Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or perhaps don’t have access to an Xbox 360, in which case we’re wondering how you ended up here), you’re probably aware of Epic Games’ Gears of War 3 beta, which is currently running from now through May 15. Now, several users got access to the beta bright and early last week, while others are just jumping on now after getting it as a bonus with the purchase of the late February release Bulletstorm. (Other pre-order codes will unlock April 25.) Considering we’ve been running through it the past few days, you’re probably wondering just what we think of Marcus’ latest run-in with the Locust Horde. And it’s about what you’d expect – sheer Gears of War awesomeness. If you’re familiar with how the first two games handled in multiplayer, then you’ve already got an idea of what to expect from the beta. Still, that doesn’t make Gears of War 3 any less fun or, God forbid, boring. In fact, the multiplayer we’ve seen thus far in this beta runs very smoothly, with nary any hitches. If you die in the game, it’s probably your own damn fault, trying to charge at someone with a revved-up Lancer chainsaw just as they shred you with a sawed-off shotgun.
Those things are downright VICIOUS at close range. You’ve been warned. The sessions hook up pretty quickly, and allow you to hook up into teams for the Team Deathmatch mode, the main mode unlocked at the moment. Capture the Leader and King of the Hill will eventually unlock as the beta goes on, with a total of four maps available. It’s pretty exciting stuff, despite being so limited, as you’ll be killing folks, either human or Locust Horde, in no time flat. The game moves at a momentous pace, and the gameplay, as we said, performs up to Epic Games’ standards. There is some question regarding the power of some weapons, like the Hammerburst’s somewhat unfair advantage at times and the iffy Retro Lancer (give us the original any day), but that’s stuff that can easily be sorted out by the time September 20 rolls around. As for the environments, they’re dazzling. One takes place in a very cool Thrashball stadium, with so much destructible environment it’s not even funny. Even the scoreboard can be trashed, if you’re feeling the obligation to do so, and watching players scamper around for hot spots (capturable rings) is quite a sight.
The game also provides plenty of cool camera options, so even if you’re out of the action (such as getting blasted at close range with that damn shotgun), you can still observe like a champ. Attention to detail is nuts in this game. Everything from the way your guy rips apart in bloody chunks (especially after a Lancer kill) is utterly delightful, and the ability to hit your target from afar or zoom in for a closer look is welcomed yet again. What’s really noticeable though, is slight changes to the landscape. The village stage, for instance, offers something that looks like it got ripped out of a war-torn community, as if zombies had just rampaged through it. But it has its own level of tranquility, about on the level of what you’d expect from the Gears of War universe. You simply have to see it to believe it and if you’re not in the Gears beta yet, well, you should be soon enough. (Don’t forget, there’s free access with those new copies of Bulletstorm, kids!) Along with quality visuals, Gears of War 3 also has excellent audio.
This feature preview continues on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see the rest of our thoughts on the Gears of War 3 beta.
