A polished but unfulfilling solo experience.
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For a while, Gears of War was considered THE technical marvel to top, especially for home consoles. Aside from a stiff learning curve and uneven difficulty, Epic's first foray into the current gaming generation served up a gore-infested experience like few others. That was nearly 8 years ago. In-between that time, we were treated to an infinitely superior sequel which lived up to the "bigger, better and more badass" claim in every way. After such a step up in quality, it's difficult to imagine how Epic could craft an even greater game.
Two years have passed since the COG flooded Jacinto in an attempt to defeat the Locust. But like cockroaches in a college apartment, those grubs just can't resist the light. This goes both literally and figuratively, as the COG now face Locust enlightened by Imulsion, a glowing oil-like substance. Amidst these even more deformed opponents is yet another final attempt to eradicate the Locust, with the proposer being none other than Marcus Fenix's father, Adam.
While Gears of War never brought out the most riveting material, the second game managed to find a harmony of battles, set pieces and just enough emotional tugging. Gears of War 3 feels a bit empty, by comparison. Part of this has to do with its sprawling narrative, which leads to a lack of overall focus. Not every attempt at emotional payoff actually pays off, and the ones that do don't hit nearly as hard as they should. I still had at least one fundamental question when the final cutscene ended, which succeeds a climax that felt rather minuscule, especially given the developer's name.
Minor gameplay changes have been made, but they leave little impression in regards to single player. These amount to being able to switch weapons with your partners, and a consistent presence of three other squad mates. Given the slower, more deliberate nature Gears of War is known for, this is great for cooperative gaming. However, solo players will be left with a less than compelling road to walk. As a result, Gears of War 3 feels like it was meant to be experienced with human companions which, if gamers recall Resident Evil 5, isn't exactly ideal. This isn't to say the friendly AI is worthless, however. They actually tend to come through in most situations and many deaths will likely be a result of savage enemy attacks, more than anything. But there were a few points where my allies literally abandoned me or couldn't figure out how to climb over an obstacle of cover. If anything, your allies often become distractions for the bigger foes, so much of the game can actually feel like a series of mousetrap trials.
Where Gears of War 3 starts to step things up is with the enemies, which are many and varied. Standard issue Locust still make frequent appearances, but now there are Lament Locust, which pose a number of various threats. Sometimes shooting them enough times will cause them to deform into a different, more taxing beast. Finding their glowing weak points is the opposite of challenging, however, so as long as your aim and ammo supply keep going, they shouldn't be too demanding. Truth be told, the more difficult points are those where you're literally swarmed with enemies. The prime culprits here are these new Lambent behemoths, who just love stretching their arms out to supply a one-hit kills.
In most respects, Gears of War 3's presentation outdoes even its predecessor. Levels are loaded almost entirely within a brief span of time, while the game itself looks even better when played than it does during cutscenes. Some of the most visually pleasing points include seeing Locust jump up--steam and smoke behind them and all, a city left almost completely in ash and the regal, colorful setting for the final Act. That said, the game still feels very downsized compared to the last installment, which makes the traditional, conclusive take on the score feel a bit misplaced. Also lacking is the sense of scale from the set pieces. While there are some terrific places to feast your eyes upon, none of them evoke the sense of peril Gears of War 2 so consistently provided. Even with the lackluster controls, I'll still take the snowy vehicle sequence from the second game over the aimless submarine level here.
For all the accolades Gears of War 3 can be afforded, its single player still remains in the shadow of its predecessor. Not every point hits a flat note, but the game is severely lacking when it comes to blood-pumping thrills. Cliff Bleszinski might think "Gears 3 is a better game on every level," but to this particular gamer, it couldn't be any further from the truth.