Gears of War has always been a great reason to own an Xbox 360 and with the third instalment this has never been more true. Bringing an unmissable campaign mode, co-op and the multiplayer which made this game so popular in the first place, Gears of War 3 takes everything you love about the series and trebles it.
Although multiplayer has always been a very important part of Gears make-up, the campaign is generally also very strong. This third game in the series is no different in this respect. Playing for the main part as Marcus Fenix, your task is a simple one… find your father who you thought was dead and rescue him, while also ridding the World of the Locusts’ at the same time. This plot takes you on a wild journey and although I don’t want to spoil the story, or give away your final destination, along the way you will visit areas such as Anvil’s Nest as you try to find the resources and the clues you need to help you along the way.
The main campaign starts off on your ship, which soon comes under heavy fire, resulting in a large fire fight and some hairy moments as you and your crew try to save the vessel. During this first scene you play as Marcus Fenix as you work together with a remote crew based on the island to take down a large problem. After you have defeated this problem, there is a clever twist, with the next chapter jumping back in time and you finding yourself playing as the leader of the remote crew, Augustus “Cole Train” Cole. This is the only part of the campaign in which you play as a different character, however you do get a get a great insight into his background during these chapters, as well as some mind-blowing scenes.
Obviously as far as the story is concerned, I don’t want to give anything away if I can help it, what I will say though is that it has some wonderful moments. In fact one such moment had me calling everyone into the room, thanks to the visual and emotional impact this particular scene had on me. The campaign is certainly special and if this is to be the end of the series (at least as far as Marcus is concerned) then it’s certainly going out with a bang.
So I’ve mentioned the story, albeit briefly, but what really must be touched on is the action, which, after all, is the foundation upon what this game is built. As you might expect, Gears of War 3 is one big fire fight from beginning to end. The action never lets up, however being a highly trained solider has its advantages, such as the sheer variety of weapons you will get hands on with. There are certainly plenty of new weapons within the game such as the Retro Lancer, Sawed-off Shotgun, Incendiary Grenades, The Cleaver and a sniper rifle known as the One Shot. You will certainly need these weapons too, because Gears also introduces a whole load of new enemies, such as the Savage Grenadier, the Savage Theron, the Digger Boomer and the Kantus Knight, as well as new Lambent enemies, such as Drudges, Polyps, and the Lambent Stalks, which spring out of the ground and spawn enemies from their pods, although you can kill these stalks by shooting the pods and then watch as they become lifeless in front of your eyes.
The combat really is what makes this game and it never lets up. Just when you think you are clear of enemies, up pops another stalk and gives birth to a whole load more. Whether you are in a fire fight or up close and personal as you try to chainsaw through some Lambent, at all moments you feel on edge and there shouldn’t really be any other way.
As if a wonderful story and combat wasn’t enough to convince you that Gears 3 is a game not to be missed, the presentation also screams quality. Whether it’s the debris as stalks burst through the earth; the tip of your gun glowing as it heats up and then cools down; or the plumes of smoke as yet another explosion clouds your vision; whatever happens, every moment in Gears 3 is filled with visual splendour and accompanied by a soundtrack which just blows your mind.
To be honest there are no real surprises in terms of what you get in the campaign, it’s exactly as you would expect, it looks wonderful; it’s action packed and it has a whole lot of twists along the way. There are a few extras such as collectables and once you get to the end of the campaign you will be given experience, which counts towards your entire career, be it online or offline; overall though, the campaign is just pure Gears and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Before I go on to mention the Versus, Horde and brand new Beast Mode which makes up the multiplayer, it’s worth mentioning that the Campaign also has a co-op mode known as Arcade. This allows you to play through any of the games five Acts with up to three other players, which is not only another string to the campaign, but the online mode too.
Horde Mode, which sees wave after wave of enemies coming down on you, is probably one of the most popular of Gears online and with good reason. This year, Epic ramps it up again with “Horde 2.0.” Here, instead of running around like a headless chicken trying to avoid the oncoming enemies, you are now tasked with creating a command post, which you can then build up like a fortress, allowing you to place barricades such as wire fences and other defences such as turrets and decoys. In Horde Mode you are also able to buy ammo, grenades and new weapons, which you will need, especially in the later waves. My experience of this mode tells me that you should choose the location of your command post wisely – in other words try and get at least one wall behind you.
Beast Mode gives a slightly different take on Horde. Here you are tasked with taking down waves of stranded and COG heroes as quickly as possible and before the time runs out. As you kill humans and destroy fortifications more time is added, while you will also earn tokens for doing so, allowing you to upgrade to stronger a Locust. To add a twist, COG heroes must be executed in order to be killed, which makes this mode all the more difficult, and interesting.
Finally, Gears of War 3 also has a fairly comprehensive multiplayer mode, including the likes of Team Deathmatch; Warzone, where you have to eliminate the other team; Execution, eliminate the other team using execution; Capture the Leader, King of the Hill and finally Wingman, where two players team up to try and eliminate the other (up to three), two player teams. The Versus mode adds yet more variety to what is already a pretty strong offering.
Given that there is 10 multiplayer maps to choose from and also experience points, ribbons and awards to be earned, Gears 3 will certainly keep you busy for a very long time.
Whether you are playing for the single campaign or the multiplayer, Gears of War 3 has something for everyone. The graphics and storytelling are amongst the best I have seen in a game this year and provide some truly outstanding moments, while the online Horde mode is even more addictive than ever.
It goes without saying that Gears of War 3 is epic in every sense of the word, let’s just hope there’s more where this came from.
Rating: Outstanding
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You can order a copy of Gears of War 3 here for £38.86, with a limited edition also available, for £57.85. If you haven’t ordered already, then we suggest you do.
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