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18.10.2011

Taken at face value, the Gears of War series is about as cynically generic sounding as games can possibly get with it's obscenely muscle bound armoured soldiers fighting "aliens" on another planet in a blood soaked frenzy of big guns and bigger explosions... but the strength of this series has never been in it's story or originality, it's in it's extremely polished look and mechanics and superb multiplayer options. Gears of War 3 certainly continues this, but perhaps plays it a little too safe for it's own good.Playing as human action figure and Bender from Futurama sound-alike Marcus Fenix once again(For the most part at least), you're thrown back into the war on planet Sera against the Locust (and the now-more-central Lambent creatures)some years after the destructive finale of Gears 2, with Fenix, Dom and the rest of the action figure playset now living aboard a lone aircraft carrier in the wake of the government's collapse. It is during a large scale lambent attack on their boat that an unexpected guest brings Marcus evidence that his long-thought-dead father may still be alive somewhere. Marcus and the gang then head off across Sera to find out the truth about his dad, while also fighting off legions of Lambent and Locust along the way, as well as dealing with the scorn of desperate human survivors. The plot in this game is utter nonsense I have to say, with a loosely knit together string of sci fi and military movie cliches forming a story that is ultimately quite unsatisfying in how it closes the story that's been running through this trilogy. It brings closure, yes, but the lack of answers to some fairly glaring plot points and the non-existent character development renders it all a bit unengaging... though I admit I did like all the stuff about Cole's history before the war and the inclusion of female soldiers being shown as equals able to fight on the front lines with the plastic men is a long overdue addition that works well also. Everything relating to Marcus Fenix though is just dull, not helped by his constant snarling voice which demonstrates all the emotional range of the Incredible Hulk, which may be fine when all that's happening is killing, but the heavier focus on character backstory and some attempts at providing slower, more sedate talky moments is kind of spoiled when Fenix is using the same voice he uses in combat during average conversations is an experience akin to watching Macho Man Randy Savage having tea with the Queen... deeply ill fitting but amusing for what it is I guess. The plot does what it needs to, don't get me wrong, but too often it comes off as being a lot more pretentious than it really needed to be.Thankfully the gameplay is a much, MUCH more satisfying affair, with the same polished, straightforward gunplay and cover mechanics the series is best known for being as fun as ever, but perhaps it's a little too much like it's predecessors, as it feels as though nothing has really changed on the gameplay front since Gears 2... or Gears 1 for that matter. Pretty much nothing has changed on the control and gameplay front here and it's hard to fault Epic for not fixing what ain't broken I suppose. The combat feels great and can be immensely satisfying at times... however, there are quite a number of small issues that get in the way of the more polished aspects of the game fairly badly at times. The Lambent enemies for one, can be incredibly annoying to fight, as a result of most of them being MASSIVE bullet sponges that can take up to hundreds of bullets to put down, and that's not even boss fights, this is regular enemies you encounter. In fights with the locust, even larger ones, there is at least a feeling like your bullets are having an effect, as enemies will stumble or be blown back by your fire, but with the Lambent the only notice you get that you're having an effect on them is when they finally pop like balloons when you've shot them enough. Make no mistake, fighting the Lambent isn't nearly as fun or satisfying as fighting regular Locust. Possibly the biggest issue in the single player mode though is the truly terrible AI in the game that sees your team mates constantly running in front of your gun during fire fights and stupidly running straight into enemy fire to perform an execution on a downed enemy. The AI is far too eager to do an execution on any downed enemy, regardless of position. I lost count of the number of times I had to revive teammates after they pulled a dumb suicide dash to execute someone. This is amateur hour on the AI front. There are also valid complaints to be made about the game's entire structure being that of a linear, room clearing procession of shooting galleries... and yes, there isn't a whole lot of variety to the gameplay here, HOWEVER, the actual gameplay itself is so much fun and so polished that these shortcomings are far less of an issue than they would be in lesser shooters. It's a flawed game, sure, but it's also tremendously enjoyable.The multiplayer aspect is incredibly detailed and robust, with a lot of things to try out and some truly engrossing modes on offer. The big draw apparently is the 'Horde' mode that sees you team up with a squad of other players in order to fight off waves of increasingly difficult enemies in various locations. This mode is an absolute blast once it gets going, with some incredibly tense combat forcing you and your team to fight in tandem as the difficulty increases. I did experience a lot of instances of losing connection to the host in these match types though, which could be very frustrating when you're on a high number of waves. The best part of the multiplayer for my money though was unquestionably the team deathmatch mode, which is the most fun I have had with a competitive shooter in years. I don't even know where to begin describing how much fun it is doing stuff like getting the drop on a camped out enemy sniper and blasting their head clean to pieces with a point blank Longshot round from behind or flushing other players out of an enclosed hiding place with a grenade only for them to run straight into a teammate of yours waiting with a heavy gatling gun and they all get mowed down at once. It's an intensely satisfying, deeply rewarding slice of online fun and while there are some issues with balance in the weapons and the fact that you have to pay real money for weapon skins is a cheap money grab on Epic's part, I honestly right now couldn't tell you an online shooter I've enjoyed half as much as Gears 3's team death match mode. It's awesome.On a purely technical level, Gears of War 3 is deeply impressive. The level of detail in the textures is nothing short of incredible, easily among the best visuals we've had on a console... however the performance is somewhat "patchy" in places, with the framerate practically grinding to a halt every time the game saves a checkpoint and more rarely when a particularly large scale battle is going on (And this is with the game installed to the HDD). It's far from game breaking of course, but it is certainly distracting at the very least. The soundwork is equally exceptional, with the voice actors all doing a superb job with what is often some truly dumb material... though John DiMaggio's constantly snarling voice gets quite grating towards the end. The music is very good also.So while it's got a dumb story and characters, dumber AI and is as linear as all get out (besides some other more minor niggles), there's no denying that Gears of War 3 is an exceptionally made game. The level of detail in the visuals and multiplayer element is like little else out there and the combat is fun and satisfying. It's far from perfect, yes, but what problems there are are fairly easy to overlook for the most part. It's the best Xbox exclusive we've had in a long time (Backhanded compliment though that may be) and you'd be a fool not to buy it to be quite honest.Highly recommended.
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13.1.2015

Microsoft finds it hard to maintain its franchises. Blinx, Crimson Skies, Project Gotham Racing and Viva Piñata have all been pushed aside to make way for Halo, Forza Motorsport and Gears of War. The latter of which debuted on the Xbox 360 and has since paved the way for third-person games with its innovative cover mechanic. Rockstar has even implemented similar cover mechanics into their games since 2008 with Grand Theft Auto IV.Gears of War 3 concludes the tightly strung trilogy and fine-tunes the game’s run, gun and cover gameplay to perfection.StoryWith the Locusts flushed out of hiding by detonating the Lightmass bomb in Gears 1 and humanity’s last haven, Jacinto,sunk in Gears 2 the COGs find themselves onboard a cargo ship. Forever at sea and having to accept their fate, the COGs have become dejected. Dominic Santiago is grieving his deceased wife with gardening and Marcus Fenix is still haunted by the loss of his father. But it’s not too long until Lambent Locusts, Gears of War’s version of the Flood from Halo, attack the ship from pods attached to stalks. Lambent Locusts are Locusts infected with rust lung caused by Imulsion, which is Sera’s primary energy source that flows beneath the surface. The Lambent aren’t as resilient, they usually explode after a few shots, but they can morph into a final form that delivers heavier attacks.Marcus and Dom are soon reunited with Baird, Cole and Anya, now providing infantry support, of the Delta squad to execute a final do-or-die, nothing left to lose mission to finally rid Sera of the Locust and Lambent threat. The story touches on emotional reflections but it’s mostly an action story that does a great job of providing context to each scenario in a very butch but compelling campaign. The Gears mythos doesn't have much depth but the narrow structure of having an ultimate imperative to survive makes the story more relatable. The first act however took a while to get going and it was only until the Locusts reared their ugly faces before the story gained some real momentum.GameplayCan we talk about chainsaw bayonets yet? Three games and five years in and slicing down an enemy, or up from behind, with the Lancer’s chainsaw bayonet is still hugely satisfying and brutally gory. I applaud the developers for having the balls to make the game as violent as they want without bowing to pressure from regulators. Headshots with the Longshot sniper or Boltok pistol make a gratifying squelch as the enemy’s head explodes and a close range Gnasher shotgun blast turns them into mush. This is the closest a game has got to Rambo in offering a completely unflinching and gritty depiction of violence.New weapons include the One-Shot heavy sniper that prevents the player from fast running or vaulting over obstacles but it can be mounted on cover and dishes out a powerful round that obliterates enemies from long distances. Also added is the Digger launcher that torpedoes a grenade underground, which then emerges to the surface for a surprise explosion. However, the Digger can be difficult to aim, unpredictable and unusable during close quarters combat scenarios. The Butcher cleaver is a large machete, which swung in the right direction can slice and dice enemies with a heavy blow and also provides a great animation when rodeo running with the machete dragging along the ground. The Retro Lancer is a primitive weapon with only a fixed blade to run and gauge the enemies with but it delivers a more devastating shot to the detriment of accuracy. The Sawn-off shotgun is powerful but it requires the player to be inches from the enemy in order to fully utilise the impact. Each weapon has a unique, gory, execution animation when the enemy is down-but-not-out with the option to use enemies as meat shields or deliver the all mighty curb stomp.The gameplay of Gears has always been rock solid but over the years Epic has tweaked and calibrated the mechanics to make it perfect. Mobility is still fairly sluggish, due to the COGs heavy amour, but it works in the series as the movement feels very calculated and predictable. The cover mechanic has improved to make it faster to snap to cover and decrease the chance of rolling instead of getting into cover. Rodeo running feels faster and more controllable and having sleeveless armour means their meaty arms no longer obscure the action when aiming down the sights. Gone are the emergence holes though so no more closing them up with a well-aimed grenade, which often played a key part in managing the battlefield. Active reload continues to add strategy to reloading. Repressing the reload button when the meter is in the right spot results in a faster reload. This increases the damage on the affected clip but a miss timed reload will result in a jam and a longer reload time.The multiplayer components of Gears of War 3 are the best of the series and of 2011. Horde mode returns from Gears 2, which itself was another trailblazing breakthrough that has since been included in other games. The online, competitive multiplayer offers a full suite of modes but the new addition of beast mode is the best yet. The player can now take on humanity, controlled by AI, with a huge selection of Locust enemy types from the explosive Tickers to the destructive Berserkers. Each wave that is completed increases the difficulty with more enemies and fortifications but the player can level up to more powerful Locusts such as the Serapede and Boomer. Despite the Locusts’ variety of size, shape and style of attack they all control intuitively and enjoyably. With only 12 waves in beast mode it would’ve been good to flesh this mode out to the size of horde mode’s 50 waves and include some of the larger Locust enemies such as the Brumak or Corpser, but that might be wishful thinking.TechnicalThe Gears series has a very unique look that blends graphic novel proportioned characters with art deco architecture. After the greyness of Gears 1 and brownness of Gears 2, Gears 3 has a more vivid colour palette. The yellow ooze of the Lambent Locust is very vibrant and when a Gunker is killed the ensuing explosion fills the screen with a disgusting yet beautiful yellow fire ball. The design of the Locusts from the small crab-like Polyps to the humongous Leviathan are all creatively designed and conjure up the inner-most childish fear of monsters. Taking the care and detail to create such disgusting creatures should be highly praised. The textures are crisp, the lighting is gorgeous and the sound is mighty although the framerate dips when saving and the camera blurs when panning but these are console limiting factors.VerdictGears of War 3 is the best game in the greatest and most consistent trilogy on the Xbox 360. With a host of modes, new gameplay additions and a thrilling conclusion to the campaign the game offers a lot of bang for your buck.
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22.2.2012

Nearly five years after first being introduced to Delta Squad, back in 2006, we finally have the third and final part of the story that began in GEARS OF WAR, and it has certainly been worth the wait!The campaign has all four of the Squad members that you're used to, as well as some others, and the gameplay still works pretty much the same as before, although, as in Gears 2, you can opt for an alternative to the controls used in the first game if you like.The weapons that you saw in Gears 2 are here, and there are some new ones thrown in. Well, some are new, while others are variations on existing ones. As well as the Lancer assault rifle and the Gnasher shotgun that you're familiar with,there are two new versions of these weapons: the Retro Lancer, which has a bladed bayonet instead of a chainsaw, and firepower with more kick but also has more recoil and you actually charge at your opponents and build up a speed meter to impale them on the bayonet; and the Sawed-off Shotgun, which is double-barrelled and more powerful but actually MUST be used at close range or it will not damage your opponent at all, and it also takes quite a while to reload. As well as the Longshot sniper rifle, there is also a sighted heavy gun known as the OneShot, which fires a beam at something and is incredibly powerful (I even managed to kill a Brumak with ONE HIT using it on one occasion, it's that powerful); as with the Longshot, you have to reload after every shot and, being a heavy weapon, you can't run while carrying it (same goes for the Mulcher and Mortar, both of which make their return after their first appearances in Gears 2).The new weapons include Incendiary Grenades (explode in a pool of fire that even harms you and your team if they get caught in the blast) and the Digger (this fires an explosive shell that burrows under the ground before surfacing and exploding at the feet of your foe -- if they don't get out of the way quickly enough, that is).One big change is that, unlike the two previous games, where only two people could play through the campaign simultaneously, this has now been increased to four (although this can only be done over a network or XBox Live -- split-screen multiplayer is still restricted to two).The campaign is as epic as you would have come to expect from the Gears universe, and it really doesn't disappoint, save for some iffy acting by John DiMaggio (who has voiced Marcus Fenix throughout the series' run). You still have the hidden items to find (COG tags and other things), and you still have the four difficulty settings. However, on Insane, you cannot get downed -- anything that would have downed you and caused you to bleed out in the lower three difficulty settings automatically kills you this time around, making this difficulty setting particularly punishing!Multiplayer modes from Gears 2 are here, although now we also have a Team Deathmatch, which does have respawns, albeit a limited number. The maps are pretty good, too, and it's still quite a challenge.Horde mode, where you were a COG member and fought wave after wave of Locust that became increasingly tougher, is back, and you can still have up to five people in such a game online and two on the same console. However, this time you gain money and use this to set up fortifications (including spikes that slow down your enemies, turret guns and sentry guns), or buy weapons. Every few waves you are set a challenge where you can get a cash bonus and some weapon boxes that contain surprises if you successfully complete the tasks set (such as killing a certain number of enemies with either bayonet, be it the Lancer chainsaw bayonet or the Retro Lancer's bladed one; killing a certain number of enemies with headshots or completing the wave within a specific time limit).The biggest multiplayer addition, however, is Beast, which is like Horde in reverse, where you play as the Locust and kill a group of humans within a (very tight) time-limit -- you get more time if one of your team kills a human, and you can also gain valuable seconds by destroying their fortifications, turrets etc. Yes, you read that correctly -- you can actually BE a Ticker, Wretch, Savage Drone, Boomer, Kantus etc., and even the mighty Berserker from the first game makes a reappearance. As with Horde, you try and ramp up enough kills to raise enough cash to be a particular Locust member, and you are given the controls as you highlight one of the available choices (Savage Drone controls just like a COG member), bearing in mind that the more powerful Locust members require you to get enough kills to raise a meter high enough to unlock them -- and the more powerful ones are understandably more expensive than the likes of Tickers and Wretches! The only real gripe I have with this is that I am pretty convinced that it is actually impossible to get very far if you are playing Beast by yourself -- you only get one minute and getting enough kills to complete the level when you don't have anyone else helping you seems like a big ask.My only other real niggles with Gears 3 are (a) the AI of your CPU-controlled team-mates is pretty rubbish, which can be a big problem if you're playing on Insane difficulty by yourself, and they quite often get in the way; and (b) particularly in Multiplayer, unless you can somehow get used to the alternative control system, you may still have the same problem as before where having so many actions done by one button becomes frustrating (such as trying to revive a downed squadmate but instead picking up a gun that just happened to be lying on the floor right next to them, or trying to Roadie Run but instead taking cover when you didn't particularly want to).But Gears 3 is a satisfying conclusion to this franchise (or, at least, this particular arc), and if you liked its two predecessors then you will undoubtedly get a lot of enjoyment out of this one.
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27.9.2011

Gears 3 is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2011, it was hyped up more than most games to be released in the same year and it pays off but only for the most part, gears of war 3 is a well polished and detailed game but with everything feeling too familiar.The developers say that this game is the best for new gamers to join the franchise but I suggest playing the previous two games before as events from them are mentioned numerous times, a lot of locations from previous games are revisited and without knowledge of what has happened players will feel lost.The story for the campaign is the same as the past 2 games; humanity is at it's very edge and theres only one last hope to winning the war against the locust,to make this seem different epic have added a new form of locust that have been taken over by emulsion known as the lambent. Marcus also gets news that his father may be alive and knows how to the end the lambent and kill the locust once and for all.We have heard this in every gears game before and the story is only used to take Marcus to strange places and add a little variety to the locations you fight in. For example half way in the campaign Delta squad have to retrieve fuel from a tall building and bring it back via a rail cart. Instead of feeling like what I was doing was contributing to the story it ends up feeling like it was all made just so I could fight whilst stuck in a small cart in the air while flying locust shoot at me and I had already faught whilst stuck in a cart in gears 2.Now to some people they would say "but gears' story isn't meant to be taken seriously" and to that I say it's true but in this game especially they try to make everything seem very serious and that's not what attracted me to gears 1. I want to play a dumb and mindless third person shooter without having a pretentious story shoved into my face every chapter.In previous campaigns if you were downed then you died instantly but not in gears 3, if you are downed you get 20 second to live while you partners try to revive you and the ally AI in gears 3 is really good, they know how to take down enemies and how to assist you. The enemy AI however is as dumb and clumsy as ever.If you can ignore the bad story and just play the game then you can have a great time playing a game with well polished mechanics and a wide variety of weapons that are fun to experiment with.Graphically the game for good for the xbox 360; scenery is stunning, the locust are more disgusting than ever and the detail in the armour and weapons is great.From the start there are 4 game modes to choose from; campaign, versus, horde and a new mode for gears 3; beast. Horde and beast are easily my favourite as there is a lot of incentive to beat my high scores and best times.Horde mode is different to what it was in gears 2. In horde you play with up for 4 other people as the COG and you defend yourself from 50 waves of locust and try to build up the highest score you can whilst trying to survive. In this new horde mode you can build defences and set up a base, you can build fences, mounted guns, remote machine guns and dummies to distract the locust. These new additions give a lot more strategy to what was already to me the most fun part of gears.Beast mode let's you play from the locusts perspective, you must attack the COG base in a given amount of time and build up the highest score you can. You start as basic locust and by killing and destroying parts of the COG base you earn money to buy more deadly locust breeds.Versus is your typical multiplayer mode, you get a choice of 6 different game types but this time a few modes have had some changes. Team deathmatch now gives each teams 15 lives that they must share and once they're used up each team member has one life left, this makes it more competitive than it's ever been and makes players more careful about dying. Capture the leader now requires you to just hold onto the enemy leader for 30 seconds instead of making you take him to a set destination. Execution, king of the hill and warzone have stayed the same for those old-school gears fans whilst wingman has a small change, spawning weapons don't appear until 30 seconds has passed.Overall gears is still as fun as it's ever been, even if the story is pretentious and boring playing the campaign is a long and fun experience lasting a good 10-12 hours on normal and with many collectables it gives you even more incentive to play through it multiple times. Even multiplayer has a more in depth level system with rewards such as unlockable gun skins, executions and characters.For gears fans there is no way they won't enjoy this but this game is not a good starting point for new people to the franchise.
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10.10.2011

When I first heard about the realease of gears 1. I was very excited. I bought it as soon as I could from my local shop and then spent the better part of six months hammering it most nights. I then went to University where I played games such as bioshock, assassins creed and fallout. All great games, but none really grasped me in the same way as gears of war. Then the wait started to come to a close and Gears 2 was upon us. Again, I rushed out and grabbed the game as soon as I could. And to be honest... I was very dissapointed. They had changed a few things I didn't agree with. Admittedly I was a big fan of being able to tag the walls with grenades and the stun feature on the smoke.But there really wasn't a dramatic change to the multiplayer. In fact I thought it got worse. Horde mode was perhaps the games one saving grace. The campaign again was exceptional, but merely an extension of the Gears 1 campaign (which was to be expected). I spent no where near as much time on gears 2 as i did gears 1.But now I have Gears of War 3! And this game is fantastic!I'm not sure where to start. But I will with the weapons. Mostly effective in the multiplayer. The Digger is quite possibly my new favourite weapon. I have always been a Torque bow fan, loving the whole concept of the exploding crossbow. But after perfecting it on the first attempt, they needed to find something new. The digger is that something. A weapon that fires an explosive under the ground which then travels in a sraight line under barriers and walls and then pops up and explodes in the enemies face. Love it! The introduction of incindiary grenades is nice too. Particularly useful to trap your opponents and give yourself a chance to escape, or to take down a horde of lambent in the campaign. Now we have a choice of four grenade types. Frag, Smoke, Ink, Incindiary. It keeps getting better.The one shot is an interesting addition, but I have to say is much more effective in the campaign (where a single shot can bring down a reaver) I think it just takes too long to load in the multiplayer (and the beam is a dead giveaway).The multiplayer: Sticking to the 5-man teams that were introduced in Gears 2 I think was a good idea. This is deffinitely a good thing, and helps balance the teams much better. Too often in the previous games, there was one man who would be inactive and stand motionless at spawn for the entire match leaving his team at a major disadvantage throughout. But we now have a team deathmatch mode that provides each team with 15 respawns per round. First team to deplete the other teams respawns and then eliminate the final 5 lives wins the round. This is definitely prefferable to the previous choice of either warzone or execution (both of which are still available if that is what you wish to play). This allows the game to flow much more fluently, and leaves much less down time between rounds.Horde has been massively re-vamped with the introduction of the ability to build fortifications, and more. I haven't spent enough time on this mode yet to fully review it. But if you liked the horde mode on gears 2. your gonna love this one even more!Then there's beast mode. This is essentially a reverse on horde, where you assume the role of a particular type of locust and take out the stranded and COG survivors. Allowing you the choice of locust ranging from a tiny little ticker, to the awesome new Armored Kantus (these guys are badass!).There's a whole new host of maps (and a few old favourites) to choose from. Once thing I am particularly fond of is the introduction of some sunlight into the maps. In the previous games, everything is drowned in post-apocalyptic darkness, and there really isn't uch brightness. But in this new games there in Sunlight!! Which does make for a welcome change. One map is even set on a beach!I could go on for a long time here. I'd love to go into the campaign on a large scale review, but I don't want to risk any spoilers. The storyline's great. Much more depth than say, Cod or the new game RAGE (good game, but the storyline was definitely lacking). A great couple of sequences when your on a flying gas barge or underwater manning the turrets on a submarine against some nasty water-breathing locust.In short summary. The game has advanced far beyond the first game. And is definitley a massive improvement on the second.If you liked the First game, but like me you were dissapointed with the second, then I emplore you to take a chance on this third installment. You won't be dissapointed.
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9.10.2011

Games like this represent nothing but pure fun, its constant shooting with big epic set pieces. With the RPG beginning to slowly but surely creep its way into other genres within gaming, going down the open world route and so on this kind of run and gun down what is basically corridor after corridor in its format is a dying breed. You have no choices, you have no impact on its story at all, no upgrades to to play with as you progress and you cant decide which direction to go in or how you go about completing the game. But, the name of the game here is sheer adrenaline action and scale, with which you could imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger as Marcus and Sylvester Stallone as Dom standing side byside sending thousands of rounds out of machine guns that are way to big for them to be using at oncoming monsters some the size of houses lol. This is basically, give me a gun and show me where to shoot type gameplay, which in the 3 person genre it has no peers.Its story is nothing special in comparison the increasingly high standards being set by such games as Mass Effect and Red Dead Redemption, the script is 80s action movie cheese ball style lines which you either love or hate but the main characters simply ooze charisma. It brings a satisfactory conclusion to the plot started from Gears 1 though has many lose ends, in particular certain facts and information that wasnt ever given (DLC likely).Its campaign can be played through by yourself or with 3 other online players, it will last around 10 hours depending on which difficulty you set it at, how good you are or who you are playing with. But, with its arcade like structure youll want to play through this game many times and in particular through online. It has the usual game modes featured in countless multiplayer games like COD, Team Deathmatch and so on with some interesting variations. With character and weapon skin unlocks, smooth gameplay and quick access to match ups its online features will keep you going for a long time if you find yourself under its charm. For me, its best online asset is Horde mode, its brilliant! Tackling wave upon wave of increasingly hard enemies, at every 10 waves you fight bosses, spawning such things as house high Brumas firing rockets and machine guns at you, while bullet near proof man sized locusts try to force you out of cover. It has another mode called beast mode, which pits you as the locust against the gears in horde like style, which, offers variety.At times i find myself laughing during certain moments within the game, be it while im firing hundreds of rounds with my machine gun at an enemy the size of a skyscraper or being on the bad end of a mortar strike meanwhile chainsawing enemies while my fellow cogs deal with house high rocket propellin and constant machine gun firing monsters. There are countless explosions in the game, with which if you have a good quality surround sound system youll feel like your house is falling down. Larger enemies or enemies that glow explode with great sound effects and visual flair.Graphically, the game is beautiful. Nothing groundbreaking but clean and crisp with a silky smooth frame rate. If you like OTT action movies, typically like that of Stallone for example then youll simply love this. Its very much just more of the same though, its gears 1 and 2, but, BIGGER and BETTER in every way. This is the type of game you wanna play after a hard days work/school, its fun, its simple and doesnt tax your mind or your emotions in any way, its just fills you with adrenline charged pulsating action that never ever stops coming. Its not game of the year, but, its one of the games this year that you have to have on your game rack if you even mildly adore shooting things non stop.
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25.9.2011

I will break the review down into Campaign and online sections.Campaign...Well for anyone who has played the first two games this as been eagerly anticipated. It finished the trilogy off well although quite abruptly and with a few shocks! There are 4 difficulty settings: casual, normal, hardcore and insane...even on casual mode at a modest pace the story-line will take the best part of 7 hours or so which is a decent length compared to most games that come out nowadays. I won't spoil the plot for you but i will say that all the characters have made a comeback; marcus, dom, baird and cole train ""WoooooW....whats happening baby?"" (that should need no explanation for a fan of gears)Everything from the audio and cinematic surroundings to the weapons are as good as they get on the 360 and build on previous games to give you the best 7 hours+ of campaign that your likely to play this year so far!Some people have mentioned that the game is repetitive i.e. run here and kill these grubs run there and fend those grubs off or go down there and turn this on... well aren't most games like that?? BUT although there are repetitive parts you never get bored of it, in fact you relish a good fight or should i say slaughter!!Online Multi-player/ Horde Mode...This is where you will get your moneys worth over the weeks/months ahead, Online there are many different modes but i will stick with Team Death-match which is by most peoples standards the game of choice. There are many different maps to play and all feature close quarter areas and as well as long ranged areas for those that like to camp and snipe (although i wouldn't recommend it unless you've got friend backing you up). But unlike team death-matches in other games in this each team of 6 (i think) has a limited number of re-spawns meaning once they've gone you literally have to survive and the team that is standing last wins!! Now the two sides consist of Grubs vs COG and you play each map twice, spawning from both sides giving both teams a fair deal! My one criticism i suppose is that when you start you can bring up the map onscreen which shows the locations of all the weapons you can pick up well literally whoever gets to the important weapons like Boomer or hammer of Dawn have a huge advantage at the beginning (personally i would like to have seen a system where you can unlock those weapons once you have racked up enough kills and then you can use them, rather than straight away)So that's a little bit about team death-match, well the other game type which can be done locally is Horde, which is where you (either on your own or with friends) fend off endless waves of grubs, you can erect barricades, turrets and expand you "base" so you can put up more barricades. Killing grubs will get you money so you can do these things as well as replenish ammo and "buy" your way back into the game if you die. It's a lot of fun but you have to be careful as if you don't watch out the grubs will come at you from all angles! Playing with friends is fantastic fun but also challenging when its a boss round.I could go on even more depth talking about both the campaign and online but i trust you will buy this and find out for yourself, so time for my round upPROS: Campaign is a worthy ending to the Gears trilogy, co-op is where the replay-ability of this game lies, online is truck loads of fun, Horde mode is brilliant, Cole Trains talk is as good as everCONS: the Computer AI on your side can get stuck and occasionally doesn't save you if your downed, insane mode really is insane!VERDICT: IT'S A MUST BUY FOR ANY SERIOUS GAMER!!!
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3.10.2011

I have finished the game and below are my observations.As the game has been detailed in previous comments very well already(especially the good points),would like to just post my take on it.Single Player1. Game Story :- same as before, nothing great or ground breaking, mainly as one early poster said, means to keep the bullet fest coming.Although I have got say that there are two many open ends which are not closed properly.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (possible) SPOILER ALERT BEGINS <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<e.ga) who is the queen actually, this is never explained, even though Marcus's dad himself tried to explain , only for Marcus to cut inand then it never comes up again.b)The ultimate weapon used is supposed to clear all who are infected by lambeth but yet willeradicate only most of the locusts(not all ?)..>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (possible) SPOILER ALERT ENDS , sorry but had to mention these <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Guess these are kept open to allow GOW3 developers to come back to this title if need be.Overall average.2. Game Quality : Graphics and gameplay is further refined, which shows and has improved by leaps and bounds.a) Even though I felt the character movements felt more heavier than GOW2 or roughly same as before. This could have been improved.b) Most of niggly bugs and minor errors are gone which makes the gameplay much more smootherc) GOW3 inctroduces mech robots and also some underwater action which a welcome addition.d) overall GOW3 has (occasionally)reached the limits of xbox 360 as can be seen in some scenes.e) way too many cut-scenes for my taste.f) The epic battle in the last chapter could have , well more epic. Was not a let down, but not awe inspiring either.Pretty difficult to defeat though.g) Keen observers among you will also notice the odd character introductions here and there.I say odd as this did not gel with the story, also niether did the game developers showed any intention of going anywhere with these.Most of you reading this will feel as its all bad, but hey, this game is not about story,(if anyone buys it expecting a brain teaser should trade in), the gameplay overall is superb and satisfying.3. Beast and Horde mode ..dont play these much and so wont be able to comment on these.I have read that these are vastly improved as well.4. Multiplayer : One of the biggest improvements to this game by far.Overall very good and polisheda) Much better graphic fidelity, always niceb) Takes away the option to choose a map from players, so a map is selected for you at randomc) Games are hosted on GOW3 servers, which means no host advantage, but odd kills remain.As sometimes in one group you may not be able to score any kills, but on another you might kill the mostMy (very basic and rudimentary) guess is this is due to location of the GOW3 servers itself, but I might be wrong.Thankfully these are very far and few.d)Sawed off shotgun while being good for newbies can be buzzkill for a seasoned GOW player in multiplayer.Please note, I am not trying to scare any one from buying the game,I have just focussed mainly on nigglesas other posters have covered the good aspects adequately.Still having said eveything, this is still a game to buy and enjoy.The game is enormous fun to play.Update : GOW 3 it seems has started to lag again, specifically hit detection, this might be due to the servers being uanble to handle new players...seems to be returning to old days.. very bad..
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21.9.2011

As there is already an extensive review of the single player, I thought I would concentrate on the Multi-player.The Multi-player is broken down into, versus, Horde, and the new Beast mode (the campaign can also be done co-op online but as that has already been covered I shall concentrate of the other modes here)Versus - This is broken up into 6 game types; Team Deathmatch, here each team has a total of 15 respawns, once there gone the match ends and the team left standing wins, this in my opinion is a great spin on normal deathmatch and has been the focus of my time during the beta and now on the full release; next mode is Warzone which will be familiar to all previous players of Gears,5 v 5 team deathmatch, but when you are dead that's it, your out until the next round, first team to 3 round wins, wins the game; Execution is similar except the only way to kill an opponent is a direct kill, i.e Headshot, grenade kill or by performing one of the many amazing executions; Capture the Leader is basically capture the flag except the flag in this case is one of the opposing team who you must first down and then capture for 30 seconds to win the round; King of the Hill is an objective based mode where you must capture designated areas of the map and hold on them for as long as possible and finally Wingman which is 4 teams of 2 in an all out battle, first team to 15 kills across the rounds wins.All these game modes can be played online, splitscreen or for those preferring to get some practice in first, against AI bots, the great thing is that no matter which modeyou are playing stats carry across all modes.Horde - This is the mode we all know and love from the previous game, fight against 50 waves of ever increasing Locust. The big difference this time is that each wave you will earn money for kills which you can then spend at the end of the round on fortifications, turrets, and command posts, which brings in a real tactical edge. Whereas Horde in GOW 2 was difficult but not impossible I foresee this new version being a lot more of a challenge, having so far only reached level 17, the range of enemies has increased and with it the difficulty, every 10 waves results in a boss wave, so far on the occasions I have passed wave 9 I have faced a Corpser and a Lambent Berserker, and they took a huge effort from every one on our team to bring them down.Finally on to the all new Beast mode which is basically Horde in reverse as you play as the Locust and must defeat the humans within the time limit given. You initially start with the lesser locust such as the ticker, drones and the wretch, but as you kill humans you gain more money and are then able to purchase the next level of locust such as the Kantus, the Mauler (the slow one with the shield) before finally unlocking the real badasses in the form of the Boomer, the Corpser, the Berserker etc.This mode is lots of fun but sadly ends far too quickly as it is over within 12 waves, there is DLC rumoured for this mode and hope it pans out that way as it really is lots of fun.Overall then this multiplayer is the refinement of everything Gears of War has built up across the previous games, there is far too much to cover in a review, I simply urge you to buy this game, a true contender for the game of the year and a new benchmark in 360 games, with a multiplayer that could last years and a tremendous story mode (as outlined in other reviews) this really is a masterpiece!
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7.6.2012

Im not going to hammer on about the story .. there's enough reviews about this without me adding my 2 pennies, only that it is brilliant and an intricate part of why this game is a classic. The emphasis of this review is on the mechanics and all the touches that has shown this game as a front runner for the Game of the year.GAME PLAYThe key aspect of the game is that it is TRULY FUN to play, the controls are responsive, movement is fluid and user friendly, both in single player and multis. The game has a great risk reward output (by using quick reloads and close combat animation)is always satisfying, it really never gets tired and multiplayer skill kills is even more of a thrill.The action is fast paced and on single player they pack more grub per square meter than an ant hive. The variation and behaviour of the enemies add fantastic depth. The laminent are a fantastic addition forcing you to change tactics when facing them. With grubs you can get in the mix and chainsaw some ppl down where as the glowy cousins are more of a keep your distance type.Team AI is fantastic and you truly work with a team that is as accurate and agile as you would wish. Maybe no substitute for a human, but better than I could ever hope.GRAPHICSWhat can I say the graphics are truly beautiful, backdrops are jaw dropping, the scenery is lush and rich although quite linear in where your allowed to go. There is always a space for a sneak path but there is no 'true' space where you can truly wander off and explore.LONGEVITYThe replay value of the game is undoubtedly epic. The game itself is huge, and it delighted me that they didn't take COD3 and ME3 route by spawning an unsatisfactory single player, trying to pilf as much money on DLC as possible. From start to finish the story is well told, free flowing and actually giving you a warm feeling of completion when your done.On top of that they piled on the extra modes with horde, beast, and muliplayer modes to promise months if not years of game play.DLC raams shadow is a fantastic addition, even without the fun of being RAAM, they packed an action packed 4-5 hours of gameplay into one DLC. (Shocking that GOW DLC lasts longer than the whole of of COD3).CONSThere are some nit picks on the game that is worthy of note. The first is that jaw dropping as scenery might be, it really is quite linear in the exploration aspects, and not being able to back track to return to your weapon stash is a downer.The variation of weapons is not enough and the new weapons do not really add any great depth. The lancer old skool, digger and sawn off are all pretty nice, but can be missing from the game and you won't blink an eye, a bit more weapeons especially on laminent technology (biological/ explosive weapons) may have been most welcome.OVERALLA classic in name and nature and well deserved, it actually strives to give the gamer a good experience straight off the bat instead of fleecing them for all there worth using brand name. Fast and fluid, challenging but ultimately satisfying, GOW3 Stands out on how a series finale should be done.
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18.3.2012

Perhaps one of the most popular series of games on the xbox 360 gears of war comes to a close with gears of war 3 but is it worth your time?Gameplay: Gears of war 3 as you would expect plays very much like it's predocessors but is alot smoother in terms of movement and the weapon balancing was a much needed addition and it works pretty well (the sawed off shotgun is waaaay too powerful) it uses the same duck and cover mechanic as gears 1 and 2 but now has an additional mantle kick to teach the campers a lesson.the transition between moving in and out of cover is now alot faster and responsive and you don't get stuck to the walls like in previous games.Story:Personally I did'nt enjoy the campaignon gears 3 as much as i did the other games but that does'nt mean it's dull or boring it's still full of huge firefights and new enemies to put down, the plot line itself is touch and go it has some really memorable parts such as the loss of certain characters etc but at the same time, we have marcus (and another key character)having on and off banter over the origins of the locust and the war itself they drag this out with marcus simply being a douche and saying save it for later, we do eventually get the cause of the war explanation and to be honest it was pretty suprising. (there is also now a prequel DLC where you get to play as General Raam and Zeta team)Multiplayer and new game modes:Here is where gears of war 3 really shines the ever popular horde mode has been revamped with base fortifications now playing a big part in your survival, boss waves where youll be pitted against Brumaks, Beserkers, and other big shots some new some old, in addition to horde there is also Beast mode which sees abit of role reversal you now get to play as the locust and kill the cog's (goes up to 12 waves with a 1 min time limit).AND finally the versus mode, EPIC have done away with the ever so annoying host shotgun and now allow players to play on dedicated servers, new game modes have been introduced such as team deathmatch a respawn based version of warzone, along with all the old ones. WEEKLY EVENTS: a new feature that helps keep gears 3 fresh is the weekly events these are playlists that range from semi auto snipers only to triple xp etc there are sooo many new ideas and modes that epic keep coming up with and each of them have always been fun. Weapon and character skins are a new addition, onyx medals and ribbons can be earnt in matches and over ALOT of dedicated time. DLC is frequent and the maps are alot bigger than before with well thought out spawn points and you get spwan protection to stop the spwan killers.a gripe with multiplayer however is that epic try to force you to buy the DLC in order to play online but the option for the season pass is also available.Overall gears of war 3 is a worthy conclusion to the gears of war franchise and one that you really should'nt miss out on if you did'nt like the previous games then this one obviously is'nt for you. it'll keep you busy for a very long time
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27.9.2011

Gears of War is a series that has grown so much since it first set out a good few years ago as a flagship Xbox 360 product. With the third in the series you get a whole lot of game for your money: a meaty campaign, plenty of multiplayer modes, Horde and the new Beast mode too. There is hours upon hours of play in the box.The campaign is the longest and deepest yet. Epic have just about developed the characters enough that you care about them and it's a shame that their storytelling has finally reached the heights it has at the end of the series. But it's a satisfying play with plenty of action and a lot more drama than similar games manage. Enemy and friendly AI is pretty decent,even on lower difficulties the Lambent and Locust make you work for your kills, they are just easier to take down. Sometimes it feels as though your buddies (if not playing in 4 player co-op) are TOO efficient, but at least it makes Hardcore and Insane easier. And it's genuinely funny in places too - witty one liners are a plenty.However, it does get a little samey. There are quite a few 'boss' battles which break things up a bit, but some of them are just annoying and repetitive rather than fun. And there are quite a few cutscenes (which are skippable) which make some of the chapters very short.Multiplayer has had Team Deathmatch added to it, and in my opinion at least, it is fast becoming one of the more satisfying game types. Gears has always had a fascination in forcing the player to only have one life (Warzone, Wingman, Execution) and this means you can endure a steep learning curve if you are not a natural. There are plenty of ribbons, medals and other awards to work towards, which keeps you playing, but some of the maps are a bit dull and I can't help but feel this is to make players more keen to buy the inevitable map packs that will appear soon. Even worse, some games are purely about getting to the Hammer of Dawn or a similar super-weapon first and can effectively be won by the team that manages it within seconds.I haven't played much Horde or Beast yet. Horde has had a bit of an overhaul with defensive structures added, plus money to spend on them. It's pretty good and definitely one of the best ways to play Gears. Beast is like a reverse-Horde in that you play as the Locust. It has a tighter focus and is quicker. It's OK, but I'm not sure how much time I'll put into it.Graphically, Gears 3 doesn't have the impact the first game had. Frankly, it shows the 360 is starting to groan under the strain a bit. Don't get me wrong, it looks fine and it runs at a fair clip. But the often murky environments and chunky characters are starting to look a little tired.I highly recommend Gears 3, it just about edges out Gears 2 as the best in the series and has plenty of variety. There are a few niggles that hold it back from 5 stars for me, but overall it's well worth the money.
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14.9.2013

The Gears of War series is one of the most well known Xbox exclusive series to date, and out of the original trilogy (excluding Judgement) 3 is the worst one in my opinion but is still fantastic.With returning game modes like Multiplayer and Horde mode and new ones like Beast Mode you can easily finding yourself addicted to it.First the plot. The plot for the Gears of War series has never really been it's strong point and 3 having the worst plot of them isn't great. They do introduce interesting new characters like Sam and Jace who hold up pretty well, as well the character development of the older characters namely Dom and Cole.I can't really talk much about the plot as all of it would be one big spoiler fest.Let's talk gameplay.The game plays a smoother than the other two installments which is a plus, the cover system is pretty much the same and almost everything else is with the exception of a few things.Your avatar in game moves smoother that before, and they also put in iron sights for a weapon which was also a feature in another Epic Games game called Bulletstorm.It's satisfyingly lengthy the environment is well designed, ranging from a military barge to the ruins of an old football (thrashball) stadium. The Horde mode is more intense than before introducing bonus waves as well as boss waves.The bonuses range from in game money used to construct barricades and buy weapons to powerful weapons.The bosses in the boss waves present you with normal enemies as well as a powerful enemy varying from a Berserker, Brumak, Reaver and more every 10 waves with 50 waves total.The beast mode however lets you step into the shoes of your enemies, letting you play as the opposing force you can pick different classes, beasts and races to play as, the more powerful the beast/race is the more it costs to purchase with in game money. You go through 12 waves of assaulting an enemy position which changes every wave, destroying barricades, evading turrets and eliminating your, now, opponents.The soundtrack which has always been a strong point in the series is a bit of a let down and the only piece of the soundtrack I can recall is a recurring theme in the series called Hope Runs Deep that plays at the end of this one.The rest of the soundtrack isn't very memorable.The multiplayer is pretty fun, the annoying things however can outweigh the good depending on how your opponents play. The sawed off shotgun is a pain and cheap including a few other weapons that can leave the match displeasing.Overall though the multiplayer is pretty good and with the host advantage problem from past games sorted as well.New game modes are also fun including a mode in which you capture the enemy leader and keep them hostage throughout the round.That is my review for Gears of War 3 and I give it a 4/5
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11.10.2011

If you are a fan of the first 2 games, then you will absolutely love this game!Campaign - Much bigger and longer than the previous 2 campaigns. Huge battles and some quality cut scenes makes this game almost cinematic. Personally my favourite campaign of the series. A lot more focus on the gang this time and their origins, especially Cole. Act 3 even brought a tear to my eye but I don't want to spoil it. Also the introducton of 4 player co-op makes this a truly fantastic experience. I've been playing through with 3 of my friends on insane and it is truly brilliant. 10/10Horde - I don't know how but Epic have managed to improve on the fantastic Horde mode first introduced in GOW 2.With the introduction of fortifications, it makes it much more of a tower defence game and really brings the team together. You have to work together to properly progress and also now that you can trade money and share ammo it massively highlights the teamplay. AND every tenth wave is a randomly generated boss ranging from reavers to berserkers to brumaks. Absolutely intense and fun. 10/10Beast - This is new in GOW3 and to put it as simply as possible, its Horde but in reverse. Therefore you play as the locust and attack all the humans while they fortify their base and try and fend you off. Albeit this is very enjoyable at first but can get quite repetitive afetr a while. On the other hand playing as a Beserker never gets old. 8/10Versus - If you like the GOW2 versus, you will now love the versus in GOW3. Epic have put in dedicated servers meaning there is now no host advantage and makes the games actually fair. The maps are very well put together and thought out, i can't think of one that i don't enjoy playing on. Also they have evened out the weapons now so that everyone doesn't just use the Gnasher shotgun every game now. The new weapons are also very enjoyable such as the Sawed-Off Shotgun which is always a fun alternative to the Gnasher. The retro lancer is also a fun alternative to the Lancer as they retro charge is very satisfying! The hammerburst has also been greatly improved with the addition of iron sights. Overall the gameplay exceeds my expectations and i know that i will be playing this game for a long time to come. 10/10Conclusion - This game is incredible, there is no other way to put it. Its brilliant for a gears fan and is also good for newcomers who have never played before. Epic have really outdone themselves and there is still plenty of things that i haven't even mentioned in this review, but thats for you to find when you press Add to Basket above. This is a must buy! 10/10!
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21.11.2011

Let's start the review by saying I've been looking forward to this game for quite sometime, I missed out on the beta multiplayer testing, but comments made by my friends about the improved multiplayer reassured me that this wasn't another 'filler' sequel. This game basically continues from Gears 2, where Jacinto is screwed over and it's time to end the lambent locusts for the final time, and to find Marcus's dad. Anyways I won't spoil any of the story for fans so I'll give you the good and bad points to the game.The Good:The Campaign: 3 Words...4 Player Co-Op, this is an over sold idea in most shooters, but in Gears they implemented it well and made sure everyone has a part to play in the firefights and worthy campaign story.The Graphics,the campaign set pieces would give Toy Story 3 in 1080p a problem competing with in visual respects. The subtle blues or reds on the back of your characters in multiplayer combat give you that satisfying smile when you pwn someone in the face with your gnasher shotty. An improvement over Gears 2 in my opinion as I found the graphics more jaggy and the lighting a bit too harsh.The improved multiplayer has been an amazing experience compared to the previous laggy and broken Gears 2 offering, hit markers are much more responsive and getting in to games with friends is an easy experience, you won't be disappointed if you're a hardcore Gears 1 fan like myself.Horde 2.0: I didn't really play that much horde in Gears 2, but I found Horde 2.0 more enjoyable as you can build and level things up with the cash your making from destroying locusts as usual.The Bad:Campaign was a good story, but at times your left wondering why do I have to collect fuel for this, fuel for that etc?! In other words some Acts feel like fillers and spoil the constant action Gears fans are craving for.Multiplayer: Where's all the noobs at? At times your matches will contain quite a few bots due to a lack of online players, although this may change at Christmas when more people may buy the game to play.The Conclusion...If you've never played gears, this is a nice place to start with a good combination of modes to get yourself into and enough multiplayer to last you till the next inevitable gears comes out. Die hard fans like myself will find that this has definitely improved over the previous offering and like a crap halifax advert, gives you a little bit more extra e.g. addictive ribbons and medals stats to show off... So do yourself a favour this Christmas and give your 360 an motherboard problem and play this game!
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