Gears of War 3 review

The game’s design means you will be knocked down often, leaving you wounded on the ground, waiting to be revived. Sometimes your team take ridiculous risks to try and revive you, resulting in their own deaths. Other times, they finish off the enemy first, making you feel like a cheat for ducking most of the encounter. It’s still great fun most of the time, but these issues do stand out in a game that has otherwise been polished to a near-perfect sheen.

MESHED GEARS

All those issues suddenly melt away once you move into the multi-player, though. The whole campaign was designed to incorporate up to four-player co-operative play, which is why the battles are so big and some of the enemies so lethal. Being knocked down by a huge bad-guy and then revived by a heroic friend, darting across the battlefield to save you, is a world away from waiting for an AI to rescue you. For starters, you respect your human teammates’ right to continue fighting without you till an opportune moment.

The awesome Vulcan Cannon demands teamwork, requiring two players to operate it

With two or more players, the whole campaign is not only rescued from these issues, it’s also lifted to greater heights. Fighting through the biggest set-pieces with four players is a truly epic experience, and one that requires tactical co-ordination. The same goes for the returning Horde mode, in which wave after wave of enemies is thrown at your small team and defences. Between waves you can upgrade those defences with money earned during the round, putting up electric fences and automatic guns to help ward off the increasingly tough attackers. Plus there’s now Beast mode, which turns the whole Horde idea on its head, letting you and friends play as the Locust, trying to take down AI-controlled humans in tight time limits. Both these gametypes can be played by up to five players.

That laser fence may stop lesser beasts, but that berserker isn’t going to be too bothered

You could play Gears 3 online for weeks without ever touching the competitive multi-player side. This is as solid as ever, with quick and brutal objective based games. Unusually, dedicated servers have been provided to host games; so there’s minimal lag, no host to quit and disrupt the game, and no host advantage either – it’s a decision that’s to be applauded. The range of maps is varied and excellent plus there’s a new game type – Capture the Leader – in which you have to hold your opponent’s leader hostage to win. The leader also has an enhanced tactical map that shows all enemy positions, which usually makes the most communicative team the victors. It’s five-a-side, so you never feel like your contribution goes unwanted, and AI bots are added to keep up the number s till real players can join in their place.

FINAL OUTING

If you’re a lone gamer, or one that doesn’t like to talk to and work with others, then Gears of War 3 is merely a more polished and longer version of its excellent predecessor. You will enjoy the campaign, and the production values are absolutely first-class, but it does make sacrifices for its true multi-player nature. If, however, you do have friends you can play with online (or even in the two-player split screen mode) then it becomes a must-buy title, a feast of treats to be enjoyed together, with every part as delectable as the rest and all equally worthy of your attention.