The Coke-vs.-Pepsi analogy could certainly apply to powerhouse Xbox franchises Halo and Gears of War (We know Master Chief is paid to Do the Dew. Just go with us on this one.) The classic formula (Halo) tasted great for years, and then Pepsi (Gears of War) rolled into town and proved that each one can quench your gaming thirst in a unique way. Of course, it's a whole new world now than when they were the two main choices on shelves, with many specialized flavors tempting you to chug their brand (Call of Duty) instead.
So what's a co-champion to do? Lace its formula with ginseng, electrolytes, vitamins, pure cane sugar, Viagra, and a whole lotta Awesome Sauce. That's Gears of War 3 in a nutshell...er, bottle cap.
A TALE TO TELL
First, why is it that the Locust-infested Gears universe has never gotten much respect? Sure, the four-man Delta Squad are hulking soldiers who spout one-liners like "Sh*t yeah!" during combat, but from the very first game, they've been eminently likeable. It's easy to identify with Marcus Fenix, the hardened leader; Dom Santiago, the tortured family man; Augustus "Cole Train" Cole, the patriotic celebrity-turnedsoldier; and Damon Baird, the wisecracking engineer who uses sarcasm to cope with the horrors of war.
The ground-level connection to the characters established in the first game was lost a bit in Gears 2, due in part to writer Josh Ortega's gluttonous, overly grandiose sci-fi plot revolving around a Borg Queen-style archenemy. So in Gears 3, writer Karen Traviss (who's penned several Gears novels) tells a simpler but far more effective tale that keeps the focus squarely on Marcus, Delta Squad, and Fenix's long-missing father, Adam. Frequent cutscenes help keep the narrative thread pulled taut where it could have easily been left to droop, and the character-driven story hits nearly all its marks.
In Act I, Marcus and Dom haven't yet united with Cole and Baird, although an interesting parallel progression has you replaying the same early event as one pair, then as the other (accompanied in each case by two non-headlining characters). Following that, you're given an extended tour of duty in Cole's boots as he revisits his hometown - which also allows Cole and Baird to exchange plenty of the good-natured verbal barbs we've grown to expect from them.
Later, a moment involving one of the major players in the story is delivered with genuine gravity and emotion. It's a powerful, intensely moving scene that proves a stark contrast to the flaccid Maria Santiago subplot that limped onto the screen in Gears 2 after a massive game-and-a-half buildup. And the end of the campaign itself is handled with both weight and grace. By the closing credits of Gears 3, it's clear that the events of this series have taken a physical and emotional toll on these soldiers. The easy narrative cop-out - a sales-pitchy post-credits teaser for a new trilogy - is refreshingly absent.
A SIGHT TO SEE
And what of the gameplay? Gears 3 takes the series' unique brand of cover-based third-person shooting and sharpens it to flawless precision. All of the usual fun-as-hell weapons return, with a few minor new additions, including a double-barreled Sawed-Off shotgun (awesome for point-blank-range kills) and an underground grenade launcher called a Digger (not a highlight). It's still immensely satisfying to explode Locust heads with a sniper rifle, and much to our delight, every single firearm now has its very own gruesome execution move.
gkicker2
November 19, 2011 at 7:11am
After some time has passed and many hours have been spent with Gears 3, I agree indeed with the 10. The campaign contained one of the most emotion invoking moments EVER for me in video games and Horde mode has been nothing short of perfect. And he's the kicker...that doesn't even include Beast mode. Couldn't be happier with it. Great review. Great game.
Gamer83
October 02, 2011 at 12:34am
Just like with the first two Gears games I actually bought this mostly for the singleplayer campaign and fortunately, this time, Epic didn't let me down. Gears 1 was great but 2 was a bit of a disappointment. This one however definitely lived up to the 'bigger, better' hype the 2nd had received. Great storytelling and a satisfying conclusion. The shootouts and boss battles were great and I'm really looking forward to the campaign DLC to continue the experience. Haven't tried much multiplayer yet but what have played (mostly with friends) I've had fun with. Nice review.
BostonPimpDaddy
September 26, 2011 at 2:18pm
I beat the game last night. Been playing Horde/Beast/MP since getting it as well.No way this game is a 10.The new ammo system is terrible. They should have developed the new enemies better. Instead they are just thrown at you. It just didn't feel right.Horde transforming into a tower defense system is BAD imo. The fun part of horde was not having to worry about stupid setups! Beast mode, only 12 rounds? Why couldn't it have been 50 like Horde?I would have given the game an 8.5-9.It's pretty clear this reviewer is pandering to Epic. I really wish you reviewers would STOP pandering to game developers and truly critique a game properly.
greywolf81
September 26, 2011 at 8:35am
The GOW3 campaign was great. Great story & gameplay. My problem is with the multiplayer. First off why does this franchise opt for weapon spawning within the maps. I really hate that aspect of the multiplayer. It just leads to weapon spawn camping & also gives too big of an advantage to the team which lands the weapon Get there a second too late...your dead! I much rather you pick your weapons at the start of the match than have them scattered about. I also noticed in the multiplayer game play that if a team is getting completely crushed in the game people quit playing. What I mean is that they don't quit the actual game by leaving they just respawn & stand there. I have played many multiplayer shooters over the years & GOW is by far & away the leader of the "I'm just gonna stand here but not leave the game" scenario.How about the new beast mode? Played it once & made it through all 12 waves. No real challenge there. Then I played the new horde mode. I've got to figure it may take several hours of continous game play to make it through all 50 waves. I've made it to wave 30 but no farther. everyone usually quits after a few failed attempts making it feel like you justed wasted hours of your life. All the fortifiable bases in horde are right out in the open. places you would never try to make a stand. I liked it better when the users would determine a nice spot on the map where everyone could camp out. Anyone remember blood drive from GOW2?Might I suggest a free-for-all mode. That might actually be fun. No stupid weapon spwaning, just the guns you choose at the beginning of the match or pick up from dead bodies.Overall great single player campaign, but rotten multiplayer. Lets go battlefield 3 & MW3!
warpeight
September 24, 2011 at 7:29pm
I just finished GOW 3's single player Campaign and what can I say except "Holy Crap!!" Well done Epic Games. This was exactly the kind of experience I was hoping for as a finale to this incredible trilogy. When I first saw the "Mad World" trailer for Gears Of War, all those years ago, I knew this game was going to be a fantastic complement to the XBOX 360 and a serious challenger to Halo's reign at the top. I immediately went out and pre-ordered the Collectors Edition. I was not disappointed.Years later I pre-ordered the CE for Gears Of War 2 solely based on my experience with its predecessor. Sure, GOW 2 was a little less interesting in it's character development and story line pacing but the game play mechanics were just the prelude to the opus that we now have to enjoy today. So I pre-ordered the Epic Edition back in April, and then stood in line for a midnight opening at my local GameStop on Sept 19th alongside dozens of younger folks who were anxiously waiting to get their hands on this game as much as I was (I'm 47 yrs old by the way). Now, after finishing the single player Campaign, I realize that there is still one question I have that has not been answered. Is Myrrah Marcus Fenix's mother? All indications are pointing to this being a real possibility and I hope that Epic will eventually answer this question either in a new Gears game years from now or in the novels written by Karen Traviss.I offer my sincerest congratulations and kudos to the folks who made this trilogy the most memorable experience you can have on the XBOX 360. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and am anxiously waiting to see what you do next with the Coalition Of Ordered Governments and the folks on Sera. Until then, see you in GOW 3 Multiplayer.
lone_spartan
September 16, 2011 at 9:52am
What a well written and flawless review! Thank you Ryan McCaffery.
Lefty2005
September 15, 2011 at 5:35am
Almost 3 years and I am so excited. Ryan was not afraid to call out the faults of the campaign in Gears2 review so his positive comments on the Gears 3 campaign has fired me up!
BostonPimpDaddy
September 26, 2011 at 2:21pm
If he thinks there are not faults in Gears3 he is DEAD wrong. IMO Gears2 is actually a better game than 3. This reviewer is just sucking up to Epic and it's completely obvious. This game is not a 10. It's great but no way does it deserve a 10.
lone_spartan
September 16, 2011 at 9:59am
Exactly back when I read the review for Gears 2 and he bashed the campaign mecilessly, I was bummed. It was actually one of the first things I thought of when I heard the embargo was lifting and reviews were about to drop on Gears 3. To read his glowing praise here is awesome.
Ryan_OXM
September 16, 2011 at 4:23pm
Hehe yep, no giant-worm levels to complain about this time! You guys are gonna have a blast starting on Tuesday.
Drachen77
September 20, 2011 at 3:48pm
I personally never got into Gears. I thought the first one was a good game but it didn't really do anything for me. The second one didn't interest me at all. But now, seeing how good it's rated here, I might have to go back and rent these just to have experienced the story.
