily allows the player to utilize specific info on their enemies
At all times the player can vies on a mini map how much their enemy has expanded and into what areas. There is also a thing called player power rating, which allows the player to know on a point scale what their enemies military and economic power level is. Which means you can get a sense of what fields your enemy is expanding into. Combining these tools allows for a quick way to know where the enemy is expanding and into what fields of tech they are concentrating on. This way the player can adjust their strategy accordingly, making for an even deeper level of strategy overall.
Cons
Con Unbalanced multiplayer weapons
most people will be playing with a shotgun as it is too powerful when compared to other weapons and offers the best range and power for the type of cover gameplay this game offers. Sniper rifles often are overpowered as well, which can make for mismatched gameplay in multiplayer for those that like to use different weapons over a shotgun or sniper rifle.
Con Singular button for multiple moves causes some issue
There is one button that is assigned many different moves in the game such as rolling, running, vaulting or just moving from one cover to the next. The way this is designed means that the player needs to be close to an area where this button will do a certain move, the trouble being that the game may not be precise in this as one move may happen that was not the intended. This can easily cause trouble when in the middle of a hectic firefight, which can be very frustrating.
Con Physics are unrealistic
Many of the units will pass right through each other, making for units that behave in an unrealistic way and can pull the player out of the immersion of the title. The units also all hover over the ground, which means they have no real weight to their actions, when combined with the unrealistic way they move makes for something that just does not looked polished.
Con Demanding system requirements
The game requires a high end GPU as well as at-least a 4 core processor. This means the game is quite demanding and needs to take advantage of multi-cores in order to play smoothly at high graphical settings. So for those with a mid-range system, the game may play at lower frame-rates, which can be frustrating.
Con Lacking in options for factions and units
There are only two factions available in the game to play with, so makes for limited choice. On top of this each faction has only so many different units, which also shows a lack of choice. Combined, once the game has been experienced and both factions played with there will be little in surprise as to what the game has to offer.