InsaneBear

Reactions: New details on Gears of War 3 make me tingle

Did that reveal trailer get you all hot and bothered for Gears 3? Well, then all of these new details courtesy of IGN should wet your whistle!

In terms of story, Gears 3 starts off on a converted aircraft carrier called the “Raven’s Nest,” part of a massive flotilla housing the survivors of Jacinto. Two fellow Nesters that will fight along side series protagonists Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago are a new character named Jace Stratton and the only female ever seen in Gears 1 or 2, Anya Stroud. No mention was made of Baird or Cole Train, but I get the feeling they’ll be returning. And even better news than new characters is the fact that we’ll get to play as them in 4-player co-op! Awesome.

As for who/what we’ll be fighting in Gears 3, the mutated Locusts known as the Lambent seem to be taking on the role of main enemy, but traditional Locusts will still be around to do you harm if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic. The traditional Locusts will even have new classes, such as a Grenadier and “large, organic catapults,” whatever that means. Still, they don’t sound quite as fun to fight as the Lambent, who sound pretty effin’ crazy.

This new enemy which first appeared in Gears of War 2 enters the game quickly when giant enemy crabs overtake the ship. These are a precursor to reanimated Locust troops called Drudges. When attacked, these enemies spawn tendril-like limbs that allow them to expand outward and upward, making cover a lot less safe. They’ll also perform a last-ditch attack by blowing themselves up while running at the player.

And of course we couldn’t have a sequel without some new hardware, so Epic is giving us a bevy of new toys to play with such as “a new Pendulum-era lancer with a bayonet and more powerful, close-range rounds…a redesigned hammerburst with a standard zoom, a sawed-off shotgun, and a massive one-shot rifle.” But all of those pale in comparison to the “digger launcher,” which “fires piranha-like creatures into the ground where they then seek and devour their targets.” Yeah, you read that right. Maybe there’s still hope for that Kryll-shooting gun I’ve always wanted. And players will also be able to trade weapons amongst each other.

In addition to hand-held firearms, Gears 3 will feature some mech suits equipped with a rocket launcher and a heavy chain gun. These “Silverbacks,” as they’re called, can also “be deployed as cover, allowing multiple team members to use the weapons.”

And don’t stop reading yet, because there are even more details! This next idea sounds pretty great in my humble opinion, and I think you’ll agree.

There’s also a new arcade mode that has highly visible scoring and stat tracking. Then it allows players to fiddle with variables including gravity, big-head mode, and sound effects. Arcade mode also includes an idea that appeared in Shadow Complex where players are alerted to how well their friends have done in a certain area.

So you’re telling me that they’re basically taking Horde mode and making it more customizable and rewarding? I cannot stress how awesome that sounds.

For those of you who are more into the competitive scene, the wraps have been taken off two maps so far, one the sinking remains of Jacinto called Overpass, and the other a ruined thrashball field. And in keeping with the dynamic geography of maps like “Avalanche” in Gears of War 2, Gears 3‘s maps will also radically change throughout the course of a match, with rising or receding water being just one example of change.

Last but not least, the conclusion to the Gears trilogy will offer a host of new executions for almost every weapon. Thank you, Epic.

Author: Cody

Tags: epic, gears of war 3, microsoft, xbox 360