Gears Of War 3 – Review (360)
Gears of War, as a franchise, has been first for a few things. The original really put the cover, shooter on the map, differentiating itself a lot from the way shooters were to be played in the future.
The second brought us Horde mode which bought a new angle to co-operative play online and something that was so proficient in its execution many games games have taken on their version of this online gametype.
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Likes
- Emotional storytelling
- Polished in every area
- Balanced multiplayer
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Dislikes
- What’s not to like
So, with the original bringing something revolutionary and the second game mimicking the original Gears success, what has the third instalment got in store for you? Well, polish and maturity.
At this point you may seem a little puzzled. Gears Of War is a beast of a franchise. We all know that but it has had quite a few moments where you could pick many holes in it. The storyline itself, although good, has never been the highlight of the campaign, the characters themselves are non emotional hunks of testosterone that although you can applaud their male bravado, catchy one liners and ways that they expose of their enemy, you never really had any connection to them or the characters themselves to each other.
Cue the main attraction of Gears Of War 3. A curb stomping, rip roaring storyline that will throw curve balls at you whilst introducing, as well as eliminating, some of the characters from the franchise. The difference here is that this story is not only well paced, offering action between walking sequences and cut scenes but also emotional, adding depth to characters that we haven’t seen so far in the series. It may seem like a small thing but just this attention to detail catapults this campaign into the stratosphere and I can honestly say that there are very few games in the industry that can demonstrate this sort of craftsmanship. Marcus finally becomes personable as you see beyond that tough exterior and you experience “The Cole Train’s” inner feelings of what it feels like to be a famous athlete that has become just another human trying to survive in a world of dystopia. The overall experience of the campaign leaves you with hardly any unanswered questions and a feeling that Epic have closed out the series to perfection.
You know what you’re getting with the action in Gears Of War 3 with every area of each level designed with just the right amount of cover in mind to be effective. Attention to detail has been paid this time to extensive strategies where flanking certain bosses and areas will pay more dividends than taking the front on approach and with enhanced A.I., or 4 player online co-op with your friends you will be able to head into battle knowing that bullets will hit their mark, if you’re downed then one of your brothers will help you out and that strategies can be effective either on your own or in a group.
For those of you that love a great story, there is also enough character and bloodthirsty charm to run various playthroughs of the campaign, either finding all of the hidden items and unlockables or running the campaign in split screen, two player co-op mode and newly featured four player online co-op mode. A little twist to the four player co-op mode is arcade where you and friends can run the campaign again and score points as you go based on your performance. This style of game mode requires a lot of team work and communication, something that the hardcore online gamers will be well versed in. For added replay value, various modifiers can be unlocked offering different ways to play the game.
Online has also had a make over for this final version of Gears but not as dramatic as it sounds. Versus still serves up a feast for all the hardcore fans out there combining every single versus mode from the previous two Gears games played out on 10 maps that ring the instaclassic bell harder than an Amir Khan punch to the jaw. Add to that an unrivalled balance in weaponry that is all available from the beginning and ridding the game of serious host advantage through dedicated servers and you have a suite of options that are not only palatable but rid the series of some annoying traits.
Horde also makes a return and Epic are making sure that you know that they are not resting on their laurels by providing you an enhanced version of the Gears 2 classic game mode. Yes, it’s still horde but it has a good little twist on things which add Tower Defence and RPG elements to the mix to create something new, refreshing and something that you will play for a long, long time. You start out by clearing out the required amount of locust and earn cash which at the end of each level can be spent on certain defences. Communication is key here too as you don’t want to be building the same defences as a team mate and wasting money. A simple idea in principle, yes, but an idea that enhances the game mode sufficiently enough to make this really stand out.
Beast mode is an all new game mode to play around with. On the surface it may come across as a reversed Horde mode and Epic would be well within its right to just leave it be. After all, sometimes its nice to see the fight from the other side of the fence and beat up some COG – right? Well, beast mode goes one better and becomes a strategy game as well as a shoot em up. Starting with a certain amount of cash you can choose a first tier enemy to play with. You and your team mates must then destroy the COG on a certain map gaining a time bonus as you go. Run out of time and its game over. Clear out the COG and you start again and unlock more enemies, earning money to spend on them along the way. Again, its simple yet affective and what could be a simple diversion from your standard multiplayer turns into a gametype that will eat away hours and hours of time with your friends.
Overall, Gears Of War 3 is a beast of a game. It hasn’t created a revolution in terms of ideas like the other two have but what it lacks in that department it has certainly made up for in how Epic has dealt with complaints from previous outings. Graphically, the world opens up in new areas releasing the dark apocalyptic feel of before and replacing it with a lighter, more attractive offering.
The game is also the most accessible yet, attracting the newcomer with its easy campaign modes as well as allowing them to dive right into matchmaking that will find players similar to you. Whatever your skill level, whatever your taste in multiplayer and co-op, Gears Of War 3 will have something for you that will not only keep you happy but will also help keep its longevity too. A must buy and a fitting end to a trilogy that has made many a game look inferior and help keep the 360 at the top of the pile.
