About the game
Gears of War 3 is a 2011 third-person shooter developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the third game and the end of the original trilogy. It was due on April 8, 2011, was delayed, and came out on September 20, 2011. Science fiction author Karen Traviss wrote the story.
It plays like the earlier games, with cover-based combat and squad tactics. You carry four weapons: a pistol, grenades and two main weapons. Health is shown as the red Crimson Omen, and a downed player must be revived before bleeding out. New in this game is tagging enemies, so computer allies focus fire and human allies see them on screen, and swapping weapons, ammo and Horde money with teammates. The active reload returns, and some cover can now be destroyed.
The story is set two years after Jacinto, the last human stronghold, is destroyed. The surviving COG forces have moved to the island of Vectes, and a new enemy, the Lambent, is threatening what is left of humanity. Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad learn that Marcus's father Adam Fenix is still alive, held on the hidden base Azura, which is now occupied by Queen Myrrah of the Locust, and fight their way across the world to reach him.
A player level carries across all modes and unlocks characters and weapon skins. A multiplayer beta ran from April 18 to May 15, 2011, and gave access to the Bulletstorm Epic Edition and GameStop and GAME pre-order customers. Footage of a PS3 version that surfaced in 2017 and 2020 turned out to be an internal Unreal Engine test, not a port.
It came in Standard, Limited and Epic editions. The Limited Edition added an Octus Award Box, a fabric COG flag, Adam Fenix mementos and a playable Adam Fenix. The Epic Edition added a Marcus Fenix statue, a 96-page art book and the Infected Omen weapon skins. A season pass covered the first four DLC packs, with the fifth and final one, Forces of Nature, following on March 27, 2012.
Reviews were widely positive, with a Metacritic score of 91. Critics praised the story, voice acting, visuals and music, and some said it lacked innovation. Game Informer gave it 9.5 and Giant Bomb gave it five stars.
It had over a million pre-orders and sold more than 3 million copies in its first week, higher than the first two games, and it was the seventh best-selling game of 2011 in the US. A sequel, Gears of War 4, followed in 2016.
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What critics said
Metacritic 91 out of 100 (Xbox 360). GameRankings 91.5 out of 100 (Xbox 360). Individual reviews: Computer and Video Games 9/10, Destructoid 8/10, Eurogamer 8/10, Game Informer 9.5/10, GameSpot 9.5/10, GameZone 9/10, Giant Bomb 5/5, IGN 9/10.
Extra content
Five DLC packs came out between November 2011 and March 2012, sold individually or through a season pass announced on August 29, 2011.
- Horde Command Pack: Three new maps for Versus and Horde, three new fortifications, and new character and weapon skins.
- Versus Booster Map Pack: Five multiplayer maps: Blood Drive, Azura, Rustlung, Bullet Marsh and Clocktower.
- RAAM's Shadow: Over three hours of single-player story playing as General RAAM and Michael Barrick of Zeta Squad, four multiplayer characters and a weapon set, plus new achievements.
- Fenix Rising: Five multiplayer maps, four character skins and a system to rank up through level 100 multiple times.
- Forces of Nature: Three new maps, remade Jacinto and Raven Down, four character models, weapon skins and the Elemental Cleavers.
Good to know
- It was first dated for April 8, 2011 and moved to September 20, 2011.
- The list has 82 achievements and 2,000 gamerscore once all DLC is counted.
- Footage of Gears of War 3 running on a PS3 leaked, but Epic said it was an Unreal Engine test and never a port.
- Pre-order character variants included Mechanic Baird, Commando Dom, Savage Grenadier Elite and Savage Kantus, depending on the shop.
- A replica Retro Lancer by NECA was sold only at GameStop, and a gold version only at Play.com.
- Beta testers got a medal to show it in the final game, plus characters and weapon skins.
- The Versus Booster Map Pack was free.
Made by
Designer Cliff Bleszinski, Producer Tanya Jessen, Producer Chris Mielke, Programmer Joe Graf, Artist Chris Perna, Artist Wyeth Johnson, Writer Karen Traviss, Writer Eric Nylund, Writer Aaron Linde, Composer Steve Jablonsky.
