The End of an Era

Lasting First Impressions of Gears of War 3 from Epic Games

Back in 2006, a little known title hit the shores of an unsuspecting XBOX360 audience.  It was a new IP and a new contender in an already saturated market of shooter games.  Epic Games was taking a chance with this new title, straying from their well known Unreal games.  What a chance it was.  Gears of War hit the streets running and never looked back.  It has been a wild ride these past five years and the Gears franchise has garnered much attention and more fans than any shooter before it, considering it is exclusive to XBOX360.  Now, in 2011, fans are rewarded for their loyalty with the release of the final chapter in the saga of the Cogs, Gears of War 3.  It is time to end the era with a bang.

If you are reading this review, you probably already know all there is to know about Gears of War and I certainly don’t need to convince you of its merits.  I usually don’t play shooters because, to be quite honest, I suck at them.  I have never played a Call of Duty title even though I own a couple of them, because I just can’t seem to master them.  I’ve never finished a Halo title for the same reason.  Regardless, I have never passed up on Gears of War.  I had to play it.  It was a groundbreaking title and, with the release of Gears 3, it still is.

This game has everything.  Stunning graphics, engaging story, incredible action, and non-stop excitement.  The Gears franchise has always pushed the boundaries of the XBOX360’s capabilities and this third entry in the series is no exception.  This is an absolutely beautiful game and I am still hard-pressed to believe what I am seeing.  The images and locations look and feel so real. After each epic battle, I find myself admiring the scenery as I look for the hidden collectables (I’m a true adventurer in that I won’t leave an area until I’ve searched it thoroughly).

As always, I spent an hour in the game and, contrary to my thoughts going into it, I was able to play it! I actually got through the entire first Act, all six chapters, without dying.  It was fabulous.  Perhaps playing games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Dead Space have honed my skills enough to finally get through a game like Gears of War.  Maybe I don’t actually suck at these games anymore.  Whatever the reason, I am simply mesmerized with Gears 3 so much that I am going to go back and finish Gears 1 and 2 (yes, that’s right: I haven’t finished them yet!).

Gears of War is not a game I need to convince anyone to play. It has defined a generation and it’s hard to believe that this is it; the third in the trilogy; the epic end of an era.  Gears of War has already entered the annuls of history as one of the greatest game franchises of our time and I believe it will be there for some time to come. I can only dream of what could possibly come along to surpass it now.

Epic Games, I gave you an hour and I am IMPRESSED, but that’s no surprise now, is it?