The third and final installment in the Gears of War trilogy. Taking place on the apocalyptic planet Sera, 18 months after the ending of Gears of War 2, players will once again take control of C.O.G. soldier Marcus Fenix as he takes on the Locust threat and their Lambent rivals.
Story[]
The game takes place 18 months after the Fall of Jacinto at the end of Gears of War 2. After the Coalition of Ordered Governments had fallen apart, humans formed colonies and took to the sea in an attempt to be free of the ever-present threat of Emergence Holes. The story's protagonists find themselves aboard a "Raven's Nest-class aircraft carrier" that, along with other attached boats, forms a temporary haven known as Sovereign. Delta squad has splintered, with Marcus and Dom separated from Cole and Baird for much of the game, with the player switching between each team's story before they inevitably meet up. This was done in an attempt to make Cole and Baird feel like more fleshed out characters instead of bland secondary characters. However, two new playable characters, Jace Stratton and Anya Stroud round out the first team of four, and it is not yet known what two characters will be accompanying Cole and Baird through their stretch of the game. After a confrontation with the Lambent, the team receives a surprise visit from Chairman Prescott, who presents Marcus with a data disk from Marcus' father Adam, from which the Gears head off in an attempt to save what is left of the humans who have colonized Sera.
A new character, Aaron Griffin (voiced by Ice-T) is introduced in the game, and is also available in the game's multiplayer mode.
Gameplay[]
The single player campaign is playable as four player co-op instead of the series staple of two player co-op. Each of the four playable characters will be tied in to the plot and story as the campaign progresses to ensure that no player feels that his or her character is tacked on. It was first stated that this game was set to be easier than the previous one, due to the small number of players who reportedly finished Gears of War 2. However Epic went on to clarify that only the easier difficulties were going to be easier in order for the more casual players to experience their narrative, but the harder difficulties will remain just as challenging, if not more, as the previous games.
The Lambent add a new dimension to the old Gears of War formula of "Stop-And-Pop" similar to what the tickers attempted to do in Gears of War 2. Larger Lambent creatures will be able to attack players over cover forcing the player to adapt and use new tactics.
There is also the inclusion of mechs called "Silverbacks" in the game. The Silverbacks are modified labor exoskeletons that have been outfitted with a rocket launcher on one arm and a gatling gun on the other. The Silverbacks have access to many of the tools that the Gears use including it's own version of the Roadie Run and the ability to curb-stomp. Along with their more mobile form, Silverbacks have the ability to plant themselves down and act as a stationary turret as well as a cover point for teammates.
Alongside the "Cinematic" Campaign mode, there is an Arcade option,wherein players compete for high scores with their friends as well as the inclusion of mutators (A throwback to the Unreal Tournament Series) that can radically change elements of the game world such as gravity and head size.