A feature-rich game that showcases the X360's potential.
Gears of War 3 concludes the trilogy begun 5yrs before, and may just be EPIC Games' best title yet. The game is one of the most feature-rich titles out there, with 4 player campaign co-op (that includes an Arcade mode where you can enable fun mutators), Horde and Beast modes, and the standard competitive multiplayer flare (with the Party System!). While Gears 3 may not sway those who didn't like prequels, there is much to love here for fans of the series.
LOVED
4 Player Bangin': I'm a huge fan of co-op, and was very happy when EPIC announced Gears 3 would (finally) have 4 player co-op, since there were almost always 4 characters in the squad in Gears 1 & 2. Everything works as expected, and it's great fun when you have a group of 4 together.
Let Them Come!: First introduced in Gears 2, the Horde Mode has been expanded with tower defense mechanics, and even mutators to increase the craziness. (Insane difficulty is now doable with mutators) Many hours can be spent on Horde mode alone, and much fun can be had. In my view, Horde mode is "the" co-op experience of this generation.
Focused Development: Gears 3 is a prime example of what can be achieved when a developer focuses on a single platform (ie, 1st Party) over the span of 3 games. EPIC delivered a game that looks, runs, and sounds as good as any game on X360/PS3, is feature-rich, and even has dedicated servers for multiplayer. Microsoft needs to secure more 3rd party deals like this if they don't plan to beef up their 1st part portfolio. Dedication: EPIC learned from their Gears 2 launch blunder, and brought it for Gears 3. The netcode is improved, but best of all are the dedicated servers for MP. You don't always play on dedi servers, though. But overall, Gears 3 is a smooth experience online.
RAAM It: The first (and only?) campaign DLC is a step back in time when Gears 1's villain, General RAAM, is in his prime, ready to mess some humans up. You split time playing as RAAM tearing through humans and new (and some old) COG soldiers in what turns out to be an entertaining romp that gives a glimpse of what direction the Gears franchise may head in the future.
Stoppin' & Poppin': Love or hate it, the Gears series has its own distinct gameplay style. And EPIC refined & polished this formula to a nice shine for Gears 3. Your characters aren't as "sticky" when he/she comes near a wall. The result is a more fluid sense of gameplay.
HATED
S.O.S.: At launch and for a few months after, the sawed-off shotgun was overpowered, leading to abuse in multiplayer. The blast radius was simply too wide. This wasn't game-breaking, but very disappointing considering Gears 3 had a public beta that should've caught this problem. To EPIC's credit, they nerfed the SOS in an update, bringing weapon balance back to the game.
Reap What You Sow: Regardless of whether is EPIC's or Microsoft's fault (or both), Gears 3 is a prime example of anti-consumer practices being adopted across the industry. Retailer-exclusive preorder bonuses, paid weapon-skin DLC, and (for some) Season Pass. It's unfortunate.
CONCLUSION
Gears 3 in many ways encapsulates the current generation of console gaming with its feature-rich offering; 4 player online co-op, Players vs AI Horde and Beast co-op modes, the always-appreciated Party System, and 10 player multiplayer. The game does not shy away from its over-the-top action & gore heritage, either. EPIC's Unreal Engine 3 has been refined to near-perfection, and the game looks and performs exceptional. This game is a showcase of the X360's potential.
On the other hand, Gears 3 also highlights the negative trends the gaming industry is heading towards with retailer-exclusive DLC and weapon & character skins paid DLC. But at least those were cosmetic DLC.