Comments
Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:12 AM
Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg. Omg omg omg...Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:17 AM
mint!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:20 AM
#1, agreedThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:21 AM
I like the aspect of how they are doing the challenges (like Halo:Reach) i like the customizing ( Call of Duty) but i've seen it. I hope its nothing stupid to get some new skin colors...Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:28 AM
NICE!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:33 AM
better not be Gears of Shotgun, coz the shotgun is the only weapon everyone uses. But i do like how you can customise weapons =]Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:35 AM
=O cannot wait. i bet there gonna want you to buy bulletstorm to get into the betaThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:37 AM
Awesome news ecstatic to see this :3Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:39 AM
Wow this looks so amazing, and theres still a long time until release!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:41 AM
This is shaping up to be INCREDIBLY brilliant. O_OThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:47 AM
Wow ( jaw drops ) this might actually not suck like the 2nd game. : )Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:48 AM
Beta! Thank you! Seriously looking forward to Gears 3!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:51 AM
Dedicated servers and a beta...best thing that could have happened to Gears has happened.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:52 AM
@7 Even if they did that i wont mind as most people i know are getting bulletstorm. I CANT WAIT 4 THE BETA!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:53 AM
i cant breath .... that was fucking AWSOOME SO MUCH NEW NEWS !!! - OH GOD I WANT SO BAD - Id trade my left bollock for a copy !!! lol - no seriously! - :) - ok maybe not bt still want soo bad !!! thank 4 the preview fellas.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:08 AM
best preview i have ever read i swear jizz is running down my head i wasnt to bothered about it being moved cause april was very ambitious but fuk me this is going to be an its been said the best Gears of war game ever move other COD theres a new multiplayer daddy in townThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:16 AM
Fucking awesomeThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:18 AM
OMG I JUST CANT STOP.... URRRGGHHHHH UHHHHH......................HUGGGGGHHHHH...... UHHHHuhhhhhhhhh.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:28 AM
FUCKING GLORY!!!!!!!!!1 CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:36 AM
@6, not everyone uses the shotgun, Sniper/HoD all the way.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:39 AM
the sawed off sounds like hell. and the chainsaw was bad enough in gears 2, where shooting somebody whilst they were revving it didnt stop them. it was ridiculous and is the same in gow2...fml. plus, they haven't mentioned the melee issues... please let there be a "no B button" playlist...Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:40 AM
Can't wait to fling people to the side like a used condom with my pwndulum lancerThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:42 AM
but the multiplayer modes sound good at leastThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:43 AM
Beginner benefits? Seems strange!!! Great list of things to come. Cannot wait for the game to come out.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:44 AM
this will be more than EPIC total awesomeness...some crazy ass shit whoooooooooooo....babyThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:46 AM
LETS DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:50 AM
WOW! Makes waiting a year so much easier :)Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:51 AM
As a hardcore Gears fan, I'm pleased to hear about the 'reinforcements counter' and 'spotting' that have been borrowed from Bad Company 2, and I'm loving the idea of team deathmatch too. Interactive maps, character and weapon skins, new guns, dedicated servers, load-outs and even something for beginners. What next?!! Oh, and don't forget that Epic DID mention that some maps from Gears 1 would feature in Gears 3 too ;)Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:57 AM
Ooopppsss gotta go clean my pants now!!!! lolzThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:57 AM
@1 sad gears of war is shitThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:02 AM
@ 30 - Why post here then?Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:03 AM
@30 you must suck at gears to even contemplate it even being shit, its 1 of the best games to ever grace a console as for gears3 i've never wanted a game so bad, fuck your call of duties, halo's or whatever this is gonna be immenseThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:22 AM
HOLY FUCK! YOU ARE SOME LUCY FUCKING BASTARDS!!! I am so jealous of you, that I could not be there!!! What do I have to do to go there next time with you Webb?? You want money donation, some reviews or even cleaning your pad?? I'm game^^ SO CAn NOT FUCKING WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:23 AM
@30 You're shit.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:51 AM
As soon as I saw the details for gears 3 in game informer, I was thinking that we have GOTY 2011 on our hands. This just proves my point! Great great great news.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:59 AM
OOOOh! Can't wait!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 11:14 AM
Hot damnThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 11:52 AM
Sounds like good additions and bad additions. No lowering the chainsaw after being shot is a TERRIBLE idea. Anybody who's played the game online for more than 5 minutes knows how people abuse that thing. I also hope the two-piece is gone. We'll see what they can do this time. Oh and let's not forget if you sneezed or turned your head too fast while playing Gears 2 you lost your rank. I lost two 50s! lolThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 11:56 AM
HOLY MOTHER FUCKING HOLY HOLY OMG HOLY FUCKKKKKKKK!! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!! OMG!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 12:26 PM
O.O!!!!! I Really want the game now!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 12:53 PM
Might have to wait longer for Gears 3 now, but at least we get to play a beta. The game sounds like it will be the best yet!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 12:54 PM
"In typical Epic fashion though, it’s TDM with a suitable Gears of War twist. Instead of working through to a set target in terms of kills to win the match, the aim of Gears 3’s TDM is to deplete the opposition’s life pool - in this instance, 20 lives - until you’ve wiped them off the face of the map entirely." Erm, that's not really a twist, it's just the same thing but counting backwards. 20 lives = get 20 kills, we're just going to count backwards from 20 instead of forward from 0. Beyond that rather tiny nitpick though, this sounds fucking awesome.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:07 PM
Great preview. Thanks a lot. Cant wait!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:14 PM
The chainsaw not dropping once it's been revved up sounds pretty lame. Hopefully the beta will either show it up as balanced or not before the game comes out. Also, no mention of wall-tagged grenades yet? They were by far the biggest reason why Gears 2 sucked, giving noobs free kills.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:27 PM
If this is a return to the gears 1 multiplayer but with more, I'd be ecstatic like most of idiots here are.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:28 PM
@#42 - But with counting down, it goes to a last man standing when you run out of lives. That's the Gears twist ;) Instead of getting to 50 and it being game over, you whittle down their pool and then the match is only won when the opposition has been totally eradicated. @#44 - It seem balanced to me. Plugging them with bullets usually takes them down before they get to you to chainsaw you. Also, tagging walls is still in.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:34 PM
Any idea on how the Beta will be accessed?Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:38 PM
I cant wait, been playing Gears 2 through the ups and downs its good to see that Epic is listening to their fans.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:39 PM
@#47 - Not yet, all that is being kept under wraps, as is what it'll consist of, its run length, etc. As soon as we hear anything, we'll keep you updated.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:45 PM
but did they fix the lag? That will decide for me how much I play this game online once it launchesThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:50 PM
I loved Gears 2 for a long time but grew tired after a while. This makes me REALLY excited for the game though. Can't wait to see how it turns out.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 01:56 PM
Such great news!!! Can't wait!! Is it Fall 2011 yet?Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 02:01 PM
@#50 - I's impossible to tell in these sessions - that's what the beta is for - but with dedicated servers, you'd have to assume so.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 02:35 PM
Honestly, just reading this makes Halo Reach look like a complete pile of shit IMO. That could be because Gears of War 2 is my favorite game of all time, though. >_Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 02:59 PM
Looking very very good :D Can't wait!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 03:24 PM
Hopefully it doesn't disappoint like Gears 2. It almost looks like they finally know what they did wrong now though. I've got my fingers crossed.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 03:29 PM
Bye Bye Black Ops Bye Bye Halo Reach you've been raped by GEARS OF WAR 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 03:45 PM
Thanks for answering the questions, Webb. :) Guess the beta should pick up everything that seems unbalanced, and what might need a buff. Only worry is people complaining about things which might seem hard at first, and Epic dumbing the game down to suit the casual Gears players. Also, dedicated servers will help, but won't mean the end of lag, as anyone who played Left 4 Dead will tell you. It should put everyone on a even keel though, so hopefully no more of this "OMG HOST" everytime you do well in a game.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 03:52 PM
who is the character in the 3rd image (the one holding the meat shield) and will the beta only be accessible through bulletstorm, a bit like splinter cel conviction and future solidier, also GEARS OF WAR 3 FTW!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 03:52 PM
Red mist (and blobs of gore) introduced by FEAR btw. I also don't like the assistance thing. Obviously, the good outweighs the bad. The release date still pisses me off.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 04:32 PM
Wow, that was way too much to read, I couldn't read more than four paragraph. Good news, good news.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 04:34 PM
King of the Hill where you don't have to be in the hill? Not really sure about that. Hoping this Beginner Assistance isn't abused and looking forward to getting it!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 04:37 PM
dedicated servers = WIN !!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 04:39 PM
x360a never seizes to fail, thanks for the awesome review and thank you Epic for hearing out the fans begs and pleas. Now..the only last thing i hope for is a theatre mode of some sort. So many epic (no pun intended, lol) moments i've head on multiplayer. But still, this news is by far the best i've read all year for a game. But meh, Bring on the BETA baby! wooooo.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 04:44 PM
all i can say is AWESOME!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 05:05 PM
Oh my goodness, was rivetted to every single word of that, thanks for the awesome insight guys! At first I was cool with the game's delay, it gave me time to get through the other new releases, but now i'm officially foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog in hot anticipation for this!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 05:24 PM
Sounds awesome, when will we hear about the campaign?Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 05:30 PM
Fuck Yeah.... just hope the ranking system is not the same.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 05:45 PM
@57 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Ohh yes!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 05:54 PM
#6,where have you been? Gears 1 and 2 has always been Gears of Shotty.Hate the fact that every1 only uses the shotty but to make it even worse,they added a new shotty.Sucks.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 06:08 PM
This is going to be a great game! Going to be a loooooong wait!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 06:44 PM
Badass.....I'll give anything to be in the beta!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 06:59 PM
Second paragraph from the end... I think you need to make the "maybe" you have there into a "may be". Should be two separate words. Its just bothering me. Sounds like a great game though. Excited. Whoo. :pThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 07:33 PM
I think this game will get an easy 10/10 when it's released. That's what its looking at so far at least. Gears 1 got an 8/10, Gears 2 9/10. Gears 3 10/10. Perfect.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 07:42 PM
Hope that the challenges be fun and creative like CoD ones... not as Reach =DThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 07:58 PM
I got burnt out on Gears going for Gears 2 achievements. In a funny way, EPIC have screwed themselves out of a sale.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:20 PM
Absolutely fantastic stuff!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 08:52 PM
i have never been so excited to hear so many lame things implemented, im so excited. even if they fuck it up, thats what kept me in gears 2. it wasnt the same everytime. the same guy didnt kill me in the same way everytime.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:07 PM
I think I just came.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:18 PM
So stoked for this!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:32 PM
@6 If you complain about the shotgun in Gears why do you play? It is true that everybody uses the shotgun but and Epic is supporting that in GoW3.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:39 PM
holy shit this looks pimp! gears 2 pissed me off so bad i sold it but this game looks to redeem the series. i love that they are adding customization!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope the stuff takes a very long time to unlock the pimp stuffThursday, October 07, 2010 @ 09:42 PM
Suhweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:18 PM
Sounds pretty badass!I`m gonna get it.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:21 PM
I still can't believe this game got delayed. That really pisses me off.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:21 PM
im a new person on here and dont know how to chang my pic how do u do it?Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 10:23 PM
And gears of war 3 is gonna be one of the best shooters probaly in history.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 11:52 PM
@59: That would be Myrrah, the Locust Queen. Her hostage is Chairman Prescott. Both are playable and are presumably the leader character of their faction.Thursday, October 07, 2010 @ 11:58 PM
Ugh, noo!!! Epic, the concept you need to follow is I don't want to play as a character pre-set for me! I want to make my own C.O.G. or Locust soldier! If you do not change this, you will walk away from your beloved series knowing everyone was never everyone, but just a couple of set characters.Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 12:09 AM
I really think they should have considered incorporating Thrash Ball as a minigame or something to that affect. Could have been a really solid change of pace for some quick chilled game play after a few intense matches.Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 01:00 AM
now i got till fall next year to get a new xbox yayish..damn rrod. cant freakin wait for this game!!Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 09:15 AM
Masturbating alreadyFriday, October 08, 2010 @ 09:16 AM
This is crazy cool. I was bored now i'm stoked. They should call the pendulum kills cheev- Like the Whores You Are. Get that little smucky sound as you throw them offFriday, October 08, 2010 @ 10:19 AM
I hope they fix the multi cause over here in Australia we could'nt even play multi because of the VERY long wait in the matchmaking lobby and even when we did find a game the lag was that bad we couldn't play and had to quit out.My clan on aussiexbox.net was ranked 2nd in gears 1 warzone out of 47 clans and as soon as gears 2 was out we all took it back to the shop for a refund,after thrashing co op heaps of times. I REALLY HOPE CLIFFY AND CO BRINGS BACK GEARS 1 MULTI SYSTEM AND GETS RID OF THE STUPID MATCHMAKING SYSTEM...Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 03:10 PM
I'm still waiting to see what they did to the longshot sniper rifle. Hopefully it doesn't suck.Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 04:19 PM
@#95...in other words, you want Gears #1 where you and your whole team had host advantage. LOL. At least they will have dedicated servers this time around so all of the SARS idiots who forced host won't think they are so good now.Friday, October 08, 2010 @ 07:46 PM
mehFriday, October 08, 2010 @ 08:00 PM
This game is gonna b EPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!!!!Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 04:20 AM
People are going to start making new accounts to piss other people off with the beginners benefits. Other than that love the good news. Hope dedicated servers work for me since i live in Hong Kong.Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 08:11 AM
Whating so much for this Game!! EPIC WIN!!!Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 09:26 AM
This game looks amazing i am going to buy it.Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 09:55 AM
@101, it is only the first ten kills. I wouldn't worry about that too much to be honest.Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 10:08 AM
Cant't Wait. Its gonna be SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Saturday, October 09, 2010 @ 12:58 PM
sweetSaturday, October 09, 2010 @ 01:34 PM
this game is gonna be unbelievableSunday, October 10, 2010 @ 12:14 AM
Not in love with bringing the matchmaking system back. If I can't choose the map and game type then this will be a rental for me.Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 09:46 AM
w00t :DSunday, October 10, 2010 @ 10:49 AM
I still have to beat the other 2 on insane before i can even think about the 3rdSunday, October 10, 2010 @ 11:06 AM
*Orgasm*Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 11:29 AM
its going to be amazing. the second game was awesome. lets hope it remains as playableSunday, October 10, 2010 @ 12:10 PM
Can we have a 'Gears Waypoint'? Please?Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 02:35 PM
Damn!!!!! This game is tha SHIIT!!!!Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 04:30 PM
Looks the same with a few tweaks. Just like the Halo franchise has been doing. I bet I still play it.Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 05:02 PM
I can't wait for Gears of War 3 next year 2011Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 05:45 PM
THIS GAME CANNOT COME QUICKLY ENOUGH, ROLL ON RELEASE DAY =DSunday, October 10, 2010 @ 06:01 PM
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiick. Cannot WAIT!Sunday, October 10, 2010 @ 10:15 PM
Cole in football clothes = win I wonder if he ever paid Dom those $20 he owes him.Monday, October 11, 2010 @ 12:35 PM
It's the campaign I'm looking forward to, as ever. :)Monday, October 11, 2010 @ 05:48 PM
great preview guys, nice work!Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 05:29 AM
I can't wait for Gears of War 3Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 03:27 PM
Ok first off this game sounds straight up amazinggg!! I think this new "Beginner Benefits" thing will deffinetly get abused by skilled players or just in general, and the chainsaw thing...Not so good. Fall 2011? Yeah it sucks that the release date is put all the way back until late next year, but hey, it'll DEFINETLY BE WORTH IT FOR A NEW GEARS! Bottom Line: I. Can't. Wait.Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 05:46 PM
wow just wow this game is gonna bring gears of war back from its coma from gears 2 lolz! well in gamestop it has a release date of 09/02/11 sucks we gotta wait a whole year but its a wait for every hardcore player so u wont go into a killing frenzy waiting for the game ! they r doing a beta how amazing n freaking awesome is that n epic has never done a beta so now we could say we luv cliffy b no homo! n his employees for making this game cuz its just a wow n im cereal ! im so pLAYING WIT ANYA FOR I COULD V BAG MY OPPONENTS ha XPThursday, October 14, 2010 @ 02:22 AM
Not surprised, really. Epic is never left outdone. Been like that since Unreal. Also love how the All Fronts pack is, what, 400msp? That's like 18 maps or something, right? I bought Dark Corners on release, but still. Makes me want to play Gears.Thursday, October 14, 2010 @ 02:25 AM
And the fact that the chainsaw doesn't lower doesn't have me worried in the slightest. They'll balance it. Maybe by making a slower movement speed while chainsawing?Friday, October 15, 2010 @ 08:19 PM
This game will be awesome. It will be way better than anything call of duty could do.Saturday, October 16, 2010 @ 09:49 PM
I can't wait for the beta.Monday, October 18, 2010 @ 05:04 PM
gear 1 and 2 is the best game love it cant not wait for 3Tuesday, October 19, 2010 @ 08:30 PM
Looks and sounds amazingWednesday, October 20, 2010 @ 12:31 PM
awesome !!!!!!!!!!!Saturday, November 06, 2010 @ 07:50 PM
@16-Dude, seriously...if you think a multiplayer game can topple CoD, then you must be either A)An idiot B)In denial or C)Both. CoD is and always will be the BEST multiplayer game around AS WELL AS selling the most units. Hell, just today they announced that Infinity Ward made $550 million ($550,000,000) in just 5 days after the initial release. C'mon man, don't be stupid. But as they say...you can't argue with stupid.Tuesday, November 09, 2010 @ 10:05 PM
@133- maybe cod has the highest sales of any other game and maybe infinity ward made 550 million off of it but that does not make it the best. cod is not even close to the best, and the worst part is after a couple years since cod 4 they still have not really adressed any issues that still remain in the games multiplayer. Campers were the worst, and on top of that you had all the overpowered guns and please dont get me started on the hacking in MW2, when infinty ward announced it would be "virtually hackproof." the only reason that halo and gears will not topple cod multiplayer, is because off all the hype infintiy ward and treyarch have created for it. gears and halo however, will ALWAYS be better games overall than the cod series, but i do admit i had some good times with call of duty, as with any game, but the multiplayer is broken. it was good up until christmas of that year before everyone began hacking and shit and making the game un fun.Saturday, November 20, 2010 @ 01:55 PM
AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SO EXCITED I JUST WET MYSELF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Tuesday, December 21, 2010 @ 07:02 PM
I cant wait to play this game!! it should be epic, like the developersFriday, December 31, 2010 @ 07:44 AM
awsome can't waitTuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 09:14 PM
cool
Thursday, October 07, 2010
For those of you who are well versed with Gears of War 2’s recent title updates, Gears of War 3’s multiplayer puts a lot of those tried and tested formulas to good use, including but not limited to the ranking system and the vastly improved matchmaking. With a good few years of experience behind refining their matchmaking system and with Gears 3 getting the dedicated server treatment and host migration, it seems as if those growing pains are a thing of the past. Even Executive Producer, Rod Fergusson, proclaimed that they treated Gears of War 2’s recent updates as a beta of some sorts for the fall 2011 title. In other words, you’re getting two betas!
It may sound odd, but Gears of War 3’s major multiplayer addition in terms of modes is one of the genre’s oldest: Team Deathmatch. In typical Epic fashion though, it’s TDM with a suitable Gears of War twist. Instead of working through to a set target in terms of kills to win the match, the aim of Gears 3’s TDM is to deplete the opposition’s life pool - in this instance, 20 lives - until you’ve wiped them off the face of the map entirely. Win enough rounds and victory is yours.
It does turn into Warzone eventually as the lives whittle down to nothing, but it’s definitely more forgiving for new users. If a certain team mate is chewing up lives, the game may give them longer respawn times or even spawn them next to a team mate - strength in numbers and all that – so that they don’t feel out of their depth.
Sure, it may sound like a simple addition, but I can assure you, when Gears of War 3 ships in fall 2011, Team Deathmatch is set to become a fan favourite, with tense epic battles almost guaranteed. And due to the Gears of War team-orientated gameplay, it brings with it more tactical and nail-biting affairs. That’s coming from someone who stands firmly by the mantra of “Execution or nothing, sucka!”
While Epic’s biggest addition to the franchise may be their take on the traditional Team Deathmatch mode, it’s the subtle tweaks that will be the biggest game-changer. While self-revivals - bashing A to get up when downed - may seem trivial, it adds another element to the proceedings on the battlefield that those well versed with Execution will be more than familiar with. Then there’s the ability to look at the map pre and mid-match; and also access the “Tac/Com” mid-game to see where the power weapons will spawn. Even something as simple as being able to spot enemies with the Y button for your team mates and having a tiny marker above your team mate’s head helps enhance the experience online.
Instead of adding Team Deathmatch on - as well as Beast of course - and slapping a label on it and saying it’s done, Epic has also sought to refine the other online multiplayer modes.
Capture the Leader is a new game mode in name only, but acts rather like a hybrid Guardian and Submission mode, with a few choice optimisations. The aim of Capture the Leader is to simply capture the opposing leader and keep hold of him for 30 seconds. Being the leader does have its advantages though, and being able to access the Tac/Com to see through walls and bark orders at your troops is a nifty tool at your disposal.
You will be the focus of all the opposing team’s angst though, so you have to be careful not to get captured. If you do, rather than being helpless for 30 seconds, after 15 seconds you can use an ‘interfere’ on your captor to try and break free from his grasp, issuing a small amount of damage and opening a window of opportunity for your team mates in the process.
The other revamped mode is King of the Hill, which is an amalgamation of Annex and King of the Hill, again with a few choice optimisations. Unlike the traditional King of the Hill from Gears gone by, the new mode does a few things differently. Firstly, the ring now moves on a timer, whether captured or not and secondly, you don’t have to stay in the ring to keep scoring points.
Using Wingman’s spawn points to prevent camping and adding in a new percentage system to make the objective clearer, Gears of War 3’s refined King of the Hill mode takes two of Gears of Wars 2’s lesser modes and combines them into one of the most manic modes the game has. It’s like combining two distinctly average glamour models together to create a supermodel... that’s how it’s done, right?
Execution and Warzone on the other hand remain untouched, because let’s be honest, fiddling with the two classic Gears modes is like putting ice cream on your favourite steak... Hmmm, now there’s an idea... Wingman though, does see a reduction from 10 players to 8 players, to avoid your success in it being determined by where you spawn.
Joining the Lancer and the Hammerburst is the Pendulum Era Lancer, which is essentially a Lancer with a bayonet replacing the chainsaw. While the Pendulum Era Lancer has some insane recoil action going on and it’s obviously intended for burst firing at a much shorter distance offering greater damage than the Lancer, its best use is easily its battle charge - holding down B -which allows you to completely humiliate your opponent by lifting them up in the air and flinging them to the side like a used condom - that’s how it feels as well! Obviously, a side step or a shotgun to the face will stop them in their tracks, but it’s a terribly daunting sight to see someone charging at you as their character screams away like there’s no tomorrow.
Possibly more interesting are the tweaks made to the Lancer and the Hammerburst though. For one, no longer does bullet fire interrupt some maniac revving their Lancer’s chainsaw, with it now only possible to interrupt them during the initial moments of the animation. The Hammerburst on the other hand gets a tweak in its range, with the option to switch to iron sight added, just to cement that fact. By holding the left trigger and clicking in the right stick, players can look down the barrel of the gun and dish the pain from much longer distances and with pinpoint precision for the most part.
We did manage to get some hands-on time with a few new weapons as well - other than the Digger Launcher that we saw at E3. The Flame Grenade was first up – an obvious choice for Epic – and with it having no delay and exploding on impact, it’s never been so much fun to fry a foe to death. Even the Gorgon pistol feels like a new weapon, after being turning into a fully automatic sub-machine gun. It’s still one handed though, so is definitely perfect for when you take a meat shield.
Neither however, was a match for the One Shot - Gears’ new heavy-duty sniper rifle, which does exactly what it says on the tin... and that’s kill things with one shot... even a Boomer with a shield!
With the ability to turn foes into red mist, the One Shot is a formidable weapon, although Epic has done enough to burden the user, getting the balance spot on. Thanks to a slow moving aiming reticule; a very limited number of shots; a laser sighting system which telegraphs where the user is aiming; and making it a heavy weapon, which slows down the user to snail pace; they all combine to keep the power of the weapon in check. Reducing someone to red mist though is as satisfying as it gets in Gears 3. Well, I lie, using the new “mantle kick” to leap over cover, kicking your foe and then shot gunning their face off or “bag and tagging” a foe with a grenade is as satisfying as it gets... red mist is a close second though!
If that doesn’t spark longevity, then maybe the game’s ‘mutators’ will, which come in three flavours: harder, easier and goofier. They are as straightforward as they sound: some will make the game easier, some will make it harder and others will make it plain hilarious - like the “Toddler” mode, which gives everyone big heads, big feet and big hands... that name’s not final yet in case you were wondering. These are aimed at lengthening the appeal of the co-operative aspects of the game though - horde and the campaign specifically - and won’t be available in multiplayer. Well, that is unless Epic introduces them at certain events that will become part of Gears of War 3’s long-term appeal through its new in-game calendar. Think along the lines of their current XP events, but more frequent and wackier.
If that doesn’t please you, achievement hunters should be ecstatic to hear that an improved “War Journal“ in Gears 3 will, for instance, track which specific executions have been performed with which weapon, so no more fumbling to see which execution you haven’t performed. Epic did touch on the achievements briefly, noting that a handful will be used to tempt players to taste all the modes in Gears 3. As far as a reward for Gears 2 players with their “wings” go, Fergusson told us that they hadn’t got as far as deciding what that would be yet. So watch this space.
Our hands-on took place on five new maps and rather than skimp over them in minuscule details here, look out for a separate feature on the maps tomorrow. On the whole though, Epic has looked to make the maps more interactive than they previously have been, with such things like some experiencing degradation – like in the Overpass map where the whole environment sinks into the ground below as you play – and others including much more dynamic events, like the sandstorm on the Trenches map. All in all though, the maps themselves were a huge highlight of the hands-on experience and Epic has proved that they can make truly memorable maps!
Never played Gears before and looking like jumping in on Gears 3? Epic has you covered, making the game more accessible than ever before. Not only is Team Deathmatch much more forgiving, but they’ll offer ‘newbies’ - who don’t have any Gears 1 or 2 achievements - a leg up. Not only will you be able to see the map before the game - you can check it out mid-game as well - but those completely new to the series will get temporary boosts to ease them into the experience - that could be twice as much health and increased damage for the first ten kills, with it slowly fading as they approach the 10 kill mark. “Beginner Assistance” is what Epic calls it and with it only being used to ease them into the experience, it’ll make no difference in the long run to Gears veterans, so don’t panic.
It’s safe to say that Gears 3 is shaping up to be the most refined and polished game that’s ever come out of Epic – and it’s still a year off! The changes in the multiplayer may be subtle, but the sum of all its parts means that when you look at it as a whole, it’s impressive how much they’ve achieved... and we‘re just talking from a multiplayer standpoint here. The Gears purist out there will scoff at the inclusion of Team Deathmatch, but I’ll tell you now, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Try it once, and Execution will look like a boring walk in the park.
It plays like Gears, has a ton more depth, is probably the best looking game on the 360 and it’s a fuckton of fun... what’s not to love? Refined, polished and bloody addictive; that’s Gears of War 3’s multiplayer in a nutshell. Don’t believe us? Well, there’s a beta in early 2011, so we’ll wait till then to say we told you so.
Gears of War 3 is scheduled for a fall 2011 release with the beta coming early 2011.