One of the most anticipated games of 2011 was Gears of War 3, and true to the expectation of fans and followers, it has delivered amply on all fronts. For all who had wondered what would happen after the suspense filled ending of the second part of this trilogy, the answers are here. The tradition of taking large strides forward in the technology and presentation of epic shooter games continues with Gears of War 3. If Gears of War had set the standards for HD gaming, and Gears of War 2, the benchmarks for cinematic excellence in third-person shooter games, Gears of War 3 pushes the envelope by adding emotion, humor and a host of technical improvements in addition to creating a fitting storyline for this super finale.
Eighteen months after the end of the previous game, Marcus Fenix and his band of Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) soldiers resume their battle to save humanity from the clutches of the Locust forces and the mutated Lambents on the planet Sera. Gears of War 2 ended with the sinking of the city of Jacinto and the plaintive cry for help coming across on a radio transmission telling gamers that Adam, Marcusâs father was still alive. Gears of War 3 takes the story further, and reveals how he discovers the cure for the mutation caused by exposure to Imulsion. No point spoiling your fun by giving away the ending, since it can take some time for even avid gamers to get there after you have got your hands on the game.
The gameâs matchmaking is fast and accurate, right from the campaign level. The campaign itself is slick and does a great job of getting newcomers up to date with the story and the weapons. Those who took part in the beta version of Gears of War 3 earlier in the year will be thrilled to find that their levels and unlocked content are all remembered by the game. The game ships in three modes, Versus, Horde and Beast. Versus is the beta mode that some gamers might already be familiar with. The Horde mode lets you earn for every kill and every revival of a teammate. You have to fight through 50 waves of progressively uglier enenmies, and with a boss wave every 10th wave. You can use the cash you earn to buy weapons and fortifications for your team. You can also pool your resources together to buy items that are out of your range. The Beast mode lets you explore the darker side of the game by playing the role of Locust forces.
The graphics are spectacular, and rival the best photographed action movies in their cinematic beauty and detail. The 30 FPS update by the Unreal 3 engine makes lag almost non-existent, and gives a reality to motion that is unlike anything you may have seen before. While the themes in the plot get darker, the colors are brighter, and the in-game landscape less gloomy. The soundtrack is built on the themes already developed in the earlier games and stresses the underlying elements of hope, survival and brotherhood that this finale is all about. The added choral effects give a darker feeling to the music, as this episode also explores a lot of personal emotional issues of the characters, as well as the issues of loss and grief.
On the whole, Gears of War 3 is going to keep gamers glued to their consoles for some time to come. With slick detailing, exciting new weapons, a host of unlockables, and story line that matches the intensity of the ongoing plot, Epic Gamesâ XBox 360 only release of Gears of War 3 promises to live up to the pre-release hype it had generated.
