Gears of War 3 Beta Impressions with Video

Well folks let me start off by saying that Gears of War 1 was and still is one of my favorite games of all time.  With the release of Gears of War 2, I was extremely disappointed between all the unnecessary changes and all the bugs.  Epic Games worked hard to fix things and make it right but there was really no going back.  So what is a developer to do with two blockbusters on there hands and a millions different directions to take the third one?  What Epic did is work their asses off to try there best to keep everything good about Gears of War 1 and 2 and get rid of all the problems while realizing what made the first game such a hit.  That is something I believe they overlooked while developing the second game.

While playing the Gears of War 3 beta I found myself in awe of all the additions that were made, but more so that these additions were balanced in the long run.  The full game will have dedicated servers, but the beta itself still works off a host player and I had no latency issues whatsoever.  Now this alone is a huge leap from Gears of War 2.  The weapons are balanced by either tweaking already existing ones or adding new ones.  For instance some people complained about the shotguns power in Gears of War 1 so they dumbed it down for Gears 2 leaving the people that actually liked that power and new how to use it out in the dust.  Well the ‘Gnasher’ is back, but there won’t be any one complaining about not getting a ‘gib’ at point black because you have the option of equipping the sawed-off shotgun.  Don’t worry there is still stopping power but you certainly don’t want to be staring down the barrel of the sawed-off.

You can setup your load out before you jump into a match with a choice between the type of shotgun and the type of assault rifle.  You will not do a damn thing with the sawed-off shotgun more than a few inches away from you but is deadly if it is pointed at someones back, while the ‘gnasher’ has some distance.  As for Assault Rifles, there is the classic ‘Lancer’, the ‘Hammerburst’ and what might be everyones new favorite, the ‘Retro Lancer’ with a bayonet rather that a chainsaw.  Why do ask, well upon holding down the ‘B’ button you charge at your enemy impaling them lifting them high in the air like they are your new trophy.  There are also camouflages for all the load out weapons, from urban to, flaming, to gold and more.  Playing the beta will unlock special camo for weapons in the retail version so you might want to get to playing it, for instance participating in week one of the beta you will have a flaming Hammerburst.

Now more importantly what is the games multiplayer all about and is it worth it.  It is very clear to me that Epic has been pouring there heart and soul into this game online element to make sure that is a great game and will live up to its standards.  Of course there are additions like new weapons, characters and new modes like Team Deathmatch, which are all great but I think it is the little tweak hear and there that will make this a good game.  This is not a sequel to a trilogy when it comes to online but rather a project that has finally seen its true potential through trial and error.  If this is my impression from the beta then I cannot wait to see how the full game unfolds.

You can now mantle over an object kicking an enemy back, stunning them if they are on the opposite side.  You can also press LB to see where every weapon should be on the map as well as you team-mates.  There are four maps in the beta which are ‘Oldtown’, ‘Trenches’, ‘Checkout’ and ‘Thrashball’ which is Cole Trains old sport stadium.  Game modes in the beta are Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill and Capture the Leader which to my surprise the locust leader is the Queen herself.. sexy.. scary.. you said it, not me.  Anyway, another huge undertaking that has been added to the game is the different medals and ribbons that you get for doing everything from getting the first kill to being the first one killed.  These give you experience to level up and some will give you badges that you can flaunt.

This is not Gears of War 1 or 2, this is a different game that the knowledge and experience the developers have gained working on the first two games have come to make something new while still keeping the reminiscence that the previous games stand on.  One thing is clear after playing the Gears of War 3 beta and that is Epic wants to make this the best multiplayer experience they can, while most people cannot wait to play the beta, Epic wants to know what everyone thinks and what changes should be made to make it in the full retail version.  So for once they want your complaints if you have any, go on the forums and speak your mind because now it is up to you to help shape what could be the best third person shooter yet.

– To get your chance to play the beta you must have purchased a new copy of the game Bulletstorm(April 18th access) or simply pre-order Gears of War 3 (April 25th access).