Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3, X-Box 360

Developer(s): Capcom

Publisher(s): Capcom

Genre: Fighting

Rating: T for Teen

Price: $39.99

9 months ago, we were gifted with the long-awaited sequel to one of the best fighting games in the past decade: Marvel vs. Capcom 3. And while we enjoyed it, we all could recognize that there were a few things missing that Capcom should have fixed. So, Capcom gave us Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a way to improve on a good foundation. But is it a good improvement or does it need to go back to the development team?

The Story:



Capcom's Firebrand goes at it against Marvel's cocky archer,
Hawkeye.

Doctor Doom has assembled the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe and has joined forces with Albert Wesker in order to unite their respective universes in an effort to conquer both. However, this course of action awakens a great and powerful threat that could potentially destroy both worlds. It is up to the heroes of the Marvel and Capcom universes to put a stop to this evil before it is too late.

The Pros:

Okay…before I get into the good and bad parts of the game, I’d like to clarify something for people who’re probably wondering why they made a 2nd version of Marvel 3. Originally, this game was supposed to be all DLC for the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, production was delayed due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Once that was cleared up, the director and producer of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 decided to release the proposed DLC for MvC3 as a game with a lower cost with new concepts and re-balanced gameplay.

Now that we know that…onto the pros of the game.

The first pro that I have for this game lies with the online mode. Players that are in a room who are not participating in the match are now allowed to watch the match as it plays out. And honestly, you don’t know how glad I am that they’ve included this in there. Because honestly, sitting in the lobby watching nothing but the character’s bars diminish and wondering what is going on wasn’t a good idea, especially when you’re allowed to watch the fights in Super Street Fighter IV.


Ghost Rider performing his Level 3: Penance Stare.



Now, my next pro has to be the new characters added. One of the things that I enjoyed about Marvel 3 was that the character list was diverse. Well…the new addition still rings true about this game. The added characters still hold their own different fighting styles from the ground/air rushdown tactics of Firebrand and the keep-away style of Hawkeye to the long-ranged fighting of Ghost Rider and the pure power of Nemesis. Add in the fact that they’ve added in fan favorites like Vergil and Strider Hiryu and you have a great addition for this game…mostly.

Finally, the re-balancing of the game is a solid plus. Everything in this game got re-balanced, from basic combat to character specific stuff. Even the X-Factor has a much needed revamping, including the ability to do it in mid-air. And I’m thankful (so thankful for this) that they limited Phoenix’s ability to release as many fireballs in the air. Because honestly, you don’t need a high-level character like Phoenix to be able to spam fireballs.

The Cons:

Okay…so now we’re at the part of the review where I talk about what’s bad about the game. And I have a feeling that I’ll probably rant about a specific con.

The first con that comes to mind has to deal with some of the character re-balancing. Or, to be more specific, a certain character re-balancing in general. That character would be Albert Wesker. Now, Wesker’s a top-tier character who was easy enough to play with but had a few complex things. So instead of toning him down a bit, Capcom decided to barely balance him out and made his Teleport a lot simpler this time around. How? Simply do his gunshot move and press a button directly after it.

Why, Capcom? Why?

Phoenix Wright doing his most famed gesture on his
opponent.

My second and final con has to be one of the biggest issues that many people voiced when they seen this character released. And I’m pretty sure that by reading that sentence above, everyone knows who I’m talking about. He’s the Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright and even I can say that he’s possibly the only character in the game that will make you want to turn the game off when you see him in action. Why, you ask? All of his attacks are more suited to prosecuting the defense (searching for and submitting evidence, walking forward and thrusting papers at you, pointing…) rather than fighting, his trademark maneuver – pointing at you and shouting OBJECTION!!! – activates a special mode that makes certain moves unstoppable, and his level three is dangerous. And that’s without being in X-Factor…

Granted he's actually a good character in the game, he has a large fan following in the Capcom universe, and they were trying to put him in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom but wow…you could have handed us Megaman X over him.

OVERALL:

Overall, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the game that the original version should have been. With the new characters added, fighting system re-balanced, and being able to watch online matches as you fight, you’ll enjoy this game a lot more than you did the first one. However, I can guarantee that if you were a fan of the first one, you’ll find something in the game that’ll tick you off. And, most likely, it’ll be something other than Phoenix Wright.

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Super Mario 3D Land review

Super Mario 3D Land

Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS

Developer(s): Nintendo EAD Tokyo

Publisher(s): Nintendo

Genre(s): Platforming

Rating: E for Everyone

A tree that stands on Princess Peach's castle grounds is stripped of all its leaves during a storm. The leaves, which turn out to be Super Leaves, are blown across the Mushroom Kingdom, bestowing Tanooki tails on all living things they touch. When Mario and the Toads go to inspect the tree the next day, they discover a letter from Bowser, learning that he has kidnapped Princess Peach. Mario sets off in pursuit to locate and rescue the princess.

This is how I imagined a 3D Mario game to play like.

Let me start by saying when this game was announced and I saw the trailer I thought that this  would be just another Super Mario 64 remix of sorts. I am happy to say that I was wrong! It does have the visual styling of Super Mario 64, but it has the  playability of Super Mario Bros 3. This is what I imagined what Super Mario 64 was going to be like so when that game came out I wasn't the happiest Mario fan. 

Yes that's Bowser with Raccoon tail.

Now you get all the usual items like Super Mushrooms (to grow), Fire Flowers (to throw fireballs), Super Stars (becomes invincible for a short time) and Gold Coins. Oh and just like your regular SMB game after collecting 100 coins gets you a 1-Up (extra life). They did add a few new items to make your experience on Super Mario 3D Land have that WOW! When you find the propeller box, which is a "?" box that when you hit it becomes a cute little box that you wear can fly you in the air vertically so that you can reach higher platforms. Boomerang Mario is exactly that. You throw a boomerang and if you time it properly, you can jump around and have that one boomerang take out a number of baddies on the screen. The one thing that made it a Ooh or Aah moment went to the revival of the Tanooki (raccoon) suit from the SMB 3 fame. It generally still plays the same (no flight but the ability to hover), and if you are knowledgeable of SMB3 you can find the ability to turn your Tanooki Mario into a statue (for all of us fanboys).

Yes! Tanooki Mario is back!

Now that I cooed over the Super Mario 3D Land, it' time to give you sharp thoughts on the game. The 3d controls are very responsive but require some real adjusting if you're not used to Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy. So mastering jumping with precision on certain platforms can be a bit tricky. The graphics are smooth, with bright colors like what you would expect from a Mario game. Now the 3D effect that comes with being on a 3DS works so well to the point where you can turn it all the way up and it won't bother your eyes likes a few of these 3DS games have in the past. I have to give props to the level designer, because he brought originality to old level concepts. The stage may seem short or constrained in a box but they are highly imaginative. Things you couldn't really do in the 2D world of Mario, and too afraid to try in other 3D Marios have been implemented here. Some stages are completely vertical shooting higher in the sky while others exist in the one area as if it's asking you to solve the puzzle that is this stage. New imaginary Ghost house stages, fantastically organized and heart-pounding Airship stages, and every stage has remixed classic themes with new tracks that carry the same vibe. I have to say this game definitely gets a 4.5 out of 5. I am love with this game. By for my new favorite Mario game. I don't know how they keep improving on these more recently SMB games but they do. I can't wait to see what new comes from Miyamoto. Rumor has that there is a 2D Super Mario Bros coming out for the 3DS someday soon. Hhmmmm......

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Platform(s): PC, X-Box360, Playstation 3

Developer(s): Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks

Genre(s): Action/Role-Playing
Rating: M for Mature

There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of Skyrim, especially since its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was such a world-raved success, and because Bethesda Studios had more than 5 years to work on it. The important question then stands, “Is the hype worth it?” especially since such vicious competition as Modern Warfare 3, Arkam City, Uncharted 3, and Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 were all released within 14 days of each other?

I think so, Yeah. 

The first impression of the game is the graphics. Thick mountain forests with non-cookie-cutter trees placed at irregular intervals, a touch of frost on patches of grass or collected in the base of one side of the trees and rocks, and splashed onto the faceted faces of the surrounding mountains. The wagon you are in creaks and warps and splinters as it’s slowly pulled over an irregular landscape, and the faces  of the surrounding initial characters with their several days of stubble, old battle scars, and an articulation of the mouths that match the well-voiced acting.  If you look around, since it takes a minute to realize that the opening scene is in-fact *not* a CG rendered cutscene, you can watch as a small town looms out of the woods, clearly behind on the upkeep as the splintered wooden buildings break under the elements. Then a sense of doom washes over you as before you can even control yourself yet, you are shoved forwards towards your execution. 

And just when you think you finally get a sense for the spectacle, the Dragon appears, and all hell breaks loose. 

The opening tutorial mission is chaos incarnate for an opening mission. The fog of war holds no greater meaning then when you and your allies are fighting tooth-and-nail against unknown enemies in the dark of the cave, and you can’t differentiate friend from foe among those struggling silhouettes in front of you. The landscape is proven to be destructible as it is literally torn apart around you.  When you can finally move on by yourself into the world, the sheer scope of the world is laid bare and boy are you tiny in comparison.

Gameplay is in many ways an improvement over Oblivion. Each hand is now an independent entity to which you can assign a weapon, shield, spell, torch, or go barehanded in any combination you may like. Skills are once again independently leveled based on use, and your own personal level is increased by the improvement of skills, but now there is no limitation to “talented” skills or not. Stat points are reduced to general stats that improve automatically with levels. Finally, skill-related perks are no longer gained automatically with skill rank. Now you have to buy those perks with leveling points, meaning that you really do need to specialize this time, since it is impossible to buy every perk in the game. Another big improvement is that weapons and armor don’t break anymore, so you never have to worry about wasting weight limitations with stupid blacksmith hammers. 

The AI is a major improvement over the predecessor. A pack of wolves will fight like *a pack of wolves!* meaning, one will draw your attention while the others flank, and then they’ll hit and run until you’re dead or they get injured enough to flee. People will press you with melee and defend while their partners pick you off with arrows, and dragons will roast you with their breath from above, strafing runs, or directly in your face on the ground, depending on what is most likely to kill you first. 

Some downsides to the game: The shortcut menu is too limited. With so many spells, weapons, enchanted armors, and powers at your disposal, having only 8 or 9 shortcut buttons simply isn’t enough. The favorites menu quickly fills up into a ridiculously long list to sift through for your chosen thing, and it’s an annoying break in the action to pause in the middle of a fight just to jump through several screens of articles  to equip the next thing you need.  The game sometimes glitches, rendering some missions impossible, such as the one where I needed an NPC to open up the wall to the dungeon, but he’s already further along leaving me trapped in the foyer.  Finally, no matter what kind of character you want to play, smithing seems to become a necessary skill to level, since it’s the only way  to get any decent, or matching, high level equipment in the game. Enemies rarely ever wear anything more than Fur stuff, and hoping to find a type of weapon or armor underground is a crapshoot at best. 

All in all, though, it is incredibly easy to lose yourself for hours, days, and weeks at a time in World of Tamriel across the snowy mountains of Skyrim . Since I had to struggle to find faults with the game, I’d say that Bethesda used these last 5 years of development wisely, and that the Elder Scrolls V is in fact all that it was hyped up to be.

BloodRayne: Betrayal Review

Platform(s): X-Box Live Arcade, Playstation Network

Developer(s): Wayforward Technologies
Publisher(s): Majesco Entertainment

Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Rating: T for Teen

The dhampir vixen is back! After a long hiatus, everyone favorite vamp returns in a new game Bloodrayne: Betrayal. The game continues Rayne’s quest to eliminate her father Kagen’s extended family. Things were quiet after the events of the second game until a new vampire uprising calls the Brimstone Society to action. However this new threat is proving too much for them to handle. With no other options, Brimstone contacts Rayne to deal with the new threat.

Betrayal moves Rayne from her previous 3D adventures for some old school side scrolling. Many gamers will recall the days when all combat were like this. In fact, a lot of today’s 3D action/adventure games can find their roots in 2D. Bloodrayne is no different. The new game retains the same action horror that made the two previous titles fan favorites as well as the character Rayne. Instead of humans, you fight your way through hordes of supernatural creatures as well as other vampires. There are also mechanical monsters that will bar Rayne’s path as she descends into the depths of the castle, which she enters after the game’s opening level. Rayne still has her trusty arm blades and guns to mow down her opposition.

The Pros:

Bloodrayne: Betrayal’s anime style graphics bring the characters to life, making you feel like you’re watching a series rather than playing a game. The character animation is smooth and combat flows nicely, keeping the action moving. As always, Rayne can take out her enemies in a variety of gruesome ways, whether she beheads them or stomps them into the ground. Besides her iconic arm blades, Rayne does have access to her gun but with limited use. The game’s platforming element is true throwback to earlier action platform games like Ninja Gaiden or Contra. Bloodrayne: Betrayal may not be as challenging as the series’ two previous entries, but the action is non-stop enough to keep your attention.

The Cons:

There aren’t too many flaws with the game. I did make note that I cannot block enemy attacks like before. However this is compensated with a dash maneuver. Time it right and you’ll avoid damage. This move can also be performed in the air.

Overall:

Rayne has been brought back from what, thankfully, did not end up a dead franchise and upgraded with familiar and new abilities yet giving gamers a feel for some good old fashioned action platforming. I am pleased with the sexy vamp’s rebirth and her anime makeover just makes her more appealing. Bloodrayne: Betrayal offers up good action with intriguing puzzle solving.

Final Score: Rayne’s back and ready to sink her teeth into new fans. She gets 4 out of 5.

See you on the next level,

Brian M.

Dance Central 2 Review

Platform(s): XBOX 360

Developer(s): Harmonix Music System

Publisher(s): Harmonix Music System

Genre: Music, Rhythm, Exercise

Without ever a full year passing by, the Kinect’s best-selling game, Dance Central, is back with its long awaited sequel, Dance Central 2. As you may recall with the first Dance Central, it made a perfect blend of music, ranging from old school to contemporary, and dance, ranging from simplistic to intricate. Taking cues from previous music games, Dance Central creates innovative dance routines based upon the theme and genre of the song and goes a great job while doing it. The same thing is done with its sequel but at a greater effect.

Right off the back, Dance Central 2 present itself with more appealing graphics by adding the effect similar to that of viewing a lighted object through smeared glass. This only made the colors pop and, when it came down to scenery changes, which can only be achieved by hitting a string of “Flawless” and “Nice”, the visual makes the game even more appealing.

Another thing that makes the game worthwhile is the improvements that it has made from the first one. One of them is the introduction to crews. There are six crews, consisting of two members (some returning from the first one and some new to the game) each with their own style and attitude towards you: Lu$h, Riptide, Hi-Def, Flash4wrd and Glitterati. With these crews comes the most important improvement in the game: Simultaneous 2-player gameplay. While the first Dance Central dabble in 2-player mode , having the Dance Battle forcing you to switch every interval, Dance Central 2 now support two dancers on the screen. This enables you to either play cooperative or competitive with your friends. It even introduced a drop in/drop out functionality. While the two player gameplay is a welcoming addition to the game, granted if you have enough space to accommodate another player, that’s not the only thing that has improved.

Dance Central 2 has also remodeled their “Break It Down” mode, allowing the players to focus on specific moves in a particular routine that’s giving them a hard time as well as record how you’re performing each move. This feature will allow you visually see how precise your movements are in comparison to the dancer. It also goes to show the improvement that the developers went into making sure that players don’t half step these moves now the sensor is very sensitive to the way your body is moving. That means if they want you to get low, you have to get low.


Finally a campaign mode has been added to the game allowing players to get familiar with the different crews in the game. Each crew has a set list of songs that are unique to them. For example, Flash4wrd, a sassy hip hop crew consisting of alumni Taye and newcomer Li’l T, focus more of the sexy and seductive dance style such as Rihanna’s Rude Boy or Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff. The campaign is simple, and can be expanded on, but it’s still pretty fun.

The Pros:

Like its predecessor, Dance Central 2 has a great blend of old school and contemporary music, ranging from techno to hip hop. It also gives the player the luxury of import all their downloaded and original songs from the original Dance Central increasing the complete list of songs to a whopping 100 or more. It also made a great number of improvements to its existing features; two players dancing being the most emphasized one. The graphics is another plus because it makes the environment and characters pop.

The Cons:

Dance Central 2 goes come with one interesting flaw: it’s not XBOX Live compatible. This may be a problem for some but others aren’t too picky about it. Since the game is meant it to be a party game, putting it on Live would defeat the purpose of the local aspect of the game.

Overall:

Dance Central 2 is the game for beginner and advance dancers alike, showcasing seamless routines to some of the most popular songs in the industry. While your body may be aching from some of the demanding moves in the song, it still, in my opinion, holds the title of being the best-selling game for the Kinect.

Final Score: Dance Central 2 gets 4 out of 5.

Justin P.

Batman: Arkham City Review



Platform(s): Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows, X-Box 360, Wii-U

Developer(s): Rocksteady Studios

Publisher(s): Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Genre(s): Action-Adventure

Rating: T for Teen

In 2009, we were introduced to what has been hailed as the "best superhero game ever made." Batman: Arkham Asylum gave gamers exactly what they wanted--a great comic hero game and, moreover, a great Batman game.  Two years later, Rocksteady Games is looking to catch lightning twice.

The Story:

Batman: Arkham City picks one year after the events of Arkham Asylum.  Taking credit for stopping the uprising at the asylym, Quincy Sharp has been elected mayor of Gotham City.  His first act was to buy a large section of Gotham City's slums, which he converted into a massive prison and leaving it in the care of psychiatrist Hugo Strange.  The criminals are allowed to run free with the exception of one rule.  They are not allowed to escape.  Batman, fearing the former warden's plan may go awry, has himself placed in Arkham City as his alter ego Bruce Wayne.  After escaping and contacting Alfred, Bruce suits up and sets out to uncover the truth of Arkham City.

Right off the bat (pun intended), you get a majority of Batman's gadgets that were aquired in Arkham Asylum minus the Ultra Batclaw and Sonic Batarang.  The game's open world gives it more depth than the confines of its predecessor.  It truly depicts Batman's worst fear--a city where anarchy runs rampant; where values and sanctity are cast to the wind.  It's one man against seemingly overwhelming odds.  At the start of the game, the Dark Knight learns that Catwoman has been captured by Harvey Two-Face.  He suspects there is some hidden agenda Dr. Strange has and that Catwoman might have useful information.  After sneaking into an old courthouse, Batman finds Catwoman and Two-Face.  Fighting Harvey's men, I immediately noticed that the freeflow combat has been tweaked.  Batman glides smoothly from foe to foe, taking them out with a variety of moves.  I discovered that I can take out two badguys at once in the midst of combat.  I like how Batman immediately has a strong set of moves right away.
The Pros:

When I got my first glimpse of Arkham City, I was awestruck by the sheer scale of Batman's new proving grounds.  This city is massive.  It is a vibrantly lit landscape with dark overtones.  It is as if the city itself is a living entity.  The graphics completely blew me away.  Not one once of detail was spared.  Everything from all the characters to the buildings to the TYGER helicopters flying overhead is intrigantly detailed to perfection.  The game machincs are polished to a mirror finish.  You have absolute control of everything with no hinges at all.  And the cream of the crop--open world exploration.  No longer restricted to the clastrophobic confines of Arkham Asylum, you are free to take Batman wherever you want in this massive, living, breathing landscape.  With an enhanced Glide machanic, there are no restrictions.  Plus, you get to play as Catwoman, whose combat machanic is just as sleek and beautiful as she is.

The Cons:
The only cons in this game are the ones you get to beat up. There is nothing bad to say about this.

OVERALL:

Epic.  A beautiful dark symphony that will enthral all who listen.  Rocksteady has not only struck lightning twice, they pulled it from the sky and tamed it to create this beast of a game.  Arkham City is truly a masterpiece.  The acting is phenominal.  Kevin Conroy is awesome giving Batman his gritty voice and Mark Hamill is just electric portraying the best Joker ever.  The action is intense and the boss battles are amazing.  I love how each new villan is introduced as well as old ones.  The inclusion of Catwoman as a playable character is a plus and just adds to the craziness of the action.  The characters are beautifully detailed and the city is just majestic.  While buying this game, the retailer told me that Arkham City makes the previous title look like toilet water.  I can now go back to him and tell him that he was wrong.  Arkham City makes the asylum look like a baby's crib.  Rocksteady has brought one of the most beloved comic heroes into the spotlight of gaming.  Batman: Arkham City is a game that should not be missed and a strong contender for "Game of the Year."

Final Score: Batman: Arkham City's rating is 5 out of 5. My only regret is that I can't go higher.

See you on the next level,

Brian M.

Gears of War 3 Review

Platform(s): X-Box 360

Developer(s): Epic Games

Publisher(s): Microsoft Studios

Genre: 3rd Person Shooter

Rating: M for Mature

It seems that 3 is the magic number for video game series nowadays. From God of War to Resistance: Fall of Man and even Skate, 3 games seem to be the ideal life span for a series…although Halo doesn’t count if you consider ODST and Reach. This time, X-Box’s golden child Gears of War is back with its third installment, ending the saga once and for all. But does the final chapter of Gears make the epic impact that Epic Games aimed for, or fizzles out into a mass of hype?

The Story

The game takes place 2 years after the COG was forced to destroy the Jacinto plateau, the last major city on their planet, in Gears of War 2. Their world ravaged by a new enemy, the Lambent, the remaining teams of COG are left to survive, some on land and others by sea. However, after receiving a message from his father via Chairman Prescott, Marcus Fenix and Team Delta go back out to search for the missing scientist…who possibly has the answers for destroying the Lambent once and for all.

The Pros

Geez…how do I begin this? For starters, my personal pro would be the enemies in the game. There are two types of enemies: the Locust, which are/have been the staple enemies in the game (but far from common) and the Lambent, creatures in the game that have been mutated by Imulsion. The pro about this is that they are far from simple to kill, especially the Lambent. When you kill one, move away b/c they are bound to explode. That, plus some will mutate after taking a lot of damage, taking the fight to another level.



A clip of Horde mode, where you fight off
wave after wave of Locust.



Secondly, Horde mode is a second pro in my book. If you haven’t played Gears 2, Horde mode is an arcade-style mode where you fight off wave after wave of enemies until you reach Level 50. And after every 10 levels, the enemies stats increase, making them harder to defeat. This mode has undergone some massive improvements, to say the least. A money system has been added, allowing players to buy items to protect their fort from caltrop barriers to mounted turret guns and even a decoy to draw enemy fire.

But the biggest improvement in Horde mode is that they added boss battles at every 10th round. Meaning after you fight the entire wave off, you have to battle a boss. And if you played any of the Gears games, you’ll know that the boss is far from easy…or small. And with the addition of Mutations in the game – similar to the Skulls in Halo ODST/Reach – it adds a deeper challenge to the game than just shooting enemies to survive.


A new mode to the Gears series (and another pro) is Beast mode, which is the complete opposite to Horde. In Beast mode, you’re playing as the Locust whose goal is to destroy all the humans in the area. The money that you gain from this mode is used to spawn better Locust. So if you play your cards right, you could appear as a Kantus on one round…or a Beserker.


Finally, my last pro would be the weapons in the game. A lot of the weaponry has been improved since the second installment of Gears. And with the addition of newer weapons (the One-Shot, Incendiary Grenades, Cleaver and more) and more savage versions of older weapons (Retro Lancer, Sawed-Off, and Digger), combat gets a bit more nuts.

The Cons

Alright…so for my first con, I’d have to get on Story Mode. Why? It’s shorter than expected. With 5 acts and 5 chapters an act, that’s 25 stages that you have to play through. And with the promise of the “biggest-ever Gears campaign solo”, that seems like a bit of a letdown.

And yes, that was written on the back of the Gears 3 box.



Members of COG.



The second con has to be one that I always find in every FPS (or in this case, 3PS) game. There’s always that one weapon in the game that’s unreasonably unbalanced and overused by everyone online. What is it in Gears 3: the Sawed-off Shotgun. The reload time is extra slow, however if you are in point blank range of someone and shoot (or get shot), the result is simple: You Die!

My next con lies with Beast Mode. Now, that mode is great, seeing that you pretty much flip the script and play as the antagonists. However, the mode is short. You only get 12 rounds and a minute per round, which slightly increases with each kill you acquire. And compared to Horde, where you get 50 rounds and unlimited time…yeah, enough said.

The leveling up system in the game…I can’t say it’s a complete con, but I do feel that it needs to be listed. The more you level up in the game, the more characters and weapon skins you are able to unlock. It looks nice, however it’s been considered useless by a good amount of players so it’s a noteworthy con.

Overall

If you’ve been waiting for Gears of War 3 anxiously, from the moment you first heard the announcement, then you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth in this final installment. With the new modes, the 4-player campaign co-op, and gritty, brutal gameplay that the series is known for, you won’t put it down. If you’re buying this game and haven’t played the other two, you will still enjoy this game. Even though the campaign may be a bit short, there are plenty of modes that will keep your hands on the controller for a long time!!!


FINAL SCORE: 4 out of 5