he Gears are back, baby! Since Gears has such magnitude, I didn't want to do a typical review. As I've written here plenty of times before, Gears of War holds a special piece of my gaming heart, especially the addictiveness of Horde mode. (And the third one is primarily why I haven't posted here in two days.) Plus, reviews are so cliche. So, the following post isn't to destroy the game, but to celebrate it. If this approach gets a positive response, then I will post similarly about future releases.
Boy, has Gears 3 enveloped my world since Tuesday. I've done nothing else except religiously aim for the head to make Carmine say "I love when that happens!"Yes, my main character through the Gears games always will be one of the brothers, and tragically, Clayton Carmine isn't featured in EVERY scene of the campaign. Speaking of campaign, let's get to my commentary, shall we?
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":688589,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"gbunfiltered,","session":"D"}']It's weird. Maybe the mediocrity of today's shooter has changed my perception of gaming. When first putting the disc into the console, I had this overwhelming desire to play a grandstand campaign. A storyline, for lack of a better word, that would blow my socks off. Perhaps the impressiveness of the predecessor's campaign left such an imprint that I refused to believe in anything short of spectacular. While missing the mark splendidly in some ways, the fanbase would be lying when they say the ending wasn't thoroughly satisfying.
Let's face it: Gears has always been a manly franchise. Built on the beloved male stereotypes, emotional moments were few and far between. Epic delivered friendly tension specifically for the fans, a long-term desire for those grown tiresome from the fast-paced, guts-and-glory action. For a "bigger, better, badass" type of campaign, the touching moments work somewhat well in the grander scale of the game. Though, Epic could have improved some dialogue, especially closer to the ending.
There's an "Oh shit!" scene occurring mid-game — Act 3, Chapter 5 precisely — exceptionally executed that changes the pace and is truly reflective of how the gang feels. The scene is almost poetic, landscape and all, and poses certain questions many of us refuse to acknowledge. Interpretations are different so I won't speak a word of my experience, but surely any player will feel some emotions. Possibly, even the most hardcore of Gears fan, a streaming tear will fall.
Overall, the campaign worked well. A fitting ending to a remarkable series. Check back tomorrow for similar takes on multiplayer, Horde and Beast modes. Toodles!
To the reader: As I said, Gears has enveloped my world. It's almost scary how addicting the game has become. Do you guys feel the same way about the campaign, and are you addicted like I am? And do you wanna play even? I mostly partake in the glory of Horde, but I'll sprinkle a few multiplayer games in there to change things up. Shoot me an email or tweet me!