Gears of War 3 - The Gears Trilogy Conclusion - Review and Overview of Campaign and Game Modes

When it comes to playing video games, most people favor the first-person shooter genre. Gears of War is one of the few popular third-person shooting games that has a vast fan base. The first game in the trilogy, Gears of War, was the most anticipated game of 2006 for the Xbox 360. The Gears of War franchise has continued to succeed in the game market for its unique sciencefiction aspect and dramatic battles against disgusting types of beasts. This review is not about the complexity of the intense storyline, but rather a review and comparison of the Gears of War 3 gameplay.

Campaign:

The campaign of Gears of War 3 is long, intense, and interesting.There is constantly massive battle going on throughout the game and continues to attract the gamers interest. Overall I enjoyed the campaign even though some chapters of the missions were difficult and frustrating.

Likes:

• The change up in game-types. I like how the game is third-person.
• The intense battles that are non-realistic but satisfying and unique.
• The level of difficulty even while playing on the Normal difficulty.
• The scenario selection at certain parts of the game. (You are given the option to choose which path you take)
• The drama and overall feel of the gameplay.
• There are tons of things to collect throughout the campaign. (Finding them earns Achievements)
• The satisfying conclusion to the Gears of War storyline.
• Fantastic final mission

Dislikes:

• The graphics could be much better. I noticed a lot of poor graphics rendering including the characters and maps. Walls and different objects seem to "shine" due to poorly rendered graphics. You can see white seems as you move your character's view. In close up cut-scenes, you can see NPC arms moving, but the shoulders are stationary. The bodies don't have realistic motions that reflect the movements being made (the motions aren't very realistic).
• I don't like how only certain types of crates can be destroyed by players and explosions. It would also be cool if things were hidden in these crates.
• I didn't like how you can't skip through some cut-scenes and how only certain rooms can be entered. It got annoying having to watch as you lifted lifted doors and walked into the room without being able to skip it.
• There aren't many weapons to choose from. And you can't use the chainsaw to cut through crates.
• Physics of the game is messed up at some points as well as different placements of things after cut-scenes. Weapons dropped from enemies tended to float in mid-air and scenery objects that you would think are destructible, aren't. Things such as monitors, pictures, and bottles are literally indestructible. I also noticed myself being placed in different spots after a cut-scene than where I was positioned when the cut-scene started.
• You can't shoot and you move extremely slow whenever you're talking to allies on your headset. This doesn't really happen that much, but its annoying when you are trying to play through the game fast.
• Sprinting is difficult in all Gears of War games. Sprinting must be done in a straight line. You can also only jump while taking cover on a wall.

The dislikes may seem like a lot, but they're fairly small things that most people don't even notice. I did really like like the campaign and would recommend it to people.

The Multiplayer in Gears of War 3 is awesome! Of course there's still Horde mode, but try playing as the enemy.. Thats right, theres a Beast game mode where you play as the different beasts that you are usually killing. Both Horde mode and Beast mode are full of strategic planning and requires some skill. Don't forget about Multiplayer online. The new Gears of War 3 online play offeres a variety of game types for players online.

Likes:

• Your skill level and points earned towards leveling up is universal. This means that your level continues in any game-type that you chose to play.
• You can level up, but also level down if you are having a bad game.
• You can continue from "current wave" if you fail in Horde or Beast mode. Doing so has an impact on your level though.
• You build a base with upgrade options, protection, and weapons that can be purchased with money earned for your performance. (Horde Mode)
• You unlock different "beasts" to play as in Beast mode
• Online game types can be played as a quick match or a ranked match. Quick matches are played faster and start without full teams.
• You can play Horde and Beast mode online and are paired with other gamers.
• You can chose your load-outs, character, and weapon skins. You can also play as a human or beast.

Dislikes:

• Leveling down can be annoying if you're playing badly.
• Weapon selection is small.
• Enemies are harder to kill.
• Beast and Horde mode are extremely tough unless you have a team of 4 (Or if you're truly a beast, less than 4 will do).
• Teammates can easily steal kills, which greatly effects your points towards leveling up and your stats.

Overall, I was impressed with the multiplayer modes. They are all quite fun and are easy to get used to. I hardly ever find myself getting destroyed by other players. However, Horde and Beast mode are fairly difficult.