If mammoth landscapes, brutal conflicts, and a killer story make a top notch video game, then “Gears of War 3” just made a masterpiece.
Most commonly known for its unmatched game play and cinematic excitement, the “Gears” trilogy deserves your attention. Jacinto is underground and the Coalition of Government (COG), leaderless and desperate launch their final efforts towards freedom. “Gears of War 3” is an intense epic that will not go unremembered.
The “Gears of War” franchise has always been ahead of its time in the third person shooter arena. The gameplay is electrifying, to say the least. Players will feel like they’re behind Marcus’ lancer when they chainsaw their brutal enemies.
The visuals and physics work together in harmony, providing an extremely fluid flow as you navigate the terrain. The difference between ”Gears” 2 and 3 in this category is enormous. The gore factor of “Gears 3” is unlike anything “Gears” has put out before.
The subtle splurges and squishes when Marcus unloads on a locust makes for a superb third person shooter experience. There is surely no scarcity of blood in “Gears 3” however. Exploding a lambent’s glowing body is one of the most rewarding feelings in the game.
The “Gears of War 3” campaign follows the weathered COG lieutenant Marcus Fenix in his struggle defending his home planet, Sera. Along his side fights Dominic Santiago, a brother, a friend and a hero.
The two of them, with the help of an incredible ensemble of teammates, work their way off the island of Vectes which has been riddled with Locust’s, the COG’s warzone foes that are infected with toxic imulsion. The COG is running out of heroes. Marcus’ Gears might be Seras’ only hope for survival.
The multiplayer is a home run. “Gears 3” offers six team based game modes, all team oriented and all a gruesome as the next. The competitive edge that “Gears” gives some players against others is easily seen in Execution, a game mode where in order to defeat the other team, players have to perform an execution to be rewarded a kill.
Unlike Treyarch’s “Call of Duty” there are no “killstreaks” or “perks” to give players advantages over each other. To win in multiplayer you simply have to be the best. Team Death Match is a particularly exciting game mode because your survival depends on the strength of your teammates. The first team to drain the other team’s 15 lives loses. This keeps players on their toes and alert.
Winning in the “Gears” multiplayer is an incredible feeling that keeps players coming back with bragging rights and gloating egos. The level-up system is pretty standard as well.
Players earn points for success in game modes and level up until they reach 100. The servers are fast and the flows of the games are crisp. The multiplayer is insane and a breath of fresh air coming back from “Gears 2”.
Beast mode, a new addition to the “Gears of War” franchise allows the player to have a 360 degree view on the game itself. Players will take the place of Locust and try to break COG strongholds and eliminate all survivors. In reversal to Beast mode, we have Horde.
Horde is nuts. Gamers and up to four other teammates try their luck fighting off waves after waves of locusts. Horde is an incredibly adrenaline filled game keeping players reliant on their teammates at all times.
There’s no such thing as a perfect game. Despite the amazing triumph that is “Gears of War 3” it does have its flaws. For instance, the campaign is corny at times and the characters’ dialogue is easily predicted.
The story is a little over dramatic and Marcus does come on a little slow in the head sometimes but it’s all in good fun. To be honest gamers probably won’t care what they say as long as they are exploding enemy lambent and splitting Locust Corpsers in half.
The multiplayer can get a bit frustrating at some times and the graphics may take a few seconds to stabilize when you spawn. As with in all the “Gears” games you’ll find yourself facing the annoying “shotgun- somersault” people who are a pain in the neck to get ahold of.
Get the game, enjoy the game but don’t get too excited. Gears of War 3 will test your mental toughness and emotional stability. It really shouts in epic proportions compared to its predecessors.
To be honest, I would have like have seen more game types, like a free-for all game mode. Also, a more intricate ranking system would have been a nice touch to the online experience.
The journey of Marcus and Dom will live on through true gamers who like and respect the Gears trilogy. “Brothers to the end.” 9.5/10.
