User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2035 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Nov 8, 2011
    9
    GoW 3 is an improvement over ever other GoW game in the series. The story is better than the other games, the graphics are better, and the gameplay (while remaining true to the series) has been tweaked with things like the retro lancer to really improve the mechanics and strategy of the game. Beast mode and Horde mode are welcomed co-op additions to the multiplayer experience and the hordeGoW 3 is an improvement over ever other GoW game in the series. The story is better than the other games, the graphics are better, and the gameplay (while remaining true to the series) has been tweaked with things like the retro lancer to really improve the mechanics and strategy of the game. Beast mode and Horde mode are welcomed co-op additions to the multiplayer experience and the horde mode is particularly well polished with the new fortifications-buying aspect. Naturally, if you didn't like previous GoW you won't like this one. But if you do, this will be the best GoW you've ever played! Expand
  2. Nov 7, 2011
    9
    Gears of War 3 is the most polished, fined tuned game of the series. Epic Games really has taken nearly every problem found in the previous installment and fined tuned it. The games more colorful palette of levels is beautiful and finally moves away from the dreary, dark shades of Gears 1 and 2. The multiplayer is the most addictive of the series, with dedicated servers that finallyGears of War 3 is the most polished, fined tuned game of the series. Epic Games really has taken nearly every problem found in the previous installment and fined tuned it. The games more colorful palette of levels is beautiful and finally moves away from the dreary, dark shades of Gears 1 and 2. The multiplayer is the most addictive of the series, with dedicated servers that finally eliminated the dreaded host advantage. The new weapons like the Retro Lancer and the Digger are welcome new entries into the Gears weaponry. The controls are tight and there is less times where I have been stuck on cover. The story has the classic cheesy-ness that Gears is known for but also comes with some very emotional surprises that fans that followed all 3 games will truly appreciate. Horde mode is a even more addicting mode than it was in Gears 2. With tower defense strategy and boss modes, it is a whole new beast. Beast was also a nice addition. Being the Locust Horde is one of the best parts about this game. For any shooter fan this is a must buy but new comers be warned, Gears still has a tough learning curve. Expand
  3. Nov 7, 2011
    10
    This is the best iteration in the series so far. It still has the great Gears feel, and a lot of value on one disk for everyone who buys this.

    Single Player- EPIC story, FUN campaign, likeable characters and the gameplay to boot. Multiplayer- I have never enjoyed multiplayer Gears, but this is the first time I have continued to play months after release. Great fun and very balanced
    This is the best iteration in the series so far. It still has the great Gears feel, and a lot of value on one disk for everyone who buys this.

    Single Player- EPIC story, FUN campaign, likeable characters and the gameplay to boot.
    Multiplayer- I have never enjoyed multiplayer Gears, but this is the first time I have continued to play months after release. Great fun and very balanced gameplay- definitely take some skills and getting used to, but well work the effort.
    Horde Mode and Beast Mode- again, GREAT fun. In both you kill wave after wave of increasingly stronger enemies- and it is extremely addictive. Overall- Highly recommended and should be considered for GOTY. A must buy for Gears fans and a must try for all others.
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  4. Nov 6, 2011
    0
    Worst game ever. I dont know what other exclusive to buy for my X box since this is the only major one this year. What a disappointment. Oh well, good thing there is another Halo coming. XD
  5. Nov 6, 2011
    9
    This was an outstanding game. The single player campaign was very satisfying. The multiplayer, both co-op and pvp is a blast. It is good to see this game evolve and improve over the three releases as opposed to stagnate like the Medal of Honor and BF series. I love the 3rd person view and the weapons.
  6. Nov 6, 2011
    9
    Gears of War 3 is the best game I own on my XBOX. That is definite. Since 2005, The Gears franchise has captivated my, and millions others imaginations. Although I had to wait till 2009 when I finally managed to get an XBOX 360 to play a Gears game, I had been avidly following them since they came out. Some may say that I'm a fanboy, but I am not. Thhis game is just perfect in almost allGears of War 3 is the best game I own on my XBOX. That is definite. Since 2005, The Gears franchise has captivated my, and millions others imaginations. Although I had to wait till 2009 when I finally managed to get an XBOX 360 to play a Gears game, I had been avidly following them since they came out. Some may say that I'm a fanboy, but I am not. Thhis game is just perfect in almost all aspects. I'll explain the almost later on.

    STORY - 9--------------------------------------
    Marcus Fenix and his beefed up friends are on the ship Sovereign, after the events of Gears of War 2 and the intervening novels. The story is very engaging in itself, and if you've read the novels, it'll be twice the fun. Key events and characters of the novels are introduced in the game, although the novels are still worth a read. Without giving too much away, I can say that there'll be a moment even more emotional than Dom and Maria's reunion in Gears 2. This 'moment' has been praised by many critics, and I'll side by them. It really emphasises that this is the last chapter in Marcus' story. Gears series veterans will get their fill, and although some questions still remain unanswered, it is still a blast.

    GAMEPLAY - 10----------------------------------
    The gameplay is perfect. I mean perfect. Right off the bat I noticed the improved controls, and although there wasn't anything wrong with the near -perfect controls in Gears 2, Gears 3 pales them by comparison. The variety is amazing. After battling through the guts of a Riftworm and riding Brumaks and Reavers in Gears 2, I thought that there was nothing that could out-epic it. But Epic Games has made Gears 2 look like a pre-release demo. You'll drop tickers on huge a Lambent Leviathan, fly 'Gas Bags Airways', ride in 'Baird's Favourute Kind of Toy', kill a Lambent Beserker and much more in the campaign. The new Lambent enemies are a blast, literally. The combat is more fluid, and almost every fight has multiple approaches. This is the ultimate Third Person Shooter experience.

    GRAPHICS - 9.5----------------------------
    Although not as good as the awesome Crysis 2, Gears is still one of the best looking XBOX games out there. The lighting engine has been improved tenfold. When you'll be slicing Locust in half with a chainsaw, and look at the world with your blood soaked eyes, you'll just want to stop and watch that perfect moment for an eternity. The level of chaos that the engine can handle has increased from Epic to Ultra-Epic. The FPS is usually solid, and is much better than Crysis 2, but can still slow down just for a second, although it isn't detrimental from gameplay. And of course, seeing someone's head blown to Kingdom Come just after you've squeezed the trigger on that Longshot, or them ggetting blown into pink mist after a One Shot shot, etcetera etcetera, never gets old. MULTIPLAYER - 8.5--------------------------------
    I realize that most of the people reading this will be from US, or Europe, or from China, Japan or Singapore. And that those people will never have any problems with connection. But in India, Trying to get a game is a nightmare come to life. The only times I have connected, I've had more fun than I've ever had in my life, but spending more time reading 'no suitable matches found' than being in the action, is not my definition of fun, exactly. The new Beast mode is great, and split screen works great, and the new weapons are awesome. And chainsaw is still alive and slicing. But if you live in any place where gaming isn't a very big market, be prepared to play with bots. But then, the bots are really, really good. Insane Versus with bots is way too good, and the only reason this managed to scrape an 8. But otherwise, the multiplayer is 'the ace of diamonds' in my book.

    LASTING APPEAL - 9.5------------------------------------
    The game has an excellent levelling system, with many ribbons and medals to be earned, mutators, characters, weapon executions (Shotgun golf, anybody?) and achievements to be unlocked. Insane difficulty is as tough as ever, perhaps even tougher, as the AI is much better, although how Epic always seems to improve upon 'Perfect' and make reviewers who gave their previous games full scores and said that this is the 'pinnacle of gaming' look like complete idiots, I don't know. And of course, there is Seriously 3.0, for the brave of heart.

    Overall-9.5---------------------------------------------
    | +Gameplay
    | +Graphics
    | +ACT III
    | +Epicness
    | -Connection problems

    The game is awesome, and multiplayer problems left alone, perfect. Do yourself a favour, run out of your house, get a copy, run back home, put the disk in, and enjoy.
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  7. Nov 5, 2011
    6
    Gears of War 3 has proven to me why I wont pick up a part 4. The story throughout the entire series has been terrible. Who wrote this game? Theres so much to tell but I dont want to ruin anything. i just dont get why you have to have a cutscene when going through a door. I mean serious and on top of that I lose my weapon when this happens. The only thing good about this has to be playingGears of War 3 has proven to me why I wont pick up a part 4. The story throughout the entire series has been terrible. Who wrote this game? Theres so much to tell but I dont want to ruin anything. i just dont get why you have to have a cutscene when going through a door. I mean serious and on top of that I lose my weapon when this happens. The only thing good about this has to be playing with friends in multiplayer and using the overpowered shotgun. Once again another game with unbalanced weapons with the exception of the sniper rifle and the magnum which kills enemies in one hit. I'm tired of this series and it should go away. Expand
  8. Nov 4, 2011
    9
    Gears of War 3 is simply freakin' awesome!! It has the best cover mechanic gameplay, gruesome gore, best graphics, and cool story. I think you should save up your money for Gears of War 3 because it is such a blast to play this game!
  9. Nov 4, 2011
    7
    Good conclusion to a stellar storyline. Multiplayer still a bit lacking though. Nothing improved from previous attempts. 4 player co-op rocks, and horde mode still stands strong. Beast mode was not as fun as I hoped it would be though. Overall a pretty good game and worth the bucks for the single player alone.
  10. Nov 4, 2011
    10
    Gears of War 3 has to be the most brilliant of any multiplayer game out there - on any platform. No other game rewards pure skill and technique as much as this. The ability to wall-bounce, stun your opponent when when mantling over walls, chainsaw, retro charge, etc, etc, puts the game head and shoulders above anything else. Played with friends it is an absolute blast and the unlockablesGears of War 3 has to be the most brilliant of any multiplayer game out there - on any platform. No other game rewards pure skill and technique as much as this. The ability to wall-bounce, stun your opponent when when mantling over walls, chainsaw, retro charge, etc, etc, puts the game head and shoulders above anything else. Played with friends it is an absolute blast and the unlockables make it all worthwhile. The single player campaign also does what no other games dare, these days: it ends the story, and ties up the loose ends! The graphics are stunning for a game of this speed and fluidity. One other thing about Gears in general is that, somehow, boss battles don't feel like boss battles (well, General Raam excepted) and that, in itself, is a blessing. Those who don't like having the developer played play the game for them will undoubtedly crown this as game of the year. Nothing else can compare. Seriously. Expand
  11. Nov 3, 2011
    9
    This game is pretty damn good. Nuff said. However, it got pretty repetitive towards the end and it was kind of a dread playing it back on insane, which was tough as f$&@. Gears 3 is the best one yet and is definitely a bang for your buck.
  12. Nov 3, 2011
    0
    Game is pretty repetitive and overrated lololol. I really do not understand the hype of this series. It is not that good. Vanquish is better than this. Vanquish is better than this and that crappy Uncharted. Oh lawd, 3rd person shooters SUCK !
  13. Nov 3, 2011
    10
    Gears os War seris is certainly one of the best series ever made. Epic Games should be very proud.
    The Game is certainly perfect, History, Narrative,Characters, Multiplayer, everything Just perfect.
    The Multiplayer is one of the most Fluid, Fast and Fun experiences i ever had. This Game is Just Perfect.
  14. Nov 3, 2011
    10
    I'm not a big competitive multiplayer person so after the campaign the first two installments didn't keep my attention that long. Besides being the best campaign in the series yet with the biggest variety of enemies and weapons it has improved horde mode to give it a lot more depth and beast mode is super fun too. if it's just not your type of game that's fine...but I don't know whatI'm not a big competitive multiplayer person so after the campaign the first two installments didn't keep my attention that long. Besides being the best campaign in the series yet with the biggest variety of enemies and weapons it has improved horde mode to give it a lot more depth and beast mode is super fun too. if it's just not your type of game that's fine...but I don't know what else you could ask out of a game. Expand
  15. Nov 3, 2011
    8
    i love gears of war . no doubt .Luv epic games .I have been playing it since gears 2 . The story ,graphics ,multiplayer (with offline multiplayer with bots for people not have internet),chracters every thing.Memorable story (i remember i every characters from gears 2).An awesome end to the gears trilogy
  16. Nov 2, 2011
    1
    I can sum this up in one sentence.
    Gears of War 2+.
    Bland and Repetitve. Overhyped due to being an exclusive to try and keep in the race with AAA titles such as U3. Brilliant game, just not a console seller by any stretch of the imagination.
    I own both consoles just to be fair before anyone jumps on me...6/10
  17. Nov 2, 2011
    7
    Not a bad game at all, for me it's the graphics, and the gameplay, solid effort, their are a few little issues here that dampen the experience here within the multiplayer aspect that negates the score. Worth a buy if you own an xbox360, as not many more exclusives to come, unless you own a kinect.
  18. Nov 2, 2011
    8
    It's a fun game if you can forgive the transition issues with the story, worth your time and money, oh and don't buy the recent dlc release it's free on November 24th.
  19. Nov 2, 2011
    9
    I have never played any other of these games but gears 3 is next to top of my best online games of all time. The campaign isnt big but its one that can be played over and over again to find all the collectibles or to complete with friends. Online versus has a very good range of games to pick from and all are unique to the game. Playing is very competative and gets very interesting a lot ofI have never played any other of these games but gears 3 is next to top of my best online games of all time. The campaign isnt big but its one that can be played over and over again to find all the collectibles or to complete with friends. Online versus has a very good range of games to pick from and all are unique to the game. Playing is very competative and gets very interesting a lot of the time. Horde isnt a bad mode by all means but it can get very samey after playing it a few times. The new beast mode is alike but it will keep some people trying to unlock all the creatures to play as. Overall gears 3 is much better than COD, even though the graphics are good but pretty dull and un-atmospheric a lot of the time. Expand
  20. Nov 2, 2011
    0
    This game has a fantastic story. However, the gameplay feels dated compared to most shooters like Uncharted 3 and Call of Duty. I prefer to PLAY games NOT watch them, though I must admit I love Professor Layton games. Anyway, the cut-scenes are incredible and the writing is top-notch. The graphics are unbelievable. I love the effects, and the graphic looks better than most games. ThenThis game has a fantastic story. However, the gameplay feels dated compared to most shooters like Uncharted 3 and Call of Duty. I prefer to PLAY games NOT watch them, though I must admit I love Professor Layton games. Anyway, the cut-scenes are incredible and the writing is top-notch. The graphics are unbelievable. I love the effects, and the graphic looks better than most games. Then again, graphics don't make a game. Gameplay makes a game, and this game is seriously lacking. This game kind of reminds me of MGS4, except MGS4 is a masterpiece in BOTH gameplay and cinematics. I commend EPIC for trying to balance cinematics and gameplay, but clearly they fell short Expand
  21. Nov 1, 2011
    10
    Me parece que la saga ha ido mejorando con cada entrega...los graficos, la IA, el multijugador, los escenarios...es definitivamente el mejor juego de la saga y un excelente exponente del genero
  22. Nov 1, 2011
    10
    This game is by far the best experience available on the xbox 360. the gameplay defined this generation of 3rd person shooters and it builds heavily on that.the story is very dramatic and has some of the best story telling techniques in gaming of course lines can be a bit over exaggerated but people are to focused on the small things. the graphics are probably about the best you'll get onThis game is by far the best experience available on the xbox 360. the gameplay defined this generation of 3rd person shooters and it builds heavily on that.the story is very dramatic and has some of the best story telling techniques in gaming of course lines can be a bit over exaggerated but people are to focused on the small things. the graphics are probably about the best you'll get on 360.....or any console. the gameplay is about as action packed and as cinematic as an AAA blockbuster movie.This game is everything you wanted from this generation of gaming and then some.10/10
    STORY:9.5 GAMEPLAY:10 GRAPHICS:10 SOUND 9.5 MULTIPLAYER:10 PRESENTATION:10 REPLAY VALUE: 11
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  23. Nov 1, 2011
    6
    Gears of War has the best third person gameplay in a video game ever. But this one doesnt live up to Gears of War 2. The story is a bit cheesy but there has been some improvements like graphics and multiplayer.
  24. Oct 29, 2011
    10
    Gears of War I: Introduction into an incredible trilogy, amazing mutliplayer experience for both pro and casual gamers and the only reason I bough an XBOX 360.

    Gears of War II: Better visuals (compared to GOW 1), yet Epic messed up the multi-player experience a little bit. Still, by far one of the best games I have played. Gears of War III: Dazzling visuals, very nice story, a variety
    Gears of War I: Introduction into an incredible trilogy, amazing mutliplayer experience for both pro and casual gamers and the only reason I bough an XBOX 360.

    Gears of War II: Better visuals (compared to GOW 1), yet Epic messed up the multi-player experience a little bit. Still, by far one of the best games I have played.

    Gears of War III: Dazzling visuals, very nice story, a variety of mutliplayer game modes which literally changed my XBOX 360 into a GOW3-only game console! While the original GoW3 game has a lot to offer, the are providing the gamers with incredible DLC at a reasonable price. This game is much more enhanced than the previous two and you will never regret buying it. That is of course if you are into third person shooter games. If you are, GOW3 is the best game you can get on XBOX 360 and probably on an other platform.
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  25. Oct 28, 2011
    10
    Wow, this game is so good, it stands apart from the usual shooter in that it has a unique, highly effective cover system, and in online matches you get one life, so it really forces people to savor their lives and work together rather than run around on their own like other shooters. If you played great games like CoD and Halo and are looking something with this type of change of flavor,Wow, this game is so good, it stands apart from the usual shooter in that it has a unique, highly effective cover system, and in online matches you get one life, so it really forces people to savor their lives and work together rather than run around on their own like other shooters. If you played great games like CoD and Halo and are looking something with this type of change of flavor, then Gears 3 is for you. Expand
  26. Oct 27, 2011
    10
    Love the campaign and multiplayer is also great. Great storyline, dramatic and fun to play!! would recomend this game!! I enjoyed gears of war 1 and 2 and i would say this is as good if not better that both!! 10 out of 10.
  27. Oct 27, 2011
    6
    same game after gears 1 and 2,great quality,beautiful graphics,awesome action but just run fire run fire all the time,story not as beautiful as expected,it is just a beautiful game
  28. Oct 26, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best games for the 360. The graphics are awsome. The story is great. The campaign has a very satisfying ending. The horde mode is awsome too!
  29. Oct 26, 2011
    9
    One thing that I can't stress enough is that you're easily getting your money's worth by purchasing Gears of War 3. There's so much content to be fully explored, accompanied with a ridiculous amount of time-consuming challenges and unlockables. As with all games, however, there is still a handful of disappointments, mainly with the campaign. Starting with the campaign, it is definitely theOne thing that I can't stress enough is that you're easily getting your money's worth by purchasing Gears of War 3. There's so much content to be fully explored, accompanied with a ridiculous amount of time-consuming challenges and unlockables. As with all games, however, there is still a handful of disappointments, mainly with the campaign. Starting with the campaign, it is definitely the longest one in the series. This, however, is misleading, as there are many situations that are merely used as "filler" firefights, consisting of you killing endless amounts of locust/lambent for no apparent reason in the exact same fashion over and over again. They're entirely unnecessary, and are only implemented to extend the campaign's number of gameplay hours. I enjoy locust/lambent firefights as much as the next guy, but the pacing and sheer amount of them becomes tedious and repetitive quite often. Epic also did a poor job explaining many of the events following GoW2 but before GoW3, as well as some of the new characters. Supposedly these details were explained in comics that Epic released, but honestly, that's a little absurd to include vital information on a separate piece of media that a fan MIGHT read. Overall, the story of the campaign was very enjoyable, save for the conclusion. The conclusion winds up being an extremely cliche and "convenient" ending, leaving me slightly angry. However, it's still a somewhat fitting ending and it essentially leaves no room for another game. Epic could, however, make some DLC for one loose end during the campaign, but nothing more than DLC. I was very impressed with GoW3's improved graphics, and the new lighting effects are quite exceptional. The multiplayer is where most of us will be spending our time, whether it be Horde Mode or Versus. Beast Mode is a great little addition, but I don't see myself playing it more than necessary in order to unlock awards. If you were a serious Horde fan from GoW2, you won't be disappointed. "Horde 2.0", as Epic calls it, is chalk full of additional tweaks and challenges that dramatically extend the abundance of things to do. It's still obviously heavy on the core experience, but fantastic new features such as "Boss Waves" are a sheer blast to play. The Versus Mode has been tremendously improved, using dedicated servers to prevent lag and so that host no longer has god powers over the game. The online maps are much larger than in previous installments, and I dislike at least half of them, due to the weapon-hording/camping that goes on, but they still work most of the time. I still feel that the Sawed-Off Shotgun is far too noob-friendly, removing any skill involved with actually aiming a shotgun. Granted, they have to be relatively close to pull off a gib, but with the way the maps are set up, it's extremely easy. The game keeps track of a huge variety of statistics, which is something that I desperately desired in GoW2. Versus does have some matchmaking issues that should be somehow fixed. Getting into games is easy enough, but the servers are more worried about throwing you into the first game it finds, rather than balancing teams. You'll quite commonly be thrown into games where no one on your team, other than yourself, is even above level 40, whilst the opposing team has no one below the level of 70. And it's not just the initial game where they'll be unbalanced teams; even after that first game's completion, the game will still constantly stack one team and leave the other with Sawed-Off wielding scrubs who have no idea how to play. Keep in mind that this is an EXTREMELY frequent occurrence, so expect it to happen more often than not. The positive thing, is that this only occurs in Quick Match Versus, whereas Ranked Match games will wait until the game is balanced before starting. The negative thing, is that on average, about 30,000 people are playing Quick Match at most given times, whereas only 2500-3000 are on Ranked. If you don't mind waiting for several minutes for a game start and you want to avoid the aforementioned issue, I recommend Ranked. Overall, Gears of War 3 is essentially the whole package. It still easily remains one of the top 3 shooters on consoles, the others being Halo and Call of Duty. It stays true to what made the original famous, and tweaks it to become a top shooter. If you even have remotely enjoyed any Gears of War games in the past, you should definitely pick up a copy of this one. It is the best overall in the series, and even if you're new to the series, it's another fantastic shooter that stands out amongst the rest. Expand
  30. Oct 26, 2011
    9
    Almost perfect.
    The campaign, Thanks to Jablonsky's music too, is epic.Maybe the ending isn't as good as Gears of War 2 one,but still, a great ending.Graphics are perfect, no one bug.
    Multiplayer is fantastic as well. No more lags, the match starts in a few seconds (minutes maybe) and it is a lot of fun. Horde 2.0 is just epic but sadly it lags more than multiplayer. There's no way this
    Almost perfect.
    The campaign, Thanks to Jablonsky's music too, is epic.Maybe the ending isn't as good as Gears of War 2 one,but still, a great ending.Graphics are perfect, no one bug.
    Multiplayer is fantastic as well. No more lags, the match starts in a few seconds (minutes maybe) and it is a lot of fun. Horde 2.0 is just epic but sadly it lags more than multiplayer.
    There's no way this game will bore you
    Absolutely must buy for every xbox 360 owner
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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 96 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 96
  2. Negative: 0 out of 96
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2011
    90
    An unmissable, unbeatable offering. [Dec 2011, p.95]