Teabag Prevention Presents – Gears of War 3 First Impressions!
Excited for the Gears of War 3 beta? I was too! Want to know everything regarding learning curves and weapon changes? Look no further! This week, the Teabag Prevention Team takes a look over what’s inside Gears of War 3, other than you know, guts.
Learning the Curve
Gears of War 3 has a slight enough learning curve that it feels like a new Gears of War game as opposed to something rehashed and similar to past titles. Regulars of the past couple of games will easily be able to pick up on the controls and feel right at home again, which is also on the plus side. One noticeable difference from Gears of War 2 is in fact that the players move faster. This causes faster combat scenariors which in turn can make things more intense.
There are also other changes made to gameplay that players have to watch out for. For instance, if two enemies share the same cover, one player on one side of the cover and the other on the other side, one may vault over the cover and into the enemy causing them to stumble and leaving them very vulnerable for a short time.
You can no longer tap ‘X’ to pick a weapon or ammo up. You must now hover open and hold the ‘X’ button and wait for a circle to complete around the ‘X’ at the bottom of the screen. The whole process sounds a lot longer than it is. The amount of time really depends on what you’re picking up. For instance, a power weapon will take a little longer as opposed to picking ammo up.
Lastly, pressing and holding LB will enable Gears’ version of Batman’s detective mode. This will show where your teammates are, even from a distance, and where weapon spawns are if you’re near. The only catch is that the weapons you see in that mode might not actually be there if they’ve already been picked up.
Weapon Changes and Additions
HammerBurst – The Hammerburst has evolved into its own weapon this time around. In Gears of War 1, the Hammerburst was simply known as the Lancers counterpart. In Gears 2, it gained a little bit of its own identity. In Gears 3, it can become a weapon of choice for more people than previous titles. This weapon also has the ability to aim down the sights.
Retro Lancer – The Retro Lancer is what was used before the COGs got their hands on the updated Lance we all know and love with a chainsaw attachment. What deems this weapon “Retro” is the addition of a bayonet instead of a chainsaw. With this weapon equipped, players will be able to run forward at a quicker speed than the standard roadie-run. Use this weapon on enemies at just around or under medium range, and you’ll be awesome. No, really, you will.
Lancer – The Lancer is relatively the same as the past two games, save one important feature: The Chainsaw. Oh noes, what did they change about the chainsaw you ask? Let’s put it this way: You bastards won’t be able to activate your chainsaw mid-stride now. Upon pressing and holding the B button with your Lancer equipped, the character will flip a switch, activating the chainsaw.
Digger Launcher – This weapon allows the user to send a propelled explosive underground for it to pop up at a designated location. When it does pop out of the ground, any opponents around will be met with an area effect explosion. The weapon does indeed have a learning curve when it comes to judging where and when to fire. Spending time with it is a must if you’re going to succeed where others can’t. Seriously, if you’re able to use it well, you’ll be picking up a weapon that’s generally not wanted right now.
Sawed-Off Shotgun – This weapon can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. One shot can down an opponent while one misplaced shot will leave you vulnerable for some time due to the one-shot-per-load. You have to pretty close for this to work.
Incendiary Grenades – They are what they sound like. Upon impact, the surrounding area will be engulfed in flames. It’s best used on unsuspecting enemies who think they’re safe behind cover.
Final Word
So far, Epic Games seems to be doing everything right. With the balance of gore, violent acts, gore, big guns, explosions, and gore, Gears of War 3 promises to provide good clear…err..gory fun! As a Gears fangirl, I can’t wait for the final game. So, better than Gears 2? Definitely. Better than Gears 1? I believe the first installment will always remain its own title, but Gears of War 3 is its true successor. See you online!
Written by:
DarknessOrchid – Gears Enthusiast
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