It's also worth noting that while the game looks super slick, the framerate will often collapse under the crush of a multitude of enemies on screen, or too many bullets fired too fast while using ironsights. And like other Gears game before it, Gears 3 doesn't really give a flock about collision in the environment, a phenomena that mostly occurs in single-player. Just try and run along almost any wall, and your weapon and hands will go right through them. Ostensibly, a small trade-off for the fidelity and level of detail we're treated to elsewhere.
The checkpoint system still confounds in spots, causing you to repeat more game than required during a few bottleneck moments. I also found it curious that a game like Gears puts such an emphasis on collectibles. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy finding COG tags and unlocking the Achievements that accompany them as much as anyone, but with bullets flying fast, music pounding and enemies screaming, drooling and hissing, it feels odd to simultaneously search high and low a widget or a wingding. What about survival? Do we really care about a lost statue?
Gears of War 3's five acts should take you around 15-20 hours to complete depending on how much you search and scrounge, and what difficulty you play it on. You can rush through it fairly quickly if that's your thing. I spent the better part of 14 hours on my first playthrough (on Hardcore). The campaign can be played with up-to 4-players in co-op; I played both solo and in 4-player co-op and I definitely recommend playing with friends, though I will say the AI is generally better and more helpful in a fight than most bots you'll play with. And the multiplayer content alone could keep Gears fans busy until the holidays and beyond.
Ah, multiplayer.
Gears 3 multiplayer has a lot to prove given Gears 2's rocky, beta-less start that required multiple title updates just to get into serviceable shape. The Gears 2 multiplayer changed things up largely for the worse, with many frustrating results. Tough-to-navigate menus, poor matchmaking, slower movement, wonky cover system, multi-second stuns from grenades, a bevy of weird exploits… it all added up to a giant meh, certainly not what anyone expected from the follow-up to the much-loved multiplayer of the first game.
Be the bad guys in Beast Mode.
After running all of the modes and maps through their paces, we're happy to report that the multiplayer content has received ample attention, easily outdoing Gears 2 in both matchmaking performance and new features. Horde 2.0's currency system tasks teams of up-to five players with managing your cash to build reinforcements, blurring the lines even further between traditional Horde and true tower defense. Beast mode turns the tables, casting you as the Locust in wave-based challenges where you earn tokens to unlock more powerful creature types. Versus comes with 10 multiplayer maps, including an updated (and night time) version of the Gears 1 classic map, Gridlock, and features a full suite of multiplayer modes, including standbys like Warzone and Execution, the Meatflag-esque Capture the Leader, along with a well-paced Team Deathmatch. The latter doles out 20 lives/respawns to each team which, once depleted, switches over to a last man standing format that's tense down to the last kill.
Most of the multiplayer sins of the past have seen serious TLC, with a new emphasis on movement. You won't want to cover camp for long as the arsenal your opponents have at their disposal will pick you apart if you don't stay agile and alert. It's more hop and pop than stop and pop, a fast-paced return to the action of Gears 1. You'll still need to watch for those obnoxious kids that shotgun roll; the Retro Lancer's charge attack (hold B for a timed kamikaze run) makes for a serious deterrent for those who abuse the shotty.
Closing Comments
Gears of War 3 represents state-of-the-art design and gameplay where you become the king badass among a gory world of bad-asses. Every third-person, cover-based shooter from here on out will likely be compared to Gears 3, and it provides a fitting and poignant-- if sometimes cheesy -- closing chapter to the trilogy.
The noted hitches, design decisions and ‘been-there, done-that’ feel of much of the content colors the overall experience, but it certainly didn’t keep me from having one hell of a good time. I imagine you’ll feel the same.
Presentation 8.5
The most realized vision and expression of Gears of War, Gears 3 earns top marks for heavy polish but remains relatively conservative in the innovation department.
Graphics 9.0
Slick, beautiful, disheveled and garishly bloody, this is one seriously good looking game.
Sound 9.0
Bullets scream, weapons boom, heads pop and creatures roar, all to the orchestra swell, creating a unified aural assault that’s immediately recognizable.
Gameplay 9.0
Brutal, tight and instantly familiar for legacy players, a purist sensibility guides the gameplay and adds new weapons, enemies and multiplayer modes to expand the experience.
Lasting Appeal 9.5
Multiple difficulties, 4-player story mode co-op, 5-player online co-op, Achievements aplenty, 65 medals to earn and multiple modes that will remain well-populated increase the shelf life.
OVERALL 9.0 (AMAZING)
The checkpoint system still confounds in spots, causing you to repeat more game than required during a few bottleneck moments. I also found it curious that a game like Gears puts such an emphasis on collectibles. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy finding COG tags and unlocking the Achievements that accompany them as much as anyone, but with bullets flying fast, music pounding and enemies screaming, drooling and hissing, it feels odd to simultaneously search high and low a widget or a wingding. What about survival? Do we really care about a lost statue?
Gears of War 3's five acts should take you around 15-20 hours to complete depending on how much you search and scrounge, and what difficulty you play it on. You can rush through it fairly quickly if that's your thing. I spent the better part of 14 hours on my first playthrough (on Hardcore). The campaign can be played with up-to 4-players in co-op; I played both solo and in 4-player co-op and I definitely recommend playing with friends, though I will say the AI is generally better and more helpful in a fight than most bots you'll play with. And the multiplayer content alone could keep Gears fans busy until the holidays and beyond.
Ah, multiplayer.
Gears 3 multiplayer has a lot to prove given Gears 2's rocky, beta-less start that required multiple title updates just to get into serviceable shape. The Gears 2 multiplayer changed things up largely for the worse, with many frustrating results. Tough-to-navigate menus, poor matchmaking, slower movement, wonky cover system, multi-second stuns from grenades, a bevy of weird exploits… it all added up to a giant meh, certainly not what anyone expected from the follow-up to the much-loved multiplayer of the first game.
Be the bad guys in Beast Mode.
After running all of the modes and maps through their paces, we're happy to report that the multiplayer content has received ample attention, easily outdoing Gears 2 in both matchmaking performance and new features. Horde 2.0's currency system tasks teams of up-to five players with managing your cash to build reinforcements, blurring the lines even further between traditional Horde and true tower defense. Beast mode turns the tables, casting you as the Locust in wave-based challenges where you earn tokens to unlock more powerful creature types. Versus comes with 10 multiplayer maps, including an updated (and night time) version of the Gears 1 classic map, Gridlock, and features a full suite of multiplayer modes, including standbys like Warzone and Execution, the Meatflag-esque Capture the Leader, along with a well-paced Team Deathmatch. The latter doles out 20 lives/respawns to each team which, once depleted, switches over to a last man standing format that's tense down to the last kill.
Most of the multiplayer sins of the past have seen serious TLC, with a new emphasis on movement. You won't want to cover camp for long as the arsenal your opponents have at their disposal will pick you apart if you don't stay agile and alert. It's more hop and pop than stop and pop, a fast-paced return to the action of Gears 1. You'll still need to watch for those obnoxious kids that shotgun roll; the Retro Lancer's charge attack (hold B for a timed kamikaze run) makes for a serious deterrent for those who abuse the shotty.
Closing Comments
Gears of War 3 represents state-of-the-art design and gameplay where you become the king badass among a gory world of bad-asses. Every third-person, cover-based shooter from here on out will likely be compared to Gears 3, and it provides a fitting and poignant-- if sometimes cheesy -- closing chapter to the trilogy.
The noted hitches, design decisions and ‘been-there, done-that’ feel of much of the content colors the overall experience, but it certainly didn’t keep me from having one hell of a good time. I imagine you’ll feel the same.
Presentation 8.5
The most realized vision and expression of Gears of War, Gears 3 earns top marks for heavy polish but remains relatively conservative in the innovation department.
Graphics 9.0
Slick, beautiful, disheveled and garishly bloody, this is one seriously good looking game.
Sound 9.0
Bullets scream, weapons boom, heads pop and creatures roar, all to the orchestra swell, creating a unified aural assault that’s immediately recognizable.
Gameplay 9.0
Brutal, tight and instantly familiar for legacy players, a purist sensibility guides the gameplay and adds new weapons, enemies and multiplayer modes to expand the experience.
Lasting Appeal 9.5
Multiple difficulties, 4-player story mode co-op, 5-player online co-op, Achievements aplenty, 65 medals to earn and multiple modes that will remain well-populated increase the shelf life.
OVERALL 9.0 (AMAZING)
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