Gears of War 3 Review

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

ahh man, i really wish i had my xbox still for this game, i'm gonna have to borrow my brothers xbox for a while so i can get my game on with this, i loved the first two and def. wanna finish this up, plus 4 player co op that ACTUALLY does it right? you bet your ass i'm buying this game new to show my support.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Personally, given that all women in this universe are relegated to "breeder" roles by the lore, I couldn't care any less how the story ends.

Actually, this issue has been addressed in Gears 3. There are female soldiers now, instead of being non-factors. I remember reading about how EPIC would explain the lack of female soldiers. I recall EPIC saying something about the women being breeders but since the events of Gears 2 there are very few soldiers left so the women gotta role up their sleeves.

And that isn't a patronising display of tokenism at all...

Well to be totally honest, if the world was reduced to 5-10% of its population, you don't think we'd do the same?

So....forcibly subjugating women, requiring all of them to be "breeders", is okay with you just so long as our population count is low?

:|

I'm sorry, but I'm calling BS. Epic Games has always been, and will always be (so long as Cliffy B is there), absolutely horrendous at telling a story. When it comes to crafting a compelling, single-player experience Epic is the very definition of "talentless".

Fun, fast-paced multi-player on the other hand. Now that they do well. Exceptionally well. As such, if this is someone's "thing", then far be for anyone to try to tell you Gears is bad. Buy it and play online to your hearts content. I might even end up playing with or against you at some point. But please people, stop defending this series story. It is not good or even well told.

well i for one am getting the game to see how the story wraps up, and after all the people you quoted, and after the review...well it looks like i am in a well voiced opinion on the matter

I love kung pow and troll 2, and i watch them all the time.

does that make their stories good or well told? hell no, that doesn't deter me from wanting to finish it every time the movies pop into my head.

i actually don't play the multiplayer aspect of it at all (i don't consider co op multiplayer fyi), the last time i touched it was gears 1 actually, i play it for it's single player/co op amazingness, and the occasional horde mode with friends over.

 

[Jadak]

I can't wait to tell all the Karen Traviss naysayers that a story is good for a change.
Definitely looking forward to this one.

I don't have a problem with her, but pointing to this as something that's going to a change anyone's opinion of her for the better is a bit of a laugh.

 

[w9496]

Personally, given that all women in this universe are relegated to "breeder" roles by the lore, I couldn't care any less how the story ends.

Actually, this issue has been addressed in Gears 3. There are female soldiers now, instead of being non-factors. I remember reading about how EPIC would explain the lack of female soldiers. I recall EPIC saying something about the women being breeders but since the events of Gears 2 there are very few soldiers left so the women gotta role up their sleeves.

And that isn't a patronising display of tokenism at all...

Well to be totally honest, if the world was reduced to 5-10% of its population, you don't think we'd do the same?

So....forcibly subjugating women, requiring all of them to be "breeders", is okay with you just so long as our population count is low?

:|

I'm sorry, but I'm calling BS. Epic Games has always been, and will always be (so long as Cliffy B is there), absolutely horrendous at telling a story. When it comes to crafting a compelling, single-player experience Epic is the very definition of "talentless".

Fun, fast-paced multi-player on the other hand. Now that they do well. Exceptionally well. As such, if this is someone's "thing", then far be for anyone to try to tell you Gears is bad. Buy it and play online to your hearts content. I might even end up playing with or against you at some point. But please people, stop defending this series story. It is not good or even well told.

It has Color! oh my god! IT HAS COLOR!@!

too bad i no longer own an Xbox

You know, it's been hilarious too me that so many people, of whom are excited for this game, keep touting one of it's biggest changes and selling points is that...gasp!...they added another color to the usual brown and gray color palette. What's even more hilarious to me is that most people don't actually appreciate the ludicrous nature of the statement.
(btw, I'm not confronting you wolfwood. your post was just the last one I saw and it reminded me of this)

So you'd be fine with Humanity going extinct, because having women be used as breeders to keep your spiraling population from going down so fast?

60% of all of humanity died on emergence day, and over 50,000 gears have died, and billions of citizens had died from the hammer strikes.

I think that justifies saving the species.

It's also a heavily war-torn world, and you're expecting lavish jungles and pure blue rivers? War isn't pretty.

 

[Vigormortis]

So you'd be fine with Humanity going extinct, because having women be used as breeders to keep your spiraling population from going down so fast?

60% of all of humanity died on emergence day, and over 50,000 gears have died, and billions of citizens had died from the hammer strikes.

I think that justifies saving the species.

It's also a heavily war-torn world, and you're expecting lavish jungles and pure blue rivers? War isn't pretty.

Not at all. I wouldn't want humanity to go extinct. But at the same time I don't think it's good for the species, even in the face of survival, to place sole responsibility for our survival on the shoulders of the finer sex. It's unfair and almost as evil as those who are seeking to destroy us (locust). If we're willing to be so cruel then maybe we shouldn't survive in that situation.

But I digress. This discussion is better suited in another thread.

Oh, and the color thing was a bit of hyperbole. Though, the color palette of Gears is both a poor design choice as well as a side-effect of the Unreal Engine 3. (it's not a good engine) Just because a setting is "war-torn" does not mean it needs to be completely drab and bland. War isn't just a world of gray. There are stark contrasts in play when conflicts take place. Sometimes a splash of color in a world of grey can be far more unsettling then one that's just a wash of brown.

well i for one am getting the game to see how the story wraps up, and after all the people you quoted, and after the review...well it looks like i am in a well voiced opinion on the matter

I love kung pow and troll 2, and i watch them all the time.

does that make their stories good or well told? hell no, that doesn't deter me from wanting to finish it every time the movies pop into my head.

i actually don't play the multiplayer aspect of it at all (i don't consider co op multiplayer fyi), the last time i touched it was gears 1 actually, i play it for it's single player/co op amazingness, and the occasional horde mode with friends over.

I never said one can't find enjoyment in it. God knows there are plenty of terrible stories (films, TV shows, books, etc) that I enjoy. Just as there are plenty of good stories I don't like. However, just because I enjoy something, something that's bad, doesn't mean I'll sit here and defend it's quality and try to convince you it's good. On the contrary, I'll be the first to tell you how bad it is. The same goes with Gears. While I might find some enjoyment out of the experience, I'll never sit here and say it's good. It's anything but. It's terrible. But just because something is terrible doesn't mean you can't like it.

It's the difference of an objective and a subjective opinion. This is what I was referencing. That's why I'll never chastise someone for liking it, but I will confront someone who insists it's well-written or well-crafted.

 

[Vigormortis]

It has Color! oh my god! IT HAS COLOR!@!

too bad i no longer own an Xbox

You know, it's been hilarious too me that so many people, of whom are excited for this game, keep touting one of it's biggest changes and selling points is that...gasp!...they added another color to the usual brown and gray color palette. What's even more hilarious to me is that most people don't actually appreciate the ludicrous nature of the statement.
(btw, I'm not confronting you wolfwood. your post was just the last one I saw and it reminded me of this)

Gameplays solid. Just appreciate colors more than most. Cant stand brown shooters any more >.< hence my confusion as to y Rage is getting hype.

more base on the usual Troll Reactions

I think Rage is getting the hype for 3 reasons.

1: The new id Tech 5 engine looks amazing.

2: Rage seems as though it's shaping up to be quite an immersive experience in the almost over-abundant "post-apocalyptic" genre.

3: It's looks to be a true return to form for id. They've been absent for quite a while and this is their big return.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

So you'd be fine with Humanity going extinct, because having women be used as breeders to keep your spiraling population from going down so fast?

60% of all of humanity died on emergence day, and over 50,000 gears have died, and billions of citizens had died from the hammer strikes.

I think that justifies saving the species.

It's also a heavily war-torn world, and you're expecting lavish jungles and pure blue rivers? War isn't pretty.

Not at all. I wouldn't want humanity to go extinct. But at the same time I don't think it's good for the species, even in the face of survival, to place sole responsibility for our survival on the shoulders of finer sex. It's unfair and almost as evil as those who are seeking to destroy us (locust). If we're willing to be so cruel then maybe we shouldn't survive in that situation.

But I digress. This discussion is better suited in another thread.

Oh, and the color thing was a bit of hyperbole. Though, the color palette of Gears is both a poor design choice as well as a side-effect of the Unreal Engine 3. (it's not a good engine) Just because a setting is "war-torn" does not mean it needs to be completely drab and bland. War isn't just a world of gray. There are stark contrasts in play when conflicts take place. Sometimes a splash of color in a world of grey can be far more unsettling then one that's just a wash of brown.

well i for one am getting the game to see how the story wraps up, and after all the people you quoted, and after the review...well it looks like i am in a well voiced opinion on the matter

I love kung pow and troll 2, and i watch them all the time.

does that make their stories good or well told? hell no, that doesn't deter me from wanting to finish it every time the movies pop into my head.

i actually don't play the multiplayer aspect of it at all (i don't consider co op multiplayer fyi), the last time i touched it was gears 1 actually, i play it for it's single player/co op amazingness, and the occasional horde mode with friends over.

I never said one can't find enjoyment in it. God knows there are plenty of terrible stories (films, TV shows, books, etc) that I enjoy. Just as there are plenty of good stories I don't like. However, just because I enjoy something, something that's bad, doesn't mean I'll sit here and defend it's quality and try to convince you it's good. On the contrary, I'll be the first to tell you how bad it is. The same goes with Gears. While I might find some enjoyment out of the experience, I'll never sit here and say it's good. It's anything but. It's terrible. But just because something is terrible doesn't mean you can't like it.

It's the difference of an objective and a subjective opinion. This is what I was referencing. That's why I'll never chastise someone for liking it, but I will confront someone who insists it's well-written or well-crafted.

ha alright, fair enough, weare on the same page then.

and while i'm feeling chatty at the moment, what are some things you enjoy that aren't considered "good"?

just curious to see if any ouf our tastes match up at alt?

and i don't disagree with you on confronting soiemone who will rave at how amazing sometosing is even though it obviously has the msot horrendous points and writing structure in the world.

 

[CaptainBill22]

If the game plays out like the books the ending to this game isn't gonna be pretty nor happy.

 

[Titan Buttons]

At least they kept Cole and Dom well characterised, while Marcus' response throughout all the games has been to swear at everything, although I would have liked some emotion from him considering he is ment to find his dead father alive.

Play his quotes on a soundboard without the background noise, and it's fucking hilarious! You will love Marcus afterward.

I will have to try that it sounds funny, I did it for the L4D cast lol'd so much

 

[Vigormortis]

ha alright, fair enough, weare on the same page then.

and while i'm feeling chatty at the moment, what are some things you enjoy that aren't considered "good"?

just curious to see if any ouf our tastes match up at alt?

and i don't disagree with you on confronting soiemone who will rave at how amazing sometosing is even though it obviously has the msot horrendous points and writing structure in the world.

Well, let's see. For a recent example I could go to Tron: Legacy. I loved the hell out of that film but it was far from a good film. There's also my undying love for MechAssault 1 and 2, both of which are often maligned by the group of so-called "true" fans of the BattleTech universe. (the group of which I am definitely a card-carrying member)

There's also the Evil Dead films. I've watched them quite a few times, loved just about every second of 'em, but they're still really bad. I've even thoroughly enjoyed a few "SyFy original" films. Most notably, Sharktopus. (which was hilariously and deliciously bad)

In contrast to that, for example, I'm not that fond of The Godfather, Bioshock, or most of the works of Stephen King. Yet, I recognize the quality of craftsmanship in them.

It's all about taste. And for me, I try to maintain both an objective and a subjective point of view all while not letting either cloud the other. Not always successful, but I am "in the black".

Also, who the hell is this John Damingsa, captcha? And why are you making me type his name?

 

[Krunkcity3000]

Personally, given that all women in this universe are relegated to "breeder" roles by the lore, I couldn't care any less how the story ends.

Actually, this issue has been addressed in Gears 3. There are female soldiers now, instead of being non-factors. I remember reading about how EPIC would explain the lack of female soldiers. I recall EPIC saying something about the women being breeders but since the events of Gears 2 there are very few soldiers left so the women gotta role up their sleeves.

And that isn't a patronising display of tokenism at all...

Outside of white males in videogames, what isn't a display of tokenism?

 

[Dr Snakeman]

So... exactly what I expected. Cool.

The thing about huge, triple-A sequels like this one is that there's really no point in doing a review. Gears of War is fun. It's an awesome action movie in video game form: heavy on the murder, explosions, and cheesy-yet-entertaining dialogue, and light on plot. We already know exactly what to expect, and a whole lot of people (myself included) will be buying it.

An actual review just seems like filler.

Not that it really matters what reviews are on this site; it's not like I'm paying for anything. I just thought it worth mentioning.

 

[Dogstile]

Personally, given that all women in this universe are relegated to "breeder" roles by the lore, I couldn't care any less how the story ends.

Actually, this issue has been addressed in Gears 3. There are female soldiers now, instead of being non-factors. I remember reading about how EPIC would explain the lack of female soldiers. I recall EPIC saying something about the women being breeders but since the events of Gears 2 there are very few soldiers left so the women gotta role up their sleeves.

And that isn't a patronising display of tokenism at all...

Well to be totally honest, if the world was reduced to 5-10% of its population, you don't think we'd do the same?

So....forcibly subjugating women, requiring all of them to be "breeders", is okay with you just so long as our population count is low?

The thing is, even though the thought of it is horrifying, I don't actually see it as a never happening scenario. I mean hell, if china can stop people from having more than one kid because of a high population, whats to say they would never make people have kids?

It's not ideal, but it doesn't mean it's not possible.

OT: I'm actually looking forward to this. One of the few solid splitscreen co-op games left. It's been a long time.

 

[jawakiller]

I don't like coming off as a chauvinistic dick but...

There's fucking girls in ma gears game!
Why?
Because they're "token" females. Too many people (READ: Not really that many)bitched about how there wasn't enough "diversity" and shit. They already had a token black guy, now they need a chick. What's next? A fucking twelve-year old? After all, that is a misrepresented minority. And maybe they should throw in a few Indians. No, not native americans, Indians from india. You only see them as 7/11 workers anyways. They deserve an equal chance. Or maybe they should chuck in some gays. Oh and a french waiter too. Also some goddamn cubans. and And while we're at it, they could add a couple of fucking hippies! With chainsaws! Hell, that sounds like amazing shit right there!

Like I said, I don't wanna come off sounding "ignorant" (which is a shitty insult anyways) but I feel that this attitude people now have about media and the like is fucking ridiculous. You shouldn't add content just to appease the politically correct (more like challenged). You should add something (like a character) when the game will wind up better because of it. Gears is worse now that they have added some of the gentler sex.

 

[justnotcricket]

Is it just me or are these guys so beefy that they actually look somewhat featureless - almost inflatable?

 

[DTWolfwood]

It has Color! oh my god! IT HAS COLOR!@!

too bad i no longer own an Xbox

You know, it's been hilarious too me that so many people, of whom are excited for this game, keep touting one of it's biggest changes and selling points is that...gasp!...they added another color to the usual brown and gray color palette. What's even more hilarious to me is that most people don't actually appreciate the ludicrous nature of the statement.
(btw, I'm not confronting you wolfwood. your post was just the last one I saw and it reminded me of this)

Gameplays solid. Just appreciate colors more than most. Cant stand brown shooters any more >.< hence my confusion as to y Rage is getting hype.

more base on the usual Troll Reactions

I think Rage is getting the hype for 3 reasons.

1: The new id Tech 5 engine looks amazing.

2: Rage seems as though it's shaping up to be quite an immersive experience in the almost over-abundant "post-apocalyptic" genre.

3: It's looks to be a true return to form for id. They've been absent for quite a while and this is their big return.

1. ok fair enough about the new engine. We do need more of those in the market for devs to play with.

2. Rage looks too generic to me to warrant the thought that it will have a good plot of any sort. Its the "Cowboy without a Name" plot, stranger comes to fucked up land in search of something. that something is usually inconsequential to the world. If Rage so happens to come up with an unique plot/story, i'll take it all back.

3. Best of luck to them, just not sure making an apocalypse shooter was a good choice not as if the market isn't full of them, would have probably been more excited about a new Wolfenstein tbh. But they do need new franchises.

OT: Glad to see a franchise actually END for a change.

 

[Vigormortis]

It has Color! oh my god! IT HAS COLOR!@!

too bad i no longer own an Xbox

You know, it's been hilarious too me that so many people, of whom are excited for this game, keep touting one of it's biggest changes and selling points is that...gasp!...they added another color to the usual brown and gray color palette. What's even more hilarious to me is that most people don't actually appreciate the ludicrous nature of the statement.
(btw, I'm not confronting you wolfwood. your post was just the last one I saw and it reminded me of this)

Gameplays solid. Just appreciate colors more than most. Cant stand brown shooters any more >.< hence my confusion as to y Rage is getting hype.

more base on the usual Troll Reactions

I think Rage is getting the hype for 3 reasons.

1: The new id Tech 5 engine looks amazing.

2: Rage seems as though it's shaping up to be quite an immersive experience in the almost over-abundant "post-apocalyptic" genre.

3: It's looks to be a true return to form for id. They've been absent for quite a while and this is their big return.

1. ok fair enough about the new engine. We do need more of those in the market for devs to play with.

2. Rage looks too generic to me to warrant the thought that it will have a good plot of any sort. Its the "Cowboy without a Name" plot, stranger comes to fucked up land in search of something. that something is usually inconsequential to the world. If Rage so happens to come up with an unique plot/story, i'll take it all back.

3. Best of luck to them, just not sure making an apocalypse shooter was a good choice not as if the market isn't full of them, would have probably been more excited about a new Wolfenstein tbh. But they do need new franchises.

OT: Glad to see a franchise actually END for a change.

Well, when I mentioned immersion, I wasn't actually referencing the general plot for the game. The primary story line doesn't sound that compelling. However, by all accounts from those that have tried the early builds the level of interaction the player has with the environment and NPCs, as well as what is being touted as one of the most impressive and adaptive AI engines to date, look to add up to quite an immersive experience.

Now, I've been taking all this news with a grain of salt, but when it comes to crafting technically advanced engines, id is one of the best. (even if they aren't particularly amazing at telling a compelling story) So I'm inclined to, at least partially, believe the hype.

 

[Ishigami]

Nice graphics and solid gameplay but I was disappointed by the ending.

Spoiler

In general I don't feel like cheering for people committing genocide.

So in the end the Gears will share the same fate as the morons of the ISA from Killzone: Being remembered by me as assholes.