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Gears of War 3 Opening Cinematic Hits the Web Hard

Matthew Sims — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:30:59 +0000

Besides just celebrating that Gears of War 3 had gone gold with cake, the folks at Epic have also released the opening cinematic for the game. Now I’m not 100% sure that this will be actual opening cinematic for the game, but it looks likely. Humanity is entrenched in war, Dom is still pissed about his wife, and there’s some fine ladies added to the mix.

The cinematic is entitled “We’re All Stranded Now;” truer words have never been spoken. Enjoy the video and get ready to win the war September 20th.

Gears of War 3 Limited and Epic Editions Detailed

Bryce Wilson — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:10:17 +0000

If you’re a die hard fan of the Gears of War series you no doubt have been waiting with open ears and eyes for any and all information on the special editions of the trilogy’s final installment.

Well, you can now rest easy and start saving money as Epic Games has today announced both the Limited and Epic Editions for the series third game and story culmination.

The Limited Edition ($79.99 USD) will include:

An Octus Award Box and Octus Service Medal – Replicas of the honors bestowed on Adam Fenix, Marcus’s father, for his work on the Hammer of Dawn.
Exclusive Unlockable Adam Fenix Multiplayer Character – Each Octus Service Medal replica is engraved with a unique Xbox LIVE code that is the only way to unlock Adam Fenix in multiplayer.
A fabric COG Flag – Proud colors that once flew above the House of Sovereigns.
The personal effects of Adam Fenix, including his “Last Will and Testament,” the initial Hammer of Dawn schematic, and other Fenix family mementos.

But if you want to go right out there you will be getting the Epic Edition ($149.99 USD) and with it you will receive:

A Limited Edition Marcus Fenix Statue – Designed by Epic Games Art Director Chris Perna and expertly crafted by the artisans at Triforce, this fine PVC statue collectible makes the ultimate living room centerpiece for any true “Gears” fan.
The Art and Design of Gears of War by Tom Bissell – Through unprecedented access to the Epic Games team, acclaimed author Tom Bissell (Extra Lives) gives readers an incisive behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most celebrated sagas in video game history with 96 pages of interviews, photos, concept artwork and more.
Infected Omen Weapon Pack — Custom multiplayer skins for the game’s five starting weapons; Lancer, Retro Lancer, Hammerburst, Sawed-off Shotgun, and Gnasher Shotgun.
All the contents of the “Gears of War 3” Limited Edition.

Both versions will only be available in short supply and are a must for any serious fan of Marcus Fenix and his adventures against the Locust and Lambent.

Check out this video that shows how these collectibles are crafted with Epic care:

If you didn’t play the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta, check out RipTen’s impressions by clicking here and see why we think it’s shaping up as a serious contender for Game of the Year 2011.

Gears of War 3: Looks Better, Plays Better, Is Better Than The Rest

Bryce Wilson — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:27:58 +0000

Jacinto has fallen, the Gears are on their back feet and on the run from a never ending enemy, but it’s only getting worse.

The Cog, humanity’s last chance at survival, has been disbanded and after the fall of Jacinto, the imulsion that once powered Sera’s cities has now infected the Locust, turning them into a vicious and deadly enemy; Lambent.

The story sounds, and will definitely be “epic”. Epic Games has worked tirelessly on turning the third and final game into something of such a high caliber that it almost feels like a brand new game.

Currently running on the Xbox LIVE service is the multiplayer beta, allowing players to sample gameplay across a number of new maps and game modes, with access to a number of new weapons as well.

Having played close to 20 hours on the first week of the beta I was extremely impressed by the fresh new feel to the gameplay. As an avid fan of both the first and second series entries, the heaviness and purposeful feel of turning and movement was almost overbearing and annoying, but it feels like the gravity and friction in Gears of War 3 has been heavily lowered, allowing the gameplay to take on a newer and more frantic feel.

But that’s where Gears of War has always shined. Those moments of panic, whether they be told through the always great Unreal engine, sound or storylines. Gears of War 3 once again has that awesomely gritty vibe, and Epic Games has captured perfectly the feeling of desperation as you fight against the Locust as the last defense between our salvation and annihilation.

This gritty vibe is projected like never before with new weapons and animations allowing you to see the conflict up close and personal, one on one. Numerous times during combat, the sheer reality of “I kill him or I die” inspired me to charge into the open, gunning the enemy down, before giving them a brutal execution at the courtesy of my enlarged fists. I’ve always found Gears of War to pump me up, and the third installation is certainly no different.

The graphical presentation looks brilliant, with the color palette appearing to be a lot more varied as opposed to the browns and greys that we saw quite a lot of in the last title. The player ducks, dips, dives, ducks and dodges bullets while running towards cover. Everything appears to be a lot more crisp, with the animations having a new found purposefulness to them. The character models are also vastly improved… for the win.

As I mentioned earlier, the gameplay feels a lot smoother and also seems to play a lot better. Moving around the environments was meddlesome at times in Gears of War 2, and it seems that Epic Games has refined the experience to make navigation feel a lot more natural whilst still making the cover system as intuitive as ever before.

Check out the new gameplay in action below.

Searching for matches has also been made significantly easier due to the new and improved netcode, plus built in search filters and game mode filters. It’s a system very similar to the one Bungie has been using since Halo 3, but it’s a welcome addition none the less.

Although the currently running multiplayer beta only offered Team Deathmatch to start off with, the game types themselves haven’t changed much. Team Deathmatch is still great to play with a party of friends, working tactically to annihilate your enemy, but the recently introduced King of the Hill is great fun to play on your own. Epic appears to have done a brilliant job of balancing the weapons online, too, with each having its owns pros and cons.

For example, the Retro Lancer is a weapon of mass destruction up close when fired from the hip, but trying to use it accurately over range and at speed is a futile effort. The new sawed-off shotgun is devastating when fired up close and from the hip, but lacks the ability to be used in drawn out engagements like the Gnasher.

All of the numerous gameplay changes might seem insignificant and minute when displayed on their own, but when viewed as one giant collage, they all culminate to create one of the finest examples of attention to detail I’ve ever seen in a game.

Quite frankly, it’s all good! Epic is a company that clearly has tried to improve upon each sequel and Gears of War 3 is no different. Gears 2 was better than Gears, and if what I’ve played and seen is to be believed? Gears 3 will be the best in series and may very well be a serious Game of the Year contender.

15 New and Awesome High Definition Gears of War 3 Screens

Bryce Wilson — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:40:26 +0000

Check out these 15 awesome and super high definition direct feed screenshots from the currently running Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta.

Featuring a variety of shots from both the Thrashball and Checkout maps, the screenshots show off the impressive graphical prowess that Epic Games has bestowed upon the final chapter in the Gears of War story and trilogy.

Gears of War 2 “Snowblind” DLC Map Pack Flanks Xbox 360 March 31st

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:42:15 +0000

The boys and girls at Epic Games have been working hard on some new DLC to extend the life of your Gears of War 2 purchase. Gamers will be able to get their grubby mitts on the Snowblind Map Pack, containing four new multiplayer maps (Grindyard, Fuel Depot, Under Hill, and Courtyard), March 31st for 800 MS Points.

Cold gas and hot lead don’t mix. Remember that.

Gears of War Roadie Run Retrospective

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:20:17 +0000

With the release of Gears 2 quickly approaching, I decided that it might be a good time for me to take a quick roadie run down Sera Lane — one that involves a three-hour “I refuse to accept no as an answer” road trip. Those who know me won’t be surprised, but looking back, even I wonder what the hell I was thinking.

When the first Gears was announced, I was probably one of the few people that hadn’t been aware of the game’s hype. Epic’s new IP was brought to my attention by a friend I had spent countless hours playing Call of Duty 2 with on Xbox LIVE.

He kept telling me about this “Mad World” commercial that I just had to see. I repeatedly brushed it off with responses like, “Yeah OK, let’s go play some more COD2.” Then one day while channel surfing, I stumbled on the commercial he had been harping about.

There haven’t been many gaming-related “oh shit” moments for me that took place prior to actually playing a game, but this commercial was certainly one of them. The Gears of War “Mad World” trailer combined a soothing melody with harsh visuals to create what I found to be a near-perfect balance of inner peace and outer chaos.

No less than ten minutes later, I was on YouTube replaying it over and over, and the next few weeks of XBL buddy chat consisted of me singing the Mad World theme song into the ears of my extremely patient online friends. The TV spot piqued my interest in the game, and it wasn’t long before I found myself reserving it at my local GameStop. Reservation? Check! Everything under control? Not so much.

I woke one morning (it was probably more like noon) to the sound of my cell phone alerting me of a new voicemail message. After playing the excited message from my friend, who had just got his copy, I realized that some GameStop locations were selling their pre-orders before others. A quick call to the one I had reserved my copy at opened my eyes to two things: 1) my GameStop had yet to get the games, and 2) GameStop reservations are not transferable to other locations.

My reservation was made at a location just outside of Boston, and while the location actually in Boston got the game, they wouldn’t honor the reservation I made at the other location. I was told, “Sorry, there’s no way you can play the game today.” Wrong answer.

I got on the horn and started calling every GameStop that I could find until I found one that was willing to help me out. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was about three hours away in Connecticut. So I gathered up some food and drink, hopped into my car, drove from Massachusetts to Connecticut, purchased the game, shared my story with a few Gears fans in-store, exchanged gamertags, got back in my car, and drove back with the following scene from Road Trip looping through my head.

Tell me not to play? I think not! After all of that, you would think I got home and played the hell out of the game, right? Wrong. I powered up my 360 and didn’t even make it through the intro tutorial before a sense of disappointment set in. It might have been the fact that I was exhausted, but I wasn’t really feeling the controls (which is funny looking back on it now), and so I powered my system down and didn’t play the game again for days.

Eventually, I got a call to take the game online and experience Gears multiplayer with some buddies. I never looked back. From that point forward, I became “Cole Train”, belting out “woot woot baby” after every kill. The controls, which where admittedly different, grew on me and became second nature. Anything that got in my way was greeted by a roadie run/diving roll combo, topped off with a shotgun blast to the face!

To put things into perspective, my friends and I spent an ungodly amount of time playing COD2 online, but even that paled in comparison to the amount of time we invested into Gears multiplayer. Innovative weapons like the Torque Bow, Hammer of Dawn, and Chainsaw Bayonet kept us coming back for more.

New maps were eventually released, and updates were made to fix some issues gamers ran into as gameplay evolved (i.e. sticky bomb abuse, roadie run exploits, etc.), but like any game, over time people moved on to newer titles.

Bethesda began their marketing campaign for FallOut 3, and I found myself comparing their initial commercial to the Gears “Mad World” TV spot, even going as far as asking readers which cinematic presentation they preferred. Around that same time, rumors began to circulate about a sequel to Gears (imagine that) and interests started to perk again. Nothing could be confirmed, and speculation set in that an announcement would be made at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.

It wasn’t long before I found myself in the front row of the Microsoft GDC Keynote, and as expected, the Gears sequel talk cut through the crowd like a chainsaw tearing open a Locust’s chest. I overheard a crew member for another site confirm that the game would be announced as he directed his camera man to “make sure he got the shot of Cliffy coming on stage at the end.” So, like any good blogger, I called the tip in to the home team and “Gears 2 Confirmed” hit the front page of our site.

Since then, a lot has happened. The dueling chainsaw feature we predicted from GDC was confirmed, and a slew of new features were revealed. Five-man team support, meat shields, revamped executions, new weapons, achievements, and an in-game achievement tracker have got the Gears community buzzing at an all time high.

With the original Gears of War “Mad World” trailer deemed an instant classic by many, including myself, Epic was tasked with introducing the world to Gears 2 with the same level of quality and cinematic flair. While different in its approach, the “Rendezvous with Death” trailer is both well-executed and multi-purposed as it prominently highlights one of the game’s new features: the meat shield.

In addition to the TV spot, Epic went all out with online and offline marketing as well. Unleashing splash page mystery images, developer diaries, and most recently sending various media outlets their own brand of giant decoder rings in the form of metal COG tags. With everything from Gears of War shoes, to books, to user-designed case mods, it’s obvious that Marcus and the boys are in high demand.

The game that was once referred to as “bigger, better, and more badass” by the lead designer himself may no longer be officially represented as such, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t be all of those things. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I am extremely excited about the Gears of War 2 release and will make sure that I’m fully prepared to terminate Locust come November 7th. See you online beeshes!!!

Title: Gears of War 2
Publisher: Microsoft
Rating: Mature
Content: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Platforms: Xbox 360

The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action in the sequel to Microsoft and developer Epic Games’ blockbuster action title.

Gears Branded “Shoes of War”

Justin Arnold — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:43:50 +0000

First there was the Lancer Assault Rifle replica. Now, for your consideration, the brain trust at Globe skate footwear bring you the Gears of War Special Edition Co-op shoe. Chainsaw bayonet not included.

The website declares that:

“Globe has teamed up with EPIC and their Gears of War video game, one of the best selling combat video games of all-time, to bring you a Special Edition Co-op shoe based on Globe’s Fusion Model. This one comes with a big pop of the Gears of War icon inside and out.”

What exactly is a “shoe of war” made of? It features spandex, breathable mesh, and kinetic EVA cushioning for flinging oneself behind strategic cover whilst taking fire.

The shoe is planned to be priced $70 – $80 and comes in sizes men’s sizes 5 through 14. Must have for the fashionable shod gamer – or 15-year-olds who have too bilked too much money from their parents.

No work yet on whether or not Gears commando Marcus Fenix has endorsed the shoe, but early word from his publicist is that “the triple stitching aids in the crushing of Locust trachea quite nicely.”

Have something you think we should show on Geeked-Out? Email it to us.

Source: globe.tv

CliffyB Calls Metal Gear Solid “Passive Entertainment”

Dan Landis — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:50:18 +0000

Cliff Bleszinski, lead game designer of Gears of War 2, cites Metal Gear Solid as the kind of game Epic doesn’t want to make. What were his exact words? Read on to find out.

In a recent interview with IGN, CliffyB was quoted in saying the following:

“Metal Gear Solid is our example of the game we’re not doing. Passive entertainment is on its way out.”

The story itself is just IGN’s preview of Gears multiplayer, which is interesting, but CliffyB’s quote kinda came out of nowhere. Am I sensationalizing this, or did CliffyB just totally dis Metal Gear Solid?

Source: xbox360.ign.com

UT3 for 360 to Feature Split-Screen, Exclusive Content, and GoW2 Preview

Dan Landis — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:20:53 +0000

The 360 version isn’t as far behind the PS3 version as most people thought.

Apparently, to make up for the lack of user-generated content, Epic has thrown in a few exclusive bits to the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III. Oh, and the disc will also contain a sneak peek at Gears of War 2.

The 360 version will offer 5 new maps and 2 new characters not available in the PS3 release, as well as the aforementioned split-screen mode. But maybe you knew that already. What you probably didn’t know, however, is that Cliffy Blaznats will also offer some color commentary on an exclusive, as yet unseen video preview of the upcoming Gears of War 2.

Does this make up for the near infinite possibilities of user-generated content like that found on the PS3 version of UT3? Mark Rein, vice president of the world (and Epic Games), had this to say:

“This is a great title and, with two-player split screen support and some very cool new content, Xbox 360 players should be thrilled with this fantastic version of the game.”

I’ll be the judge of how thrilled I am about your game, thanks. UT3 is set to ship July 7th for the Xbox 360, with a review most likely to follow shortly thereafter.

Source

1UP to Host Gears of War 2 Gameplay Tonight

Roly Reyes — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:29:21 +0000

The first bit of Gears of War 2 gameplay that we are to be treated to will be hosted tonight at 10:30 PST on 1UP’s video outlet GameVideos.

It is unknown as to what said gameplay video will contain, whether it’s single or multi player, what revelations will be had, or if we’ll even be alongside the good old Delta squad. And while I’m already pimping 1UP’s content, you may want to watch The 1UP Show to help ease the wait.

Check back later today for an update.

*Update* – Microsoft has announced that the footage will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace from from 7am BST on May 10.

Source: 1UP, Image, Videogamer.com

Final Fantasy XIII, Gears of War 2, Motorstorm 2, Alan Wake at GDC 2008?

Patrick Steen — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:33:45 +0000

What games will be at GDC 2008? The infamous Surfer Girl says three of the above titles will be there, along with four more “definites”. We can confirm six others.

In a response to a poster who asks what games will be at GDC this year, Surfer Girl says “YES” to seven games. These games are MotorStorm 2, Alan Wake, Too Human, InFamous, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone 2 and Gears of War 2.

There are three other games that might possibly make it to the event: SOCOM PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4, and WipEout HD.

Unlike last year, Sony and Nintendo won’t be having keynote presentations, so it might be wishful thinking to expect anything on the scale of Sony’s reveal of Home and LittleBigPlanet.

On the other hand, there is a Microsoft day booked for Tuesday, along with an hour long Microsoft keynote. Big things could be coming from the Xbox camp.

What games can we confirm for GDC? Mercenaries 2, Far Cry 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and Battlefield: Bad Company.

In addition to these, Square Enix will be presenting their Final Fantasy XIII engine, and three big Fable 2 secrets will be revealed. You heard it here first.

Make sure to come to Ripten for all of your GDC coverage.

*Update* - Surfer Girl has since retracted her predictions, blaming sleep deprivation for her original outburst. Please read about this here, along with further titbits on what will be at GDC’08.

Updated Unreal Engine 3 Demo at GDC ’08

Roly Reyes — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:35:42 +0000

Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 has an almost unending list of clientèle, from Epic’s own Gears of War, to 2K Boston’s critical darling BioShock. Epic’s experienced engine is now on its way to this year’s GDC and with it comes a number of upgrades.

Current and future UE3 clients will be eligible to witness these latest upgrades and enhancements within Epic’s expo suite at GDC.

The first presentation on February 20th will see Epic Games’ Programmer Martin Sweitzer dropping some programming edu-mi-cation on your ass, followed by an Unreal Tournament 3 postmortem two days later presented by President Michael Capps and Producer Jeff Morris.

You can look forward to GDC ’08 coverage as it happens here on Ripten.

Source: Next-Gen.biz