Gears of War 3

10 out of 10 - The War Ends, but the Scars Remain

The final act of the original trilogy didn't just deliver. It exploded. Gears of War 3 is where everything culminates - the brotherhood, the war, the pain, and the faint glimmer of hope. It's bigger, more refined, and far more emotional than anything that came before it. And somehow, it still hits just as hard today.

Story: The Final Push

The world of Sera is on the brink. The Locust are fractured. A new threat - the Lambent - is spreading like wildfire. Humanity is all but shattered, and Delta Squad? They're tired, broken, and desperate. But they're still fighting.

Marcus Fenix, once the reluctant soldier, becomes the unshakable leader. But it's Dom Santiago who rips your heart out.

Dom's sacrifice at Mercy - his final stand to save the team - is one of the most emotional moments in video game history. No dialogue needed. Just music, memory, and fire. The moment defines what Gears is really about: sacrifice, love, and loyalty.

And yet even as the game devastates you, it gives you hope. Marcus confronting his father. The truth about Imulsion. And in the end, after all the bloodshed, peace - earned, not given.

Gameplay: Peak Gears

By this point, Epic Games had mastered their formula. The combat is flawless.

Refined cover and movement mechanics make every gunfight feel smooth and brutal.

New weapons like the Retro Lancer and the One-Shot add even more variety.

Lambent enemies change the battlefield with unpredictable behavior.

Squad-based tactics feel tighter, more intelligent.

And the pacing - from massive battles to quiet, character-driven moments - is pitch-perfect.

Multiplayer & Horde 2.0

If Gears 2 introduced Horde, Gears 3 perfected it.

Horde 2.0 added fortifications, upgrades, and a real sense of progression.

Beast Mode flipped the script - play as the Locust and tear through humans.

Versus Multiplayer was fast, tactical, and endlessly competitive. Classics like Checkout and Thrashball became iconic.

Characters: The Heartbeat of Gears Marcus is hardened but deeply human.

Dom is still grieving and searching for peace.

Cole Train brings energy and nostalgia.

Baird provides dry humor and intellect.

Anya finally becomes a soldier, not just a voice in your ear.

The supporting cast - Jace, Sam, Dizzy, Hoffman - each leave their mark. Gears 3 made sure every death meant something.

Visuals & Sound

This is the best the original trilogy ever looked. The environments - war-torn cities, underground labs, sunlit shores - are gorgeous and haunting. The Lambent glow with twisted beauty, while the Locust still look terrifying.

The score is unforgettable. Dom's final scene, the final credits - they aren't just music. They're eulogies.

Why It's a 10 An emotionally crushing yet hopeful narrative Incredible gameplay refinement and balance Top-tier co-op and multiplayer experiences Legendary characters given real closure A satisfying, cathartic ending to a beloved trilogy

Final Verdict

10 out of 10. Legendary. A farewell done right.

Gears of War 3 is the perfect capstone - the heart, soul, and spirit of the franchise in one brutal, beautiful package. It doesn't just end the war. It honors every moment, every scar, every loss that came before it.

You don't walk away from this game feeling like you just played another shooter. You walk away feeling like you lived through something. Something heavy. Something worth remembering.

Delta Squad. Brothers to the end.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Gears of War 3" (2011) is an epic and amazing video game in every possible way. It's a superb continuation and the end of the original trilogy - Gears of War. After competing this campaign for a first time now in 2022 i can only say - it was amazing game in every way.

I loved pretty much about everything in here. The settings were changing constantly, and they always felt fresh. Graphics were gorgeous, and i can only imagine of how incredible this game must have looked like playing for a first time in 2011.

Every set piece felt fresh and unique. Game takes you from one location to another, and they all felt and flew in natural way. I really liked Gears of War 1 and Gears of War 2 - but 3 in my opinion outdone first two titles. Gameplay is more or less the same, but there are some new ways to act in a world.

Story was involving, epic and just great. I liked this game for it being a game - no over convoluted plots, character interactions and etc. - Gears 3 delivered by simply being fun, superb action-adventure game.

The epic conclusion and ending to one of the best trilogies and the most memorable and celebrated sagas in gaming history. The father of the cover based shooter keeps the joyride up with tons of action, cool story with likable characters. This is actually the longest campaign. I feel that is good cause then I got more for my money and I am obsessed with and me and my brother had more laughs and longer playtime is always nice - but it became a little bit more tedious this time compared to the other two. However great game.

Gameplay: Gameplay is super fun, I absolute love the cover mechanic. And swapping between covers, running while crouching to avoid bullets brings a tactical feel. As usual there are not many guns but that isn't necessary. The guns we had feels heavy and awesome thanks to the sound and their function. I mean the Lancer and the Longshot are really satisfying. Enemies might not be smart but when they're many it can be challenging which is fun. The gameplay is the best part of this game, wow. A lots of action and a thrilling ride all the way through. But became a little bit tedious and repetitive sometimes gameplay felt way too long. But the boss fights. That was a challenge on Insane and Hardcore. The best one in all Gears and that's how you do a boss fight. An epic final battle, the boss fight is one of the best parts of the game. 9.2/10.

Graphics: Beautiful graphics for being 2011, still holds up today. I mean it looks so f**** good. From dark and gritty to colorful and bright colors. I think it actually were satisfying to see brighter colors, and characters look more detailed and realistic then ever. Environments may be small but the surroundings like buildings are really well made. The world we play as feels like Gears of War. Even with light colors it's a dark bitter tone. Beautiful graphics, amazingly build up world with environments and everything. Character models look good and real. Gears 1 was grey, Gears 2 was brown, Gears 3 is yellow. 10/10.

Audio: Voice acting is professional, the soundtrack is fitting to both gameplay, tone and story. I can almost pull a comparison to Star Wars but a little darker and more serious. I feel that the soundtrack is the great along with cool effects like explosions, gunfire and everything. 10/10.

Story: This is a bit more personal story which tells a more developed story for a few characters. Like Cole going back to his hometown and remembering his time as a Trash Ball pro and everybody loved him, and no everything is just gone. Marcus looking for his father and does everything he can to save him. And Dom who is yeah Dom who suffers after the huge tragedy, he's depression and suicidal personality is described well and we have gotten an emotional connection to him and can empathize with him. The personal parts are enjoyable to experience. It's less war this time and that can be uplifting storywise. The plot is also very dark and sad as usual. This one cuts deepest for me, god what a depressing story, what a depressing ending. The plot also gives us a final showdown were we the story also focuses on stopping the Queen - I mean finally! The story is so more developed this time with one of the best, most memorable and saddest scenes in gaming history. This one cuts very deep and the story is really really good. I know people complain about we didn't get any answers on the plot mysteries, like why the Locusts waged the war. Honestly that was a part of the story, leaving you there still with a lot more questions. In real life we don't get all the answers, there's still historical events that are mysteries and things we don't understand. I feel that was a good part of the story. It feels like the ending and when the credits rolls we are meant to feel empty and think: what did we accomplice? Beautifully done!

I love Gears 3. I played it in one sitting with my brother and it was the most enjoyable experience of them. I have a lot of memories from that night. Man what a brilliant game that deserves so much love.

10/10

this easily kicks the crap out of the first game, it's much more intense and the campaign is extended which makes it even more fun, the more the better am I right?, and the chainsaw kill is just as insane too, in addition to blood flying everywhere when you're chainsawing locust, their intestines also fly out and splatter onto the screen, hell yeah lol, and of course you can still see the locust's insides after you've dismembered them with the lancer or blown them to bits with the shotgun or the hammer of dawn, and their heads still explode when you blow them off with the sniper rifle. gears of war 3 is the most insane video game ever and yes it does top splatterhouse lol. I highly recommend this game to anyone who loves insanely gory action games

I was one of the lucky few that got to play GoW3 the first level on Ravens Nest at a screening for Game-informer Podcast. It is AMAZING how much things have changed, The graphics are much improved and the lightings are fantastic, Right from the beginning i noticed the story telling was more personal and had more emotion to it, Right after some storytelling the base was under attack by the Lambent and we were on our heels shooting whatever wasn't human, The pendulum lancer had a nice kick to it but i noticed its more effective Mid range, I don't wanna spoil anything so i just say that this game is gonna blow your mind, and you MUST purchase it if you want the conclusion of the story.