Gears of War 3 early preview

I was invited to play the single-player campaign of Gears of War 3, the follow-up to 2009’s smash hit Gears of War 2. Unfortunately, I'm unable to write about the actual game mechanics and controls until closer to the release date, but I did get to spend some hands-on time with the single player campaign.

Gears 3 takes place two years after the conclusion of the second game, and we find main character Marcus Fenix and his squad living on an old battleship out at sea.

The Coalition of Ordered Governments has disintegrated, and the remaining humans on planet Sera are engaged in a desperate struggle with both the Locust Horde and the Lambent, terrifying mutants that roam land and sea.

The demo begins with Fenix and his squad fleeing an enormous tentacled Lambent sea creature as it tears the battleship apart. After avoiding some infected locust and fighting off the spiderlike Lambent polyps that fall from the massive creature, Fenix and his squad climb into Silverbacks, walking mech-suits similar to those seen in the movie “Aliens.” After blasting the giant beast for several minutes, backup arrives just in time to save Fenix from certain death.

I was also shown footage of the new Horde 2.0 mode, in which players defeat wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies while building customized fortifications to fend off foes. Players will be given optional goals to complete for additional cash and ammo, as well as the opportunity to engage massive boss monsters.

Executive producer Rod Fergusson said that Gears of War 3 will be the most accessible game in the series, and is a great entry point for players new to the world of Gears of War.

Gears of War 3 is to be released worldwide on Sept. 20. This final adventure in the blockbuster trilogy seems to be the largest and most expansive game of the series.