Hoping to answer the questions posed in the first two episodes, GOW3 is all set to be the grand finale. Does it live up to expectations though?
Product on Review: Gears of War 3
Developer: EPIC GAMES
Publisher: MICROSOFT
Genre: Shooter
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Platform: XBOX 360
RRP: £39.99 inc V.A.T
Every so often a game comes along that redefines its genre. When third person shooters were becoming run-of-the-mill affairs seemingly lacking in depth and serving no purpose other than to empty ones back account, it took EPIC games to raise the benchmark with the amazing Gears of War. It breathed fresh air into a stagnant sector by introducing actions such as taking cover along with using squad tactics to achieve the best outcomes. With stunning graphical (and at times graphic) content, Gears of War soon become the hallmark of third person shooters. Fast-forward nearly 5 years and we have the third incarnation of this franchise, such was the original games popularity.
As with the two former games in the trilogy, centres its storyline around the main icon of the Gears of War family, Marcus Felix: The gung-ho, outspoken but often misunderstood seasoned veteran of the Pendulum wars. Despite his heroics during this war, Marcus Felix was thrown into the penitentiary for abandoning his military post in order to save his father, only for his father to apparently die anyway during the attempt.
Gears of War 3, takes place some 18 months after the flooding of the Jacinto Plateau on the planet Sera (Gears of War 2). All human survivors took refuge on boats, ships and the island of Vectes in an attempt to rebuild their lives. It is on one of these ships that we find the remnants of the COG Delta Squad who are beginning to succumb to life without war. A touching moment is when we see Dom tending to his plants which is a far-cry from his previous mannerisms! The silence is soon broken however when a transport chopper arrives on the ship with the COG Head of State, Chairman Prescott who hands over a disc which informs Marcus Felix that his father is still alive but a prisoner of the Locust Hive. And so the story is set with the main task being for Marcus and his crew to rescue his father who apparently has the key to end the Immulsion infection once and for all.
The game is available in three guises, Standard, Limited and Epic editions. The Limited edition has an Octus Award box with Adam Fenix’s Octus Service Medal, a fabric COG flag and online content (playable Adam Fenix character). The Epic Edition contains everything the Limited edition has but also includes a Marcus Fenix Statue, 96 page booklet containing the games artistic impressions and additional weapon skins for the various weapons found in Gears of War universe. Whichever version you choose will depend on how much of a fan of the genre you are but for all intents and purposes, the game itself is unchanged save for the additional content afforded to the special additions.
Let’s take a look at the Campaign section of the game…
Campaign
The campaign mode can be played in either single player mode or if you prefer and a four player co-op mode which is a jump from the two player co-op found in the Gears 2. EPIC have also thoughtfully retained the ability for each player to set their difficulty level. Once you have tweaked your settings to your own personal preference it’s time to jump into battle. Well, not quite because there is a delay as you sit through the opening sequence of the game and then spoon fed instructions that new comers to the game will certainly be grateful for but those more accustomed to the control methods may find a little condescending. It does however strike a good balance and enables both n00bies and pro players to become reacquainted with the Gears controls.
There are a quite a few cut-scenes which keep the storyline flowing and some over the top, very strong language is used throughout the game along amalgamated with some magnificent blood churning gore so it is perhaps best to keep any youngsters away from the T.V while playing, especially considering that this game is rated certificate 18 (UK). The action is as faced paced as it has always been and the early battles are easily dealt with despite having to take down a Lambert Leviathan within the very first battle which serves up as a great introduction to the game for both newcomers and seasoned veterans.
The graphical content is very polished and despite very little of planet Sera’s beauty remaining, the game appears to have more colour than previous incarnations. The textures appear much more detailed which serves to bring an element of realism and despair to the plight of the COG team. The tainted Lambert are perhaps my only disappoint with regard to the graphics because as mentioned earlier, exploding enemies just don’t grant the same primeval satisfaction as gutting your enemy with a chainsaw bayonet and all of the Immulsion splats rather than scarlet blood just doesn’t feel quite right.
A great feature of GOW3 is the ability to allow up to 4 players to play through the campaign together with each player afforded the ability to set their own difficulty level. While this may seem odd, it works perfectly and offers up some great challenges such as constantly having to revive your n00bie outnumbered teammates who insist on standing toe-to-toe with the enemy rather than taking cover! Having completed the game myself it was great to use the option of co-op which will lengthen the games appeal.
GOW3 ties up most of the loose ends of the previous two games not least the storyline of Marcus’s father, Adam Fenix who is perhaps the biggest hero of them all. I won’t spoil the storyline for you but you will be in for a rollercoaster of a journey with emotion, anger and despair being served up in copious amounts. One of the Gears of War’s greatest allies in the first two games was it being a all-action, fast paced romp level after level but GOW3 tends to place a lot of emphasis in the story telling. This is no bad thing as while I do enjoy the multiplayer aspect of the game and obviously the tremendous action sequences, it is the plot that makes the game so compelling and herein lies GOW3’s greatest strength. While I have little doubt the franchise will continue in some form in the future as games manufacturers are always reluctant to put a game to bed and instead will milk every last drop from the series, the finality of the series is punctuated by this title. Normally we see as many questions raised as there are answered but GOW3 gives us the answers we crave and leaves little stone unturned.
Overall, the Campaign mode is a very polished segment of the game which will take a solid 12 hours of your life to complete depending on your own skill/difficulty level which if you are a fan of the genre or indeed new to the GOW franchise, is a worthwhile experience. You will however gain more value from the story if you have experienced the prior titles which are both highly recommended. If I had to pin-point a flaw in the game it is that, like the former titles, the game is linear at times and this becomes frustrating as despite Marcus carrying grenades and copious amounts of weaponry he cannot enter certain sections of the landscape because ‘I am not ready for this yet’….Oh really? Were it possible to go where you want, when you want the game would be much more ‘realistic’, however these obstacles are put in place to keep the storyline rigid so it could be forgiven for this. A ‘free play’ element to the title would however have added to the games overall appeal allowing you to explore the gloriously detailed scenery at your leisure. The fact this this is restricted is a little disappointing as I feel the game would have benefited were it to allow the player a little more freedom. That said, I am perhaps being a little too critical as despite these minor flaws, the game serves up a very satisfying experience which is sure to delight fans of the genre.
Let’s take a look at the multiplayer department…
Multiplayer
There are three elements of multiplay, the familiar Versus gameplay, one which previous players of GOW2 will be familiar with – ‘Horde’ and a new element called ‘Beast’
Versus
Team Deathmatch will be familiar to anyone who has played GOW online before. With a new selection of maps, weapon unlocks and additional player/weapon skins along with unlockable players keep the multiplayer aspect simmering along nicely. Perhaps the most effective weapon is the new sawn-off shotgun, especially for close quarters combat. It is very satisfying seeing a human player explode right before you very eyes as you roll towards them all guns blazing (which appears to be the most commonly used tactic online). Personally, I believe this detracts from the ethos of GOW in that cover seems to take a backseat role and more often that not I found myself on the wrong end of a shotgun when employing this tactic, so it was a case of if you can’t beat them – join them. Much to the frustration of other players who then either left the server or employed the same, monotonous tactic.
If the Deathmatch game type is not your flavour then you can always participate in the capture-point type. This affords much more variety in gameplay and while the shotgun is still the weapon of choice teamplay is more consistent if you find the right server rather than the predictable (and often frustrating) run and shoot of Deathmatch. Whichever your preference, there is plenty to keep you occupied whether it is being number 1 on the stats board or unlocking new content to impress your buddies and enemies alike.
Horde
Horde is commonly referred to as survival mode. In this arena, players team up to face wave after wave of Locust enemies. Gears of War 3 adds to this successful idea by awarding players cash benefits which allow them to build structures, bases and a variety of fortification in pre-set locations around the map, giving them a greater chance of survival against the relentlessly spawning enemies. Should these structures take damage (and they will), you can spend some of that hard earned cash to repair them. If you have a preference for one type of fortification, you can upgrade it. It is quite comical watching numerous players sprinting around between each wave fortifying their positions in a panic stricken manner making their preparations before the next, stronger wave of enemies strike.
Beast
Flip Horde mode on its head and you have Beast mode. Instead of playing out the role of a COG member, this time you get to play as the Locust. Well not quite. Instead of taking control of anyone Locust, you get to play Locust God, buying monster after monster in various guise and sending them after the human scum. Each successful attack grants you more cash and experience where you can buy bigger and better members of the Locust fraternity.
Let’s move on to my overall thoughts on EPIC Games Gears of War 3…
Conclusion
Being a big fan of Gears of War franchise, it was with great anticipation and trepidation that I began to play through the campaign mode. I was fearful that EPIC may have taken the franchise a step too far and perhaps diluted the raw gameplay of the previous two award winning titles. We have seen this countless times where a developer plays on previous titles and releases a re-hash of existing material in order to fill their coffers.
The new features do not detract from the ethos of the GOW franchise in that all of the familiarity of previous titles are their yet there are a few additional features which are likely to appeal to all and sundry such as the 4-player co-op mode and deliciously tactical Beast mode. The gore, foul language and brashness of the gameplay are still there and in generous amounts for gamers to gorge themselves on. There are some nice touches throughout the games storyline, both heart-felt and humorous which adds to the sense of being in the game and not just a bit-part spectator, something few games can claim to do today. The tremendous musical score only serves to add to the atmosphere.
The game however is not without its flaws.
As with the previous titles, the game becomes a little too linear which all but destroys the sense of realism. I was left frustrated as I stood by a flimsy wooden door with my chainsaw bayonet buzzing away and a bandolier of grenades to hand only to be told I wasn’t ready to go there yet. Some may think this is simply nit-picking and to a certain degree I would agree however I think it is important to point out that people who prefer freedom to roam may be left with a bitter taste in their mouth when these scenarios rear their ugly heads.
Another area I was left with a little disappointment was the Multiplayer area. While it certainly adds longevity to the game, many I feel will be turned off by the rolling and shooting of the shotgun carriers which is hardly realistic, much like the bunny-hopping found on many online multiplaying first person shooters today. How could EPIC solve this? It seems they have no intention of doing so as instead of getting rid of the close quarters shooting aspect the added to it with the immensely powerful sawn-off shotgun! I also felt the EPIC games are slowly succumbing to the Call of Duty-esque ‘Perks’. Epic do however ensure that new players can easily join in the fun. Whether you stay in the game would however depend on your style of gameplay.
Despite this, I keep going back to the game and having another blast. Such is the refined, addictive gameplay of the GOW3 Empire. It is a very polished game from start to finish. Fans of the game will be left with a grin on their faces as the game finishes by answering questions of the previous incarnations without posing more questions that previously left us waiting a few years to be answered.
My one hope is that this is not the last we will see of Gears of War because upon finishing the campaign, I was left with a sense that I was waving goodbye to an old friend, never to be seen again. While Gears of War 3 is near the perfect finale to a fantastic gaming franchise, we always crave for our next gaming fix and I’m sure EPIC are aware of this. So here’s hoping for a further injection of Immulisifed infected, Locust swarming, chainsaw chewing, brutal furore in the return of Gears of War. Until then I’m off for a few more rounds of Horde!
Pros
+ Great Storyline
+ Polished graphical content
+ Copious amounts of violence
+ 4 Player co-op
+ Refined Multiplayer
+ Ties up all of the loose ends of previous games
Cons
– Very Linear
– Overpowered shotgun (multiplayer)
– Swearing becomes monotonous and over used rather than punctuated
+ Great Storyline
+ Polished graphical content
+ Copious amounts of violence
+ 4 Player co-op
+ Refined Multiplayer
+ Ties up all of the loose ends of previous games
Cons
– Very Linear
– Overpowered shotgun (multiplayer)
– Swearing becomes monotonous and over used rather than punctuated
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Credit goes to Crotale and II EVOL ONE II for the rendered images in this review. Thanks go to Microsoft for supplying our review sample.
