gears of Wars 3 review

Gears of War 3

Why this series now stands alone as the most electrifying, pulse-pounding and boldly outlandish shooting spree around with gameplay as tight as a fighter’s fist.

‘Gears of War 3’ is the reason we still need blockbusters on kick-ass games consoles. Sure, not all studios turn out games as polished and overwhelmingly entertaining as Epic Games, but while a few of them still can we’ll take the likes of this over iPhone Apps for as long as we shall live.

Here is where the ‘Gears of War’ trilogy concludes. We doubt it’ll mean the end of the series overall, but for now this is where Delta Squad wraps up duties as protectors of mankind against the Locust; subterranean beasts that have emerged to claim the surface of Delta Squad’s home planet Sera.

The surprise package is a new enemy type called the Lambent, basically Locust mutated with planet Sera’s highly volatile energy fuel ‘Imulsion’. Consequently Lambent types are much more powerful (faster, stronger, tougher) and tend to explode. They also enjoy chucking JCB excavator size handfuls of Imulsion at cowering soldiers, introducing an urgency to move often and fast between the cover and shoot mechanic that ‘Gears…’ is famous for.

The balance of great value content in ‘Gears of War 3’ in terms of lifetime enjoyment will most likely be on multiplayer, a sign of the times. It has been important for Epic to get this element locked down in order to stay relevant beyond a 10-12 hour campaign. Even so, the four-player co-op experience could prove just as compelling for buddies reliving stand-out moments and investigating new routes.

Both Campaign and Multiplayer diversions in ‘Gears of War 3’ offer breathless entertainment. Here’s the breakdown, both good and bad… though we cannot find much of the latter we must admit.

All the good things
Starting in the engine room, the core gameplay has received a significant boost. This is a sequel that improves from the inside out. Bear that in mind when you see how good it all looks on the surface.

In Campaign, the Lambent shake things up with projectiles at range and explosions up close. Since they’re mutants the hit-points are varied too, so it’s not always body shots and headshots, there are tendrils and throbbing sacks requiring careful aim.

Each mission focuses on a new weapon or tool with which to get the job done, there are more wide open spaces to consider too, encouraging a balance of long-range and close-quarters tactics. You’re constantly busy switching between guns and grenades while experimenting with e.g. The Digger Launcher. If you don’t already know about this we’re not about to ruin the fun for you.

Relevant to Campaign but more obvious in multiplayer, it is now possible to vault over objects while kicking enemies to stagger them. This keeps the playing field active and prevents daft jack-in-the-box duels where one player hopes to time his shotgun strike a split-second before the other guy.

Visually ‘Gears of War 3’ squeezes more out of Xbox 360 than we imagined possible. The sense of scale can be breathtaking while detail up close is off the chart. Huge beasts stomp and tear and chew their way through human defences. The animation is superb, adding menace spiced with humour to the creatures’ gait. Likewise the rousing musical score is enough to make anyone feel ready for battle against seemingly impossible odds. It’s just mesmerising, the whole thing.

British author Karen Traviss keeps Campaign buzzing with rip-roaring one-liners balanced with serious comments when the situation allows. It’s not often we can say this about a scriptwriter’s involvement with a pure action game, but the dialogue brings so much to the experience overall.

Campaign is a hefty 10-12 hours long, depending on the difficulty you choose and the skill of any co-op buddies. The Artificial Intelligence of remaining Delta Squad comrades is otherwise excellent, indeed very quick to respond whenever you find yourself injured. You’ve a fantastically varied and tactically contrasting ride ahead in which choke points are fun to break down. There are multiple routes, not always spelled out, testing your gamer skill in different ways. The new arsenal of weapons gleefully exemplifies the brutal though tongue-in-cheek nature of the entire series.

Multiplayer is mostly exceptional; endlessly entertaining in a last-man standing variation of Team Deathmatch, and trailblazing with Capture the Leader (like Capture the Flag but with players taken hostage). The ability to ‘spot’ rivals, marking their positions for teammates to zone in on, means that you’re always involved in the success or victory. You feel more in command on the battle field.

Horde Mode in ‘Gears of War 2’ paved the way for Firefight in ‘Halo 3: ODST’ and Spec Ops in ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’. Horde Mode 2.0 introduced by ‘Gears of War 3’ combines Tower-Defence strategy with the business of survival against increasingly terrifying odds. It’s broadly similar to the new Survival mode for Spec Ops in ‘Modern Warfare 3’ but with ‘Gears…’ humour (which you could also read as gallows humour) to liven things up. Various turret guns and spiked obstacles, purchased using EXP, are easily placed but require strategic thought. Cardboard cut-outs of Cole Train distract numbskull Horde Drones, an example of how the gore-fest stays light hearted. It’s genius.

Most compelling of all about the ‘Gears of War 3’ package is the tracking system that constantly rewards any skill-based challenge with medals and ribbons used to decorate your online profile. Quite apart from the enjoyment you’ll get simply from playing, any time spent investing in your ‘Gears of War 3’ career is worthwhile because it is officially glorified.

Stuff we don’t like
If we’re nit-picking, possibly Beast Mode is the weakest addition to the series, not the New Favourite pastime we had built hopes for. Beast Mode is kind of the opposite of Horde Mode, only you play as the Locust and Lambent horde, starting with Tickers to chew through razor-wire defences all the way up to Lambent Berserkers to terrify the Gears heroes that gradually increase in number. Sadly Beast Mode is short-lived because the monsters are so powerful. If you have a decent team of players you’ll unlock everything and know how to back the Gears heroes into a corner within a few hours.

Possibly the assistance of the AI team-mates makes even Hardcore Mode simple to plough through in Campaign. The difference in challenge is noticeable, and some players may really struggle to figure out where they’re going wrong, but we expect experienced gamers will turn to Insane for something that’ll make you genuinely fearful. We only point this out because until now ‘Gears of War’ has been a formidable opponent from Normal upwards… although partly because team-mate AI used to suck.

While it’s true that this is the most accessible ‘Gears of War’ game in the trilogy, it can never really be the every-man shooter that games like ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Battlefield’ have become. Fans love it because it’s so crazy. Casual onlookers may need to flick a mental switch to get what’s going on.

Should you buy it?
It’ll blow your head off.