Gears of War 3

[Danimal]

I'm weak.

I got it

[grtwhtsk]

Fighting the urge.....

[RobVarak]

This is a first, but I'm going to pick this up because I just found out that Karen Traviss wrote the script.

Yes, that's right. I'm going to buy a videogame about giant bugs invading a planet and being fought by guys with chainsaws on their rifles...for the writing.

Traviss has written far and away the best of the recent Star Wars novels, and if anyone tries to attribute this line to me in the future I will deny that I wrote it and claim that I was hacked in a Wiener-like fashion.

Anyway, it's on my to-do list as soon as I finish Deus Ex. I need to go polish my polyhedral dice now.

[HipE]

This is a first, but I'm going to pick this up because I just found out that Karen Traviss wrote the script.

Yes, that's right. I'm going to buy a videogame about giant bugs invading a planet and being fought by guys with chainsaws on their rifles...for the writing.

Traviss has written far and away the best of the recent Star Wars novels, and if anyone tries to attribute this line to me in the future I will deny that I wrote it and claim that I was hacked in a Wiener-like fashion.

Anyway, it's on my to-do list as soon as I finish Deus Ex. I need to go polish my polyhedral dice now.

She also wrote the four Gears novels, not that I've read them or anything

[HipE]

I played about an hour or so of campaign mode, then hopped online. I don't even know what to say about the multiplayer, it is just unreal. It feels nothing like the online in the first two games, this is much smoother and faster. Being able to quickly change your loadout between spawns is nice, and I'm really "digging" the new digger weapon. I'll definitely be putting many hours into this one on XBL, just a fantastic experience so far.

[10spro]

Played campaign up to chapter 4 I think before I hopped online for a couple of versus matches. The nice pacing in campaign and attention to details have you gripped before you realize where has time gone? Smaller battles lead to bigger areas which flow into some massive arenas with hordes of Locusts and the likes. The cutscenes are never overdone, and the narrative is well done.

I liked the online pace too, strategy, sticking together and good communication are a must. I didn't have the chance to play the beta but it looks like a lot of fun. Damn travels will keep my hands off the game for a couple of days but overall a nice polished Gears for Epic.

[Macca00]

Yes, that's right. I'm going to buy a videogame about giant bugs invading a planet and being fought by guys with chainsaws on their rifles...for the writing.

Traviss has written far and away the best of the recent Star Wars novels, and if anyone tries to attribute this line to me in the future I will deny that I wrote it and claim that I was hacked in a Wiener-like fashion.

LOL

[Teal]

It's okay, Rob-we all know you're a Weiner.

Played a couple of hours in campaign co-op, and it's wonderfully done. No gamertag over your partners heads to pull you out of immersion. You can find out who's who by focus aiming at them, and their name will pop up. Great way to handle it. You get more enemies with co-op, and the doors and switches that you can do alone in SP become, well, co-op in co-op mode. Mix showed me an absolutely hilarious easter egg in one section last night, too. They're apparently scattered all over the place, lots of fan service.

In MP, on one redone older map, for instance, when you spawn on one certain side, "Mad World" plays as you run into battle. Little touches everywhere. Hindsight is 20/20, but I can't believe I almost passed on this-it's by far the best in the series. Will get a Poker night up and running very soon!

[Naples39]

You guys are jerks, trying to make me buy this.

[HipE]

Anybody else thrown off by Jace being voiced by the guy that played Vince Howard on Friday Night Lights? It kind of killed some of the immersion for me last night.

[Danimal]

I played a few hours of the campaign and well it seems like Gears to me. Sure some new enemies, better graphics and smoother but I wasn't blown away. Honestly since I didn't finish either of the first two games the story makes no sense to me. I'm not sure who the guy is who shows up from the dead etc. The whole opening sequence didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, I guess that was showing me my past but it wasn't entirely clear.

Haven't played multi-player or co-op yet so can't comment I am sure those are good but I'm not at all blown away or wrapped up in the story like I was say with Deus Ex. Those on the fence I would say you can hold off for a sale, as someone who has never finished one of these games and fell to the hype I'd say wait. My bet is after a week most people will come back to earth on how great Gears 3 is.

Just to be clear I'm not saying it is a bad game I just don't know how anyone who hasn't been a giant Gears fan (i.e. pumped a lot of hours into 1 & 2) can notice a lot of difference to call this the best Gears game.

[Brando70]

You guys are jerks, trying to make me buy this.

No kidding.

Question: Can you follow the story in 3 if you didn't finish 2?

[TCrouch]

Gears of War story in 5 minutes (spoilers in it, naturally).

[RobVarak]

Haven't played multi-player or co-op yet so can't comment I am sure those are good but I'm not at all blown away or wrapped up in the story like I was say with Deus Ex.

That's a pretty apples-to-oranges comparison, Dan. I don't expect the plot of a shooter (even one that I'm on record as being excited about) to compare to a completely story-driven game like Deus Ex.

[Spooky]

Haven't played multi-player or co-op yet so can't comment I am sure those are good but I'm not at all blown away or wrapped up in the story like I was say with Deus Ex.

That's a pretty apples-to-oranges comparison, Dan. I don't expect the plot of a shooter (even one that I'm on record as being excited about) to compare to a completely story-driven game like Deus Ex.

Agreed. If you value graphics, gameplay, presentation and options then GoW3 is superb!

[Danimal]

That's a pretty apples-to-oranges comparison, Dan. I don't expect the plot of a shooter (even one that I'm on record as being excited about) to compare to a completely story-driven game like Deus Ex.

I disagree completely. First Deus Ex is a story driven game but it's also a stealth / shooter at it's heart. I guess you could qualify it an action rpg. Regardless are you saying Shooters can't have a good plot? The story devices used to drive the plot in Gear 3 are tired and have been done many times. There is not a person who isn't going to see things coming a mile away. When the floor fell out on the carrier deck my eyes rolled to the back of my head because it was so predictable.

As far as game play what's significantly changes from Gears 2 to Gears 3? Really I have done this all before and I didn't complete it either other time. I guess the story (you say is selling you on the game but then cut slack because it is a shooter) could get better but I doubt it.

Right now this game is in what I like to call nerd hype week, then it will level out and in 2 weeks no one will be talking about Gears 3, much the same pattern Gears 2 followed. Will I join my friends for some MP or co-op sure, will I finish the single player campaign I doubt it.

Actually as I was typing this I just saw Tom Chick did a review, he sums up my feeling to a T.

http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3890/G ... Review.htm

[Danimal]

Agreed. If you value graphics, gameplay, presentation and options then GoW3 is superb!

How about pointing out some specific examples of the 3 that are significantly better then Gears 2. I would love to hear your thoughts on why each aspect is better instead of just saying I'm wrong.

[Teal]

MP is actually good, for one thing. 2 was a mess, from several standpoints. With 3, I was in on the beta, and they took almost everything I saw to heart and fixed it. The servers are fast, and far more fair (no more host advantage).

With 3 in terms of the campaign, so far, it's not as 'over the top' as 2 was. They tried to throw all that and the kitchen sink into the story, and it went a little overboard. "Let's fight our way out of a giant worm!" This one so far has a much better flow, and more actual story.

Graphics are even better than 2. It amazes me that they continue to up the ante in this department, because I remember thinking 1 was a graphical powerhouse. Nope. This is even better.

Is it a magnum opus? Well, no, but c'mon-it's a bloody (literally) shooter. I don't need Macbeth.

[TCrouch]

The servers are fast, and far more fair (no more host advantage).

That alone perks my ears up. I tired so quickly of watching the host rack up a zillion kills. I didn't know how bad it was until I played a game with somebody who liked to host a lot while I was hosting and annihilated the same guy who caught me 99% of the time in previous games.

If they truly made it balanced with no host advantage, I could see me actually trying to learn how to play this one. I'm such a whining b*tch when it comes to uneven playing fields. I know people like the challenge, but I like playing on an even field. Fixed setup racing, even teams type of crap.

[Spooky]

Agreed. If you value graphics, gameplay, presentation and options then GoW3 is superb!

How about pointing out some specific examples of the 3 that are significantly better then Gears 2. I would love to hear your thoughts on why each aspect is better instead of just saying I'm wrong.

Woah now...never said you were 'wrong'. Just agreeing that the comparison was a bit 'off' and that Gears is probably more suited towards the over the top action and MP aspects than a game like Dues Ex. Exclaiming that you're let down by Gears3 because of the story just seems like your expectations are off of what the game should be looked at for.

[Teal]

I've watched it, and I'm almost certain of the nerfing of host advantage. I've gotten my ass kicked across the board, not just by one guy...lol

[Danimal]

MP is actually good, for one thing. 2 was a mess, from several standpoints. With 3, I was in on the beta, and they took almost everything I saw to heart and fixed it. The servers are fast, and far more fair (no more host advantage).

With 3 in terms of the campaign, so far, it's not as 'over the top' as 2 was. They tried to throw all that and the kitchen sink into the story, and it went a little overboard. "Let's fight our way out of a giant worm!" This one so far has a much better flow, and more actual story.

Graphics are even better than 2. It amazes me that they continue to up the ante in this department, because I remember thinking 1 was a graphical powerhouse. Nope. This is even better.

Is it a magnum opus? Well, no, but c'mon-it's a bloody (literally) shooter. I don't need Macbeth.

Again my impressions are based on ZERO time in multiplayer and I said as much. IMO playing any game co-op ups the fun factor.

As for the rest of your comments I'm not saying I disagree I was just trying to give an opinion to guys on the fence like I was. If you thought Gears 2 was ok and are looking at it from purely the SP campaign I don't think it is a must buy. That's all, no more, no less. I am not pooping on anyone's parade but really how many people are going to have this ins their library after BF3 and the next MW come out?

[Spooky]

Random question:

How do you use the chainsaw in Gears? I have been able to use it but I am not sure if I am actually over using buttons. I know you have to hit and hold the 'B' button to rev up the saw. But is that all you need to do and then get close to an enemy? Or do I actually have to hit the RT button to 'attack' with the chainsaw?

[Teal]

Just hold down the b button, and slice away. I've become a big fan of the 'old' lancer, though, with the bayonet on the end. You hold down B with that, and you'll charge, screaming, toward an enemy. It's very satisfying to connect with that one...

[Danimal]

Woah now...never said you were 'wrong'. Just agreeing that the comparison was a bit 'off' and that Gears is probably more suited towards the over the top action and MP aspects than a game like Dues Ex. Exclaiming that you're let down by Gears3 because of the story just seems like your expectations are off of what the game should be looked at for.

You should go back and re-read my first post. I said I wasn't getting into the story which might of been because I didn't finish the first two. I wasn't saying I expected a Magnum Opus like Teal claims, just the story is predictable. My biggest gripes with Gears 3 is it is Gears 2 with minimal updates.

I'm not sure why people are so upset. I was simply posting my thoughts on the game for people on the fence like I was. Based on reading this thread most people think this game is a must buy, can't miss it title. I disagree with that, if you guys don't that's great it's why they are called opinions.