Gears of War (GOW) is considered the defining franchise of the 360 console. From the release of the first GOW 1 TV commercial at the end of 2006, the game has created an incredible buzz.
GOW 1 went on to win Game of the Year, and the 2008 release of GOW 2 set new records for the number of simultaneous Xbox Live players.
After a few postponed release dates, GOW 3 came out to high expectations - and it delivers.
Once again, the player follows Marcus Fenix and his rag-tag bunch of soldiers in their attempt to beat off the invading grubs and lambent. The game takes place 18 months after the end of GOW 2, the government 'Cog' has been disbanded, and even the Cog soldiers are now 'stranded'. Fenix receives a message from his back-from-the-grave father, and trundles off to find him, and hopefully, a way to end the war forever.
The storyline is engaging, nicely paced, and an improvement over the previous title. The tedious driving sequences that marred the earlier games have been reduced; the action sequences are tighter and better paced; and there were no overly frustrating parts.
The gameplay has also improved; snapping into and out of cover is slicker, and movement is more intuitive and responsive. Players can now jump over cover and kick a person hiding on the other side, which I particularly enjoyed. However, there are still some movement glitches, particularly when reviving downed comrades and picking up ammo. Finally, the graphics and sound are significantly stepped up from the previous game.
Many fans will complain that the combat dynamics remain largely the same - hide behind cover, shoot, and clear out the next area. Cliff Bleszinski, the lead designer on GOW, was recently quoted in Gamasutra saying that most games are repetitious, and that his aim was to make those “five seconds” of gaming so much fun that you don't get bored of it. GOW gets this balance exactly right - it manages to hold players' interest, even though they're rinse-and-repeating, while keeping their focus on strategic playing.
In summary:
Pros: Strong narrative, improved combat dynamics, four-man online campaign with split-screen, no lag on any game formats, new improved Horde and Beast modes, improved competitive multiplayer dynamics
Cons: Reviving people is sometimes glitchy, many of the gameplay changes are superficial and not as different to GOW 2 was to GOW 1; I can't believe it's all over
Rating: 9/10
Moment of the game: Getting halfway through the story and experiencing my first ever game-induced lump-in-the-throat moment
Achievement difficulty: 6/10
Campaign completion time: 12 hours on HardCore
Price: R589
Contact: BT Games - www.btgames.co.za
GOW 3 has a decent variety of new weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun, a retro lancer and a digger, which allows the player to fire projectiles underground and hit enemies behind cover. The GOW creators have, in the past, used weapon dynamics to compel gamers to play more creatively, and GOW 3 is no exception. The digger gun, for example, forces players to stay on the move, instead of camping behind cover.
The online multiplayer is impressive. GOW allows multiple co-operative modes through a four-man online campaign with split-screen - a rare commodity in shooters. And better yet, there is no lag, even when playing with friends on the next continent - again, a rarity.
The competitive match types like Wingman, King of the Hill, and Team Deathmatch have slight variations to them. For example, the latter has a number of usable lives, as opposed to one death per person.
The biggest improvement in multiplayer is the co-operative Horde mode. Instead of fighting off 50 waves of baddies from any location, players now have to choose a base and defend it. As they rack up kills, they earn cash that can be converted into additional ammo, weapons or fortifications, like spikes, barriers and automated turrets. This adds a new dynamic to the game mode, as players are forced to strategically funnel enemies through areas, and protect their fortifications.
Beast mode flips Horde on its head, featuring waves of attacking grubs instead of Cog soldiers. Again, players earn cash with every kill, and use it to buy stronger grubs. Success depends on how well they work as a team to break down fortifications, down enemies and make kills. These modes provide some of the best opportunities for co-op play to be had on the Xbox.
GOW 3 sets the standard for third-person shooters with a strong narrative, impressive gameplay, and one of the most enjoyable co-operative experiences you can have on an Xbox. The game is not as good as GOW 2, but it is my favourite game of year so far.
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