E3 2010 has 18 chronicles

1. E3 Inside Look: Gears of War 3
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Jun 20 2010

   By Zach Ellsbury
   June 19, 2010
   
   During the second day of the GoG's E3 2010 adventure, Ben and Zach were fortunate enough to snag fast passes into a private demo of Epic Games' newest entry, Gears of War 3. This demo, presented by several Epic producers and developers, gave the audience an up-close look at two intense features of the new title: full 4-player co-op campaign, and the new multiplayer offering of Beast Mode.
   
   Campaign
   The campaign for Gears of War 3 looks to be as action-packed and gory as its predecessors. Bullets are flying, bodies are exploding in bloody heaps, and the COG crew is still pushing on; however, it's easy to see just how exhausted the soldiers are. The COG is quickly approaching its last stand.
   
   The environment in the demo level felt brighter than usual, with the sun overhead and green flora surrounding the level's many ruins. As the 4 Epic demo players guide Marcus, Dom, and the two female additions to the COG team through the ruins, we were able to see the adjustments that were made to the combat system. At its core, the combat remain relatively unchanged; it's still the same GoW gameplay players have come to expect. However, subtle improvements to the mantling system, some variations of classic weapons, and a diverse selection of gruesome execution moves add a new shine to the gameplay experience. One of the most notable and demoralizing executions involves the player ripping the arm off of the victim, and continually whipping the victim in the face with his own arm for as long as the player continues to tap Y.
   
   After fighting several waves of Locust, the crowd was re-introduced to the newest enemy race in the series, the Lambent. These Lambent may originally have been Locust, but the mutations these creatures have undergone have given the Lambent increased strength, speed, and a very "explosive" personality. In certain situations, the body parts of the Lambent aren't always connected, either; if you destroy the body with a shotgun, the Lambent's head may still crawl along after you. The Lambent also aren't fond of the Locust, and fights will break out between the two races, giving the COG opportunities to slip by through the action undetected. As your ammo dwindles, it'll be important to look out for these opportunities.
   
   Overall, the campaign looks like it will provide an action-filled, enjoyable experience for you and up to 3 friends. No comments were made regarding the length of the campaign, but depending on well your team works together, it may take a while to make it through each act with your unit intact.
   
   Beast Mode
   The other mode that was demoed was the new multiplayer offering, Beast Mode. This mode is essentially the inverse of GoW2's Horde Mode, as players control the many different species in an attempt to eradicate the COG resistance in each wave. During each wave, players choose which Locust species to spawn as, and attempt to kill all of the COG enemies within the allotted 5 minutes. Almost all of the species are playable, including Tickers, Wretches, Kantuses and Berserkers. Players can choose a new species after every death, if they so desire, with each species having a different token spawn cost. Long-term strategy comes into play with the spawn costs, as players are only given tokens at the beginning of the match (additional tokens are earned via kills after each round). So, if player A continually spawns as a Berserker, he or she may do very well initially, but by the mid-to-late waves, that player may be out of tokens and be unable to spawn at all.
   
   The COG soldiers will provide varying amounts of resistance in Beast Mode. The Stranded civilians that have joined up with the COGs aren't very well-armed, and can be quickly taken down if approached strategically. Once the Stranded are down, however, you will encounter each of the COG soldiers themselves. The COG soldiers also have a few special tricks up their sleeves for you, including the Sliverback exosuit (complete with rocket launcher!). Be prepared for some challenging situations.
   
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   All in all, Gears of War 3 looks to be just as action-packed, intense and gruesome as the rest of the series, and the many tweaks and improvements will bring a fresh, yet familiar experience to the series' many fans. Look for Gears of War 3 on April 5, 2011.

   
   

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