Gears of War 3 - First Impressions

Finally a reason to dust of the old Xbox 360 with the only exclusive series worth a damn on the Microsoft system. Whereas the Halo series has struggled on the 360, Gears of War has been the epitome of next-gen gaming. Even though PS3 has some great exclusive titles in Resistance and Killzone, Gears of War is the original and best. I've been a fan since day one and I've been eagerly awaiting the third installment for a long time now.

Having tonight played through the entirety of Act 1 on Hardcore, all I can say is that GoW3 has not failed to deliver the goods. The graphics are stunning, the refinements to the gameplay are small but noticeable, the action is non-stop and the controls are still best in show. What's also noticeable now is there seems to be a lot more depth, to the story telling and the characters. There's still a whole bunch of cheesy one-liners and wisecracks, but the guys at Epic are at least trying to add something more to this story.

The game begins with a flashback gameplay sequence of Marcus Fenix attempting to rescue his father. After this, we see the crew now living on a ship, and the obligatory gathering of the crew for a new mission. After the nice cinematic intro it's straight into the action, and it's all so familiar yet still nearly perfect in every way. The shooting in this game just feels so satisfying. The controls are tight and it all comes naturally.

What's interesting about the first Act is that first you play the Marcus Fenix portion, then half way though you switch over to Cole Train and play out his story, the events of which eventually culminate in the same climax. This gives the game some really nice locations to explore from the get go and the action is full on. Gore, explosions and non stop action. Gotta love it. But it also gives the game some time to explore the Cole Train character, as well as showing some of the survivors still dealing with the enemy. Again, the depth to the story and characters is very noticeable here.

The graphics are great. and while there is the odd stutter here and there during cut scenes or transitions, the gameplay sections are always smooth. It's a testament to Epic at just how much pride they take in their product and just how much juice they're able to squeeze out of the now ageing 360.

I can't wait to get back into this game and finish the rest of the campaign. And then all of the other modes as well. This game is jam packed.