BUYPerhaps the most anticipated game of next generation gaming, more than six years in the making, and only one word to describe it....Perfection. The culmination of Delta Squad and their arduous journey to defeat the Locust could not have been a better game. This is the mold from which all games in this genre and any that even resemble it should take. The additions made to this edition are outstanding and oh so critical seeing as how this is "the last one". Of course campaign is as meaty as Cole Trains neck, and horde is also present, but the depth of multiplayer runs as deep as the Marianas, and with the brand new Beast mode you get to fight from the other perspective for once. It seems as though every part of this game was revamped or bulked up. From the 4 person cooperative campaign, arcade mode for the campaign, Horde 2.0 & Beast, to the addition of an in depth reward system along with team death match in multiplayer...this game is stacked!
As far as basics go, no major changes in gameplay took place, none were needed. It's still a frantic semi-squad based game that punches you until you beg for mercy. The same duck and cover, fire around corners, roadie run, and unapologetic active reloads still apply very much. New things you might notice are several types of weapons(the sawed-off seems to be a fan favorite), several new weapon executions, and the use of actual mechs just to name a few. The gritty style of chainsawing your way through blood and guts remains the same but minor tweaks are very prevalent, and tend to reward team based strategies rather than shoot everything till it 'splodes. Ultimately the recipe remains the same with few but well thought out tweaks that make it that much better.
The look and sound of this game is somewhat better than the first 2 games collectively. I thought the environments were much more vibrant and well laid out, and the locales were nothing has been seen in the previous titles. The graphics seemed to be a bit cleaner and more streamlined than before so bravo for making a good game look great! The voice acting however, is the true star, with a little cheesy and a lotta bad ass the actors make me feel like I could take down a Lambent Berserker....Haah!
Now for the good parts. With new additions running rampant in this final entry I wanted to break down and simplify as much as possible what's to be expected. Let's start off with the arcade campaign, which is purely ingenious. If you tend to struggle online(like me), the arcade mode allows you to play co-op campaign and still rank up. Instead of with ungodly good online peeps you can pick some sucky friends and feel real good. The Beast mode is simple yet so addictive and fun, tell me you haven't thought what it would be like lurking as a Berserker and getting the chance to kill Baird's whiny ass....tell me. Horde 2.0 was completely revamped and made up like a girl on prom night. The Epic guys decided to integrate a currency system as well as objectives and rankings for particular upgrades like turrets and barriers to name a few. Finally, the Gears online experience! With so many ribbons, medals, and un-lockables I really don't see the replay value being less than "really friggin' high". The addition weapon skins, executions, and character unlocks make playing the game that more meaningful.
I'm pretty sure I could write a thesis on Gears 3, but I will cool my jets before I get too carried away. I like how the game felt like any other Gears of War game, but was not by a long shot. The familiarity mixed with the new meshed together perfectly to form the best end to any trilogy or game series. I have truly never been more satisfied at the end of any game like I was as the credits rolled on Gears 3. This game was, is, and will remain a shining example of how to do video games right. I truly hope we see more from Marcus and the gang but if not, I always have my Gears trilogy. I have to do this for all the Gear heads, I give Gears of War 3 a 5....."That's one...that's two...that's three...that's four...that's five MUTHERFKERS!!!!" out of 5....mfkers.
5 out of 5 stars