Gears of War 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2035 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,606 out of 2035
  2. Mixed: 244 out of 2035
  3. Negative: 185 out of 2035
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  1. HungryHippo123
    Apr 15, 2015
    10
    This game was just amazing delivering excitement each time i played a new mission and is just great and enjoyed every second of it and it made me 100% the game, muiltplayer also has no flaws. A must own.
  2. TheQuietGamer
    Dec 28, 2014
    8
    The Gears of War series trilogy concludes with this entry and the people from Epic Games bring us another action packed experience. Subtle refinements can be found throughout, However outside of some expansion to the multiplayer element it doesn't do that much new for the series. Still this is one any 360 owner needs to check out.

    The campaign is exactly what you would expect from a    The Gears of War series trilogy concludes with this entry and the people from Epic Games bring us another action packed experience. Subtle refinements can be found throughout, However outside of some expansion to the multiplayer element it doesn't do that much new for the series. Still this is one any 360 owner needs to check out.

    The campaign is exactly what you would expect from a Gears game. The four-player co-op has never been better, but outside of a few new enemy types and some great set-pieces it doesn't really do anything new. However it is hard to complain when the action is this solid. It's still a heck of a lot of fun.

    The story behind it all is pretty solid as well. However the emotional moments fall flat due to the way these steroid-pumped heroes have always been presented. It concludes the series well though and manages to have some interesting twists on what we all thought was going on.

    When you're finished with the campaign the massive multiplayer will keep you busy for a very long time. Matches are a blast and the maps are well designed. The co-op modes steal the show however. Horde mode is back and bigger than ever. The beast mode is an interesting twist that puts you in the role of the Locust racing against the time during rounds. Whatever mode you play you are in for hours of fun.

    However multiplayer has one big issue nowadays; you have to buy all the DLC in oder to play on dedicated servers. Not downloading the DLC means no multiplayer for you. You can download the on free map pack and be able to play on host servers so it's not so bad. However in order to experience the full force of it you better be willing to shell out some cash for the DLC. Something to keep in mind if you are planning to rent this game like I did.

    Overall despite it's flaws this is a complete package. It's a fitting end to the story of one of the 360's biggest series. With action and content this tight, it would be foolish for any 360 owner to pass this up.    … Expand
  3. flametail23
    Dec 10, 2014
    9
    A great way to end the Gears Of War trilogy. Great amounts of gore and fun in this game. Play it, it's pretty cheap now.

    Verdict:
    An awesome game that ends the GOW trilogy very well.
    9/10
  4. JonnyBigBoss
    Oct 12, 2014
    8
    This is one of those rare games that strikes a balance of good single-player and multiplayer components. I found myself a bit uninterested from time to time, but the Gears formula that has earned it countless awards and tens of millions of units sold is here and better than ever.
  5. Bmastr
    Aug 9, 2014
    6
    I haven't played the Multiplayer-aspect of the game, since I am mostly just interested in the story and co-op-experience. Both me and the friend I played it with lost interest quite early the first time we played it, and it took two years before we picked it up again, and finally finished it. I think we both felt that the game didn't really bring anything new to the table, and it just feltI haven't played the Multiplayer-aspect of the game, since I am mostly just interested in the story and co-op-experience. Both me and the friend I played it with lost interest quite early the first time we played it, and it took two years before we picked it up again, and finally finished it. I think we both felt that the game didn't really bring anything new to the table, and it just felt too repetitive. Having said that, the game still delivers a really solid experience, and is absolutely on par with the previous games in the franchise.… Expand
  6. MrBlackSuit
    Jul 2, 2014
    9
    This is my first game of GoW series. This game is absolutely enjoyable and very good. Especially i laughed a lot for Cole. About story, its not boring and you want to play all day. And the ending i suprised very much. If you got a Xbox 360, you have to play this game. If you don't you will be miss a lot of things.
  7. Adus363PL
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ta gra to istny majstersztyk, tak jak dla Uncharted kupuje się ps3, tak dla tej gry warto kupic X360! Multiplayer, w którym nie zdobywamy nowych broni, a w którym liczy się nasz skill i umiejętności, obok Halo najlepszy exlusiv na x360!… Expand
  8. Bambe
    Jun 23, 2014
    10
    How sequels should progress, the level of polish on all the mechanics contained in this game, not to mention DEDICATED SERVERS finally! There are few co-op competitive shooters that are truly Co-op, and gears 3 can certainly boast that.
  9. harryjc
    Jun 23, 2014
    8
    This is a major improvement over both Gears of War 1 and 2. It's a nice conclusion to a well done franchise. If you're new to this series check out the whole lot. It's non-stop action.
  10. jdizzy
    May 6, 2014
    8
    Btw, Carmine lives! A good Saturday-night romp that feels like all those cheesy action movies in game form but in a good way. It's quite laughable how the series tries to act serious even though there's chainsaw guns and orbital death rays. They downgraded many of the guns and ruined the gorgon pistol. They thought most of the weapons were too overpowered for multiplayer so the hammer ofBtw, Carmine lives! A good Saturday-night romp that feels like all those cheesy action movies in game form but in a good way. It's quite laughable how the series tries to act serious even though there's chainsaw guns and orbital death rays. They downgraded many of the guns and ruined the gorgon pistol. They thought most of the weapons were too overpowered for multiplayer so the hammer of dawn has a smaller radius and a meeker beam. The lancer is extremely overpowered though, you can run through multiplayer and easily win the match simply by running and revving the aforementioned chainsaw gun. They talk about balancing even though the mortar (which actually is quite easy to obtain and can actually bomb half the map) mulcher , and Vulcan are easily accessible. You actually have to pay for on-disc, level-locked content as dlc. Most of the maps are pretty awful and so is the audio whenever you chat with headsets. Still, the active reload system is ingenious and so are the boss battles. Too bad that most of the shining stars of the weapon list are rarely accessible in campaign. It actually presses your tear ducts when Dom passes away. I could care less for the new characters.… Expand
  11. HATEPOLICY
    Mar 26, 2014
    9
    9/10

    GOW VET!
    Asides from one OP weapon,(Retro) this is the best in the series,
    Ignore all the boys who can not beast with out host now!

    This game STILL has dedicated servers!
    Horde is loads of fun also!
  12. Forgewolf
    Mar 23, 2014
    10
    The best Gears of War game ever! It's formula is near perfect, besides the sawed-off.. which thankfully no one really uses anymore. The only way this game could have gotten any better is if they included a map creator on a second disk. Community created stuff is always the best! Maybe next time?
  13. drlowdon
    Mar 22, 2014
    8
    Despite what at first appear to be only relatively minor changes and additions Gears of Wars 3 is without doubt the best in the series. New enemy types, new weapons and spectacular set pieces all help to keep things fresh especially when playing through the campaign with friends. For me the competitive multiplayer is still a bit of a waste of time as it doesn't compare favourably to CallDespite what at first appear to be only relatively minor changes and additions Gears of Wars 3 is without doubt the best in the series. New enemy types, new weapons and spectacular set pieces all help to keep things fresh especially when playing through the campaign with friends. For me the competitive multiplayer is still a bit of a waste of time as it doesn't compare favourably to Call of Duty of Battlefield but this is still a great all round package.… Expand
  14. Hello12
    Mar 6, 2014
    10
    Amazing game. Don't understand the negative reviews.By far the best multiplayer experience on 360. Its not a game you can just play once and be expecting to be good. Give it time you will begin to love it.
  15. JamMasterJayFan
    Feb 11, 2014
    9
    This is my favorite game on the Xbox 360. It may even be the best game I've ever played. The Gears of War franchise has always been near and dear to my heart, providing smooth and intense 3rd-person game play that is tactical as well as brutal and frenetic. I must have dumped 300+ hours into this game over the years. The campaign is one of the best I've ever experienced, offering a lengthyThis is my favorite game on the Xbox 360. It may even be the best game I've ever played. The Gears of War franchise has always been near and dear to my heart, providing smooth and intense 3rd-person game play that is tactical as well as brutal and frenetic. I must have dumped 300+ hours into this game over the years. The campaign is one of the best I've ever experienced, offering a lengthy (around 10 hours) and cinematic experience that impressed me on all fronts. Act 3 is one of the best gaming experiences of all time and warrants a purchase itself. The multiplayer is superb and refined, and the horde mode is better than ever. This game screams replay value. I got it the day it came out and I still play it today, 3 years later. This is truly one of the best games I've ever played.… Expand
  16. DonKnottsGhost
    Feb 10, 2014
    10
    I played Gears 1 & 2 and am super late to the Gears of War 3 party. No interest in getting a next-gen console yet so I'm getting caught up on titles I missed. Anyhow, Gears of War 3 is by far the most refined and fun entry into the series (and I loved Horde on GOW2). Great campaign and since the game now costs $15 or less I have no hesitancy in picking up all the DLC too, which has alsoI played Gears 1 & 2 and am super late to the Gears of War 3 party. No interest in getting a next-gen console yet so I'm getting caught up on titles I missed. Anyhow, Gears of War 3 is by far the most refined and fun entry into the series (and I loved Horde on GOW2). Great campaign and since the game now costs $15 or less I have no hesitancy in picking up all the DLC too, which has also been excellent. Only downside is that the people playing multiplayer are so good now that you will get annihilated fast, but I'm still have a blast playing private multiplayer matches with bots (who are actually quite formidable) to help me get my skills up and then try my hand against the pros. And Horde 2.0 (and even Beast-mode) are fantastic. This game has quite a bit of longevity which why there are still so many people on the servers 3 years out. No rush for next-gen when I'm still enjoying a 360 game this awesome.… Expand
  17. thegodfigure
    Jan 20, 2014
    5
    For all the "improvements" brought to the table in this game, they only manage to cheapen GoW's gameplay. The raw simplicity that made GoW2's multiplayer shine, is gone in this title. Any idiot can pick up the sticks in this game and play decent. The virtue is gone. This was an attempt to appeal more to the CoD crowd than it's core fan-base unfortunately. This was a disappointing end toFor all the "improvements" brought to the table in this game, they only manage to cheapen GoW's gameplay. The raw simplicity that made GoW2's multiplayer shine, is gone in this title. Any idiot can pick up the sticks in this game and play decent. The virtue is gone. This was an attempt to appeal more to the CoD crowd than it's core fan-base unfortunately. This was a disappointing end to the series.… Expand
  18. Tomgam
    Dec 31, 2013
    10
    Loved this game. One of the most amazing games of this generation. The storytelling gets you throughout all the game, until the ending scene. The gameplay is absolutely fantastic, fun and simple to understand. If you didn't buy it, DO IT NOW!!!
  19. etb444
    Dec 27, 2013
    2
    Seriously, this sucks. The graphics stink, the gameplay is old and the story seems like it was written by a person who has seriously no imagination. I can't express how much this game sucks. The only thing good about it (why I gave it a 2/10) is that the multiplayer is quirky, but decent enough. If you get this game give it to the person you hate the most in this world. This is the worstSeriously, this sucks. The graphics stink, the gameplay is old and the story seems like it was written by a person who has seriously no imagination. I can't express how much this game sucks. The only thing good about it (why I gave it a 2/10) is that the multiplayer is quirky, but decent enough. If you get this game give it to the person you hate the most in this world. This is the worst TPS I have ever seen.… Expand
  20. gowftw
    Dec 15, 2013
    10
    The greatest Gear game to end the epic series bound to keep you on your seat until the very last shot!!! With spectacular multi-player and the all-new-and-improved horde mode, you and your friends will have the perfect outing on one of the best games of its time. This game is truly a masterpeice, no more said!
  21. Krawbeard
    Nov 24, 2013
    10
    How can I compare this franchise to anything?

    I would say its like going to my favorite restaurant and finding new exciting dishes I love that just get better and better. The first one was an amazing debut to the series which truly gave glory to the exclusive games Xbox 360 has. The second one kept pushing the limits and testing new grounds with multiplayer, and the 3rd one was    How can I compare this franchise to anything?

    I would say its like going to my favorite restaurant and finding new exciting dishes I love that just get better and better.

    The first one was an amazing debut to the series which truly gave glory to the exclusive games Xbox 360 has. The second one kept pushing the limits and testing new grounds with multiplayer, and the 3rd one was indeed a very very good one... It was like a found the ultimate dish at this restaurant that I'll be ordering forever.

    Then of course Judgement came out which was like the restaurant I once loved took out all the amazing dishes I ordered and added nothing new. very disappointing.

    Anyways, Gears 3 is a must have for anybody who has an Xbox 360. Its also the most fun you'll have with your friends teaming up in the campaign which by the way is also fun Solo. The campaign's story is a great one filled with action, suspense and emotion all rolled together in a delicious gears of war burrito.

    Horde mode truly delivers the best multiplayer action to date. Its definitely a great addition that can be taken as a hardcore element when difficulty is raise to even a fun party game for your friends.

    Deathmatch and the like is ok, some may argue that's the best aspect of the game though i will say its only weak point is the gnasher shotgun and its ridiculous killing range/power which to me breaks the game to where I don't even touch those modes unless I've had a few drinks to not take it seriously.

    Trust me this is a true keeper for those who have a 360 and not worth any trade in value with tons of replay value as well.    … Expand
  22. timsim26
    Oct 15, 2013
    9
    the ultimate gears of war experience, A great story that perfectly ties the series together, perfected combat with a great addition of a few weapons and a load of content that can be played with friends. One of the best games i have ever played and it continues to to be the best gears of war game ever made. A huge list of unique maps as well as many added via dlc, horde mode is perfectedthe ultimate gears of war experience, A great story that perfectly ties the series together, perfected combat with a great addition of a few weapons and a load of content that can be played with friends. One of the best games i have ever played and it continues to to be the best gears of war game ever made. A huge list of unique maps as well as many added via dlc, horde mode is perfected and a load of fun with friends and the campaign is highly replayable due to the addition of arcade mode in that quest to out do your friends high scores.

    a perfect third person action game    … Expand
  23. Gamespro
    Aug 7, 2013
    6
    The game is good just repetitive and boring at times it just seems like for 8 hours they are throwing waves of grubs every corner you go it's pretty annoying,it was fun at times and I enjoyed this.The multiplayer is decent,but honestly I don't think it deserves a 91 metacritic score its more of a 75 or something like that
  24. Pickle
    Jul 20, 2013
    5
    Aaaaah... Gears of war...
    It could possibly be my favorite franchise from the xbox exclusive games, but this game just tends to feel and be really tedious while i was playing it, at first the gameplay it's pretty straight forward, nothing has changed since the last gears in terms of gameplay, and i mean nothing.
    The graphics are obviously appealing, obviously giving the fact that the    Aaaaah... Gears of war...
    It could possibly be my favorite franchise from the xbox exclusive games, but this game just tends to feel and be really tedious while i was playing it, at first the gameplay it's pretty straight forward, nothing has changed since the last gears in terms of gameplay, and i mean nothing.
    The graphics are obviously appealing, obviously giving the fact that the last two entries into the franchise where great, talking about graphics of course, even then the game really doesn't shine to the player at least in my personal experience, i don't know to what i can attribute the fact that the graphics just didn't knock me off, as some might say, they just felt bland and just un special, with nothing really unique that i could love.
    Aside from that the game starts becoming pretty repetitive at times, and this is because every aspect in the game, in terms of developing, hasn't been innovative or improved in any way.
    Aside from that the game never really feels like it's imposing too much of a challenge in any way, and oh believe is noticeable from a mile away, even on the hardest difficulty i found myself feeling like i was just plow ding through the game, i didn't even have to think how to approach to any given situation that the game was settling to me,
    "it was just go stay in cover", "peek when the enemies are taking cover and take them down", this just caused me to let a big "yaaaaaauuuuggggggg" out of my inner self.
    If you really wan't to know if the game was engaging or if it give me any kind of love towards the different characters that are presented through the story,(some new, some old), i really never in any other Gears of War entry have i ever cared so less to anyone that was new to the game.
    Every single character was bad, they were extremely tedious to listen, they break they entire to no little flow that you have in the game, and they are just plain simply bland characters, non of them says something that is truly relevant even in the most emotional parts that the game has to offer.
    They just never click.
    The story is another thing that bothers me the most, let's mention something about the Gears of War 1, and 2 stories, shall we?
    The Gears of War franchise has always been popular not only for his gameplay but for his story,
    in the beginning you really feel like the developers where actually trying in the sense that every single moment that was shown via cutscenes, was relevant, every moment count, either to add some context into the game or maybe to just try to explain to you the different perspectives of each character about the entire main plot of the game, or just plain and simple try to advance the main plot of the game.
    But this game just doesn't have that, even the most dreadful sequences and scenes that are showed in the game that are supposed to impact the player in some emotional way or another, just don't work at all,
    if anything they just annoy the hell out of you because most of them don't even seem to make sense whatsoever, but worse in this parts that are supposed to be shocking not only to the player but to the main characters in the game, they never move anything in any way at all.
    Nothing, cero, they can't care less if someone that's been carrying on the last two entries in the game just dies in one of the stupidest and nonsensical way's possible, doesn't matter to them, they just feel sorry for themselves and move along, and the death never since relevant nor to the game only but to the player too.

    Overall i really didn't have any sense of enjoyment as much as i was expecting from a gears of war entry.
    If they wanted to take a much more mature approach to the game then that's fine, but they can't keep old cheesy story blockbuster moments, and then next to that make one of the most important characters in the entire franchises die in an act of heroism.
    That just doesn't make any sense in any sort of context that you try to put it on.
    It just doesn't...    … Expand
  25. AlonsoFrag
    Jun 24, 2013
    8
    The story is not that good as the gears of war 2 story but they really make a good multiplayer to spend a lot of hours, the graphics are good but the characters personality is not that good.
  26. electriclight41
    Jun 3, 2013
    10
    My favorite entry in the series, Gears of War 3 is bigger, badder and more polished than its predecessors. The graphics are great, the story is rewarding and the different modes are a blast. It improves on everything you love about Gears of War.
  27. Sean15
    Jun 1, 2013
    9
    Amazing game, anybody who says different just go play a less unique unoriginal game because clearly this game is to complicated for you.
  28. WyattTheAwesome
    May 30, 2013
    9
    To me, Gears of War 3 is the pinnacle of the entire Gears universe. It took everything about Gears and made it better. The graphics for previous Gears of War tended to be dark, washed over colors that didn't provide a whole lot of stuff to look at and in its defense, Gears of War is set in a war torn world, but Gears 3 just made the graphics feel alive. There were so many more colors addedTo me, Gears of War 3 is the pinnacle of the entire Gears universe. It took everything about Gears and made it better. The graphics for previous Gears of War tended to be dark, washed over colors that didn't provide a whole lot of stuff to look at and in its defense, Gears of War is set in a war torn world, but Gears 3 just made the graphics feel alive. There were so many more colors added despite its setting and it worked wonderfully. The controls felt a lot better and I just had fun running around. The multiplayer is still not user friendly, but is finally balanced. If you want to use a lancer to kill people, you can. It just takes a little practice and if you want to use a shotgun, you can. The story is an epic conclusion to one of my favorite game series of all time and many tears were had during the campaign. It brought back horde, but added a fortification system in which you build barriers and turrets to help your fight against the locust. It also added boss battles in horde and added a new level of challenge. They made a whole new mode, beast mode, in which you play as the locust trying to kill the COG. Overall, it's the best Gears of the entire series and has great replay value. Worth every dollar you spend.… Expand
  29. savagejoe444
    May 29, 2013
    9
    Another great sequel to the series! This conclusion to the series is an absolute blast! The campaign is EXPLOSIVE, co-op is awesome, and MP (again) is a fun experience! To bad it didn't have the same "spark" 2 had and this being the (proper) finale to the series, unlike Judgement.
  30. houyi111
    May 10, 2013
    7
    Pretty much the same as the previous one regarding SP. Haven't beat it on insanity, since cannot find a friend who is willing to play campaign with me.
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
5
#5 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
4
#4 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 96 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 96
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 96
  3. Negative: 0 out of 96
  1. GameCritics
    Jan 18, 2012
    65
    Rather than the perfect end to a thrilling series, it seemed like the developers were afraid to take real risks with either the story or the gameplay of Gears 3.
    Read full review
  2. DailyGame
    Dec 12, 2011
    85
    Gears of War 3 is a solid game and likely worthy of the praise it's received. I just happen to think it falls a bit flat.
    Read full review
  3. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2011
    90
    An unmissable, unbeatable offering. [Dec 2011, p.95]
See all critic reviews »