Fans of the Gears of War franchise were evidently overjoyed when they finally got their hands on the final title in the epic trilogy. It sold a phenomenal 3 million copies during the first week of release. With over one million pre-orders, Gears of War 3 was one of the most anticipated games of 2011. Having received so much publicity prior to its release did Gears of War 3 live up to the hype? Or did the COG fall amongst the Locust?
As someone who wasn’t massively excited about this game, I now feel overwhelmed by the sheer greatness that radiates from it. Owing to the mind-blowing visuals, I would often forget that these were the events of a video game, not reality. With extremely intricate character design, it is inevitable that the player gets attached to the protagonists on an emotional level. I recall a close up of Marcus in which you could see the veins bursting from his muscular physique. This attention to detail is included throughout the game, from the breath-taking scenery to the vivid facial expressions of the characters. As I made progress, I swiftly discovered how immersive the landscape and environment designs truly were. From the ferocious fires during hellacious combat, to the gentle tide of the waves as you traverse the edges of the beach. This game is truly a credit to the capabilities of the gaming industry.
Whilst playing Gears of War 3, it became evident that the use of sound played an integral part in creating such an atmospheric game. The execution of music within this title was impressive. The music has the ability to cause an individual to experience various emotions throughout the game. With an extremely talented voice acting team, the dialogue and narrative of this story were definitely powerful, and I often found myself feeling directly affected by the events within the game because of this.
This game is the conclusion to the successful Gears of War trilogy, and the campaign is a feature that avid fans are anxious to play. I’ve touched upon the immersive storyline briefly, which is without doubt an integral part of the Gears of War 3 experience. Players are able to play through the campaign in two ways, standard and arcade. Standard is merely a cinematic, story-based experience. Arcade includes the standard experience but adds competition and scoring to campaign experience. The campaign is split up into five acts, each with specific amounts of chapters. Players can partake in up to four player cooperative play when playing the campaign. As individuals progress through the story, they have the option to hunt for collectibles scattered throughout the numerous acts.
Players have access to a game mode known as Horde. The objective is simply selecting a character and surviving waves of copious amounts of enemies. As you begin Horde, you are required to construct a base, somewhere on the map. This allows for placing barriers and decoys, which will allow for extra defence when facing the waves of enemies. Players have the choice to pursue this mode alone or can recruit another three friends to face the onslaught. Individuals also have the choice to take their Horde experience online, and fight through the waves using a matchmaking process. The difficulty is selected at the beginning of the session. As you progress, the amount of enemies that appear increase with each wave you face.
Another game mode is Beast, which is similar to Horde, but you play as the Locust instead. Similar to Beast, players can face the opposition alone or play with up to three other individuals to survive the waves. Whilst versing the opposition, you are required to gain some kills with specific stipulations. If there is a hero present, you must down this character then perform an execution to receive the kill. The player must also avoid the barriers and obstructions placed by the opposition. Similar to Horde, as you progress through the waves, more enemies will appear.
The multiplayer feature is split up into a handful of game modes in which you can play. Team Deathmatch allocates fifteen re-spawns to both teams for each round. The objective is to exhaust the opposing team’s re-spawns and kill the remaining opponents. Warzone and Execution are rounds that do not allow re-spawning. Execution’s further stipulation is that you must execute the opposition to successfully earn the kill. King of the Hill requires teams to defend marked points on the map and earn points by doing so. Whichever team earns the most points is crowned the winner. Capture the Leader presents the player with the task of locating and capturing the opposing leader, whilst protecting their own. Wingman places four teams of two against each other. The task is to eliminate the other teams.
The Stats and Awards feature provides an intricate look at your progress throughout various game modes. This feature displays your level, title and overall XP. It allows you to change the title you wish to have. Challenges, ribbons and medals display what tasks you have completed. It also displays what criteria needs to be met to complete the challenges and earn the medals and ribbons. As mentioned previously, collectibles are present throughout the campaign. This feature allows you to review what collectibles you have retrieved. The achievements you have unlocked are also displayed in this section. The player can also access leaderboards to see how they rank against other players on their friends list or across the world.
I approached this game with what can only be described as an open mind. It’s pretty safe to say, my mind was blown by this beautiful title. Gears of War 3 is a game that tugged at my heart strings and left me begging for more. With such a dynamic storyline and diverse multiplayer experience, why aren’t you enlisted in the COG yet?
Many thanks for reading,
Hannah
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