Gears Of War 3: Things to Do List & then some (Tempo Style)

Yes the fated E-Day for Gears 3 is almost upon us! September 20 looms large over all other dates so anniversaries, birthdays and everything fade into something known popularly as 'huh?', and many a boyfriend, husband and father end up in something known as the 'doghouse' - some girlfriends, moms and wives too. Gears addiction is equal opportunity.

So in prep for E-Day here's your To Do List:

• Get and play Gears of War 1 and 2 - they're on sale so now's the time (by now all special editions are like honest mechanics - hard to find)
• Get and read all 4 Karen Traviss books - Aspho Fields, Jacinto's Remnant, Anvil Gate and Coalition's End (Hardcover for the latest is available on just about all book portal sites like Amazon as well as paperbacks for the rest - ebooks are also available via iBooks and other vendors, but availability depends on region)
• Get and read all the Gears comics, 19 issues in all so far - but 5 more issues in a new 6 arc series will be released one at a time up to the time of launch. The Comixology app is the key, available on iPhone, iPad and even through your web browser. You can also get issues 1 through 12 in 2 hardcover books.
• Get Ice-T's playable character, Griffin, on the Gears Facebook page
• Download Ice-T's Gears of War anthem on iTunes
• Watch all the trailers and videos (not the leaks on YouTube!!!!) See a couple of the latest below
• Acquire the exclusive Gears XBox controller and console...if you can
• Get close family and friends gifts and bribes due to your anticipated absence from...everything

More news, videos and other cool swag are constantly pooping up so keep your ears stuck on Game Hedz, Epic and the Gears FB page.

Oh, the guys at Play-Asia say they will have the game by launch date, but you know how it is, there are ways and means ;). Ahem, but keep it legal why dontcha!

Otherwise, check out all the multiplayer maps here and watch 20 minutes of Gears 3 walk-through footage with Rod Fergusson below - look out for the character that is no doubt built on Rod himself:

Then Some

Yea, so here are the videos for Shadowgun and Epoch, upcoming iOS titles, as mentioned in Tempo's September issue:

Let us know what you think!

http://tempoplanet.com/

Gears of War: Coalition's End Review (spoiler alert)

Gears of War is all grown up

This is probably the best of the series so far, and it scores high for its depth and realism. It brings the COG universe to life by depicting the political, emotional and psychological battles of communities and individuals on the brink of extinction. Yes, lots of blood n' guts action, but Traviss takes us deeper into the Gearsverse by giving us a closer look at the chronological and emotional histories of the characters, Dizzy and Mataki in particular, resulting in an even deeper investment in all the characters and the ultimate fate of Sera. We follow the plight of the COG as they eke out an existence on Vectes in present day Sera, and witness a series of flashbacks from the end of the Pendulum wars through E-day, and the years after, primarily through Dizzy's and Mataki's eyes, though we get a glimpse into Cole's story as well. The New Jacinto refugee nation is fighting a losing battle against mysterious stalks erupting all across Vectes and Sera, lambent insect-like creatures called 'polyps' and a rapidly mutating enemy that now infects animals like dogs, sea creatures and cows. The political tension between the COG, UIR refugees, Vectes residents and Stranded is also very well depicted. 

There's a great recap of the Gears chronology so it could be read standalone without reading the previous books/comics or playing the games...but why would you want to do that? It's a complete experience. 

The relationships

While much of the book features Mataki and Dizzy's perspective and history, we learn about the genesis of Cole and Baird's relationship and see the possibility of romance in Dom's life as he wrestles with Maria's memory. The novel is emotionally charged and there may be a couple moments where something will 'get in your eye' as there is incredible weight placed on the relationships throughout, even between Fenix and Hoffman (who himself finds love). Don't get me wrong, it's not a romance novel, but the dissolution of the COG heralds the end of the campaign and story for the reader, as much as the end of an era for the characters. So, touchy-feely is expected, but its treatment is appropriate.

Prescott is featured more, as is the power struggle between himself and Hoffman. Prescott is set up to be either a snivelling coward, or a Snape-like hero. But that remains to be seen. Don't look for a lot of answers here, you will finish with a lot more questions, as it should be. This, after all, is a preface to the final Gears campaign, so the answers are ahead of us. All the more reason to get the game!

A great deal of mystery is successfully built through the story (primarily surrounding Prescott and Marcus to a lesser extent), both in terms of the overall plot (where did the lambent come from, where will the Delta end up, what's going to happen to Sera), and involvement of Marcus and his father in the locust/lambent menace. We don't even really learn that much more about Marcus and Anya's relationship, though it seems they are an item, so they are a bit of a mystery themselves, even to their peers.

No, Adam Fenix does not turn up in the book, but one wonders if an unexplained data burst picked up on the refugee's comms channels doesn't have something to do with the elder Fenix (whom we know appears in the final campaign). 

It's gripping, touching and sometimes funny, and that's what makes it such a well told story. A little bit of everything, though the prevailing sentiment may be closer to desperation, given the circumstances.

What does it all mean for the campaign/multiplayer?

• The high profile of Mataki suggests she will, or should, be a playable character (likely in the multiplayer - and maybe with the UIR sniper rifle).
• Heading to Anvil Gate could be part of the campaign story - but the many possible destinations justify a longer campaign. 
• It wouldn't be suprising if some playable Gorasnyan characters turn up - they are an endearing bunch of savages.
• New lambent beasts suggests more than the familar mutated locusts, but rather we may also see some feline, canine and maybe even bovine inspired creatures.
• Given the importance of King Ravens and nautical travel, it's likely these will figure into gameplay.
• The sparsity of focus on Marcus' story suggests it will all be revealed in the campaign. It has to be anyway.
• Inevitably, some of our favourite characters will die. The ending of the book - a genuine cliff-hanger - may point to that. But you know how these things go.
• The density of the universe allows for several new routes in terms of novels and games. With the COG dissolved and scattered, each group is a potential story, as is the intriguing Stranded, who seem to be thriving. Not to mention the adventures of Baird and Cole, or even Alex and Sam.

The conclusion

Get it, get it now. I pre-ordered the iPad ebook for £11.49 on iBooks, but see it advertised for £4.49 now. 

Score: 9/10

Karen Traviss' Coalition's End Arrives to the iBookstore & get the entire comic series on Comixology!

Here's the evidence!

Front page of Traviss' book in iBooks

The fourth in the series of Gears novels by Karen Traviss, this picks things up on the island of Vectes where the remainder of the COG army has taken refuge. They've been attacked by new species of Lambent locust and things are only getting worse. The idea is that this novel will take us up to the beginning of the Gears 3 campaign. GameHedz recommends all the novels and comics - they are all pretty good - though we personally prefer the Traviss written comics, Ortega also does a decent job. 

Coalition and Anvil Gate (4th and 3rd novels respectively) are available in e-book form outside the US, but so far the first two books, Aspho Fields and Jacinto's Remnant, are only available in Canada and the US. Certainly not the UK, so far. It costs £11.49 on the iBookstore.

We also got the entire comic series from the Comixology iPad app. They go for £1.49 each and up to this time were at issue #18. Here's the latest cover below. The series starts out with more recent events after the Gears 1 Lightmass bomb then works backward through flashbacks in latter issues. Issue #18 details the ending of the Pendulum Wars complete with a young, fresh-faced Marcus Fenix and other beloved characters.

Comixology also has an iPhone app, and you can buy and read the comics through your web browser.

Issue #18 cover of DC's e-comic

The Changing Faces of Gears of War

Is it just me or does anyone else notice the evolution, or inconsistency, in certain characters in the Gears series?

Firstly, I love Gears of War, so this is more of a curious observation than criticism. But the two characters that seem to be victims of changing character design, physical models or forgetful designers are, Anya Stroud, and stranded leader, Franklin.

Take Anya. Her features, when introduced in Gears 1, are radically different than in Gears 3, not so radical from 2 to 3, but different enough. Check out the pics below.

Anya makes her first appearance in Gears 1. High cheek bones, almost chubby cheeks, rounded nose, dark eyes.

Here she is in Gears 2 looking more Cameron Diaz-like - note the upturned nose and pouty lips, slightly sunken cheeks and light brown eyes.

Gears 3 Anya - her eyes look blue here as opposed to the brownish tinge. The nose is no longer upturned. Her face seems a bit longer and narrower, and the lips aren't as pouty. No high cheekbones or chubby cheeks of Gears 1. 

Suffice it to say, Stroud looks different every time. Why? I don't know. I don't get the impression anyone has ever asked. Have any preferences?

Now Franklin. Being a minor character, his pics are harder to capture or find. But in the stranded camp where Dom 'borrows' his Junker, he towers over Dom, staring down as Dom pokes him the chest, calling in a favour.

Gears 2 deleted scene Franklin, shorter and just different from his long plaits and clean shave in Gears 1 below

Gears 1 Franklin

In the deleted scene, Road to Ruin, we are surprised to meet Franklin once again, but a shorter version that hugs Dom when freed, a good 7 inches shorter than his Gears 1 incarnation. That and his features have also changed from hairdo, facial hair and dress. He just looks like a different guy.


One possible explanation for the changing faces could be the advent of a Gears movie. If casting is being done, then maybe, just maybe, Epic is modeling the characters off of the selected cast. Just maybe.

In general, however, the characters remain pretty consistently characterized throughout the series. In Gears 1, the main characters (Dom, Marcus, Cole Train and Baird) all tended to have the some kind of body and look, but in Gears 2 their features and musculature were more distinctive. Gears 3 seems to have really properly defined the physical characters, as much as their stories and personalities. 

Just something to think about.

E3 2011 - Gameplay Video Highlights

See the pics of the Fenix statue here: http://epicgames.com/community/2011/06/the-gears-of-war-3-display-at-e3/ 


Gear 3 Co-op with Ice-T

Gears of War 3 Horde 2.0, Lester 'Cole Train' Speight & The Cleaver

Mass Effect 3 Gameplay - with Kinect!

COD Modern Warfare 3 NYC Gameplay

                      El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron

Tomb Raider 2012  


Bioshock Infinite



Battlefield 3 Thunder Run 

Gears 3 Campaign Trailer: WUHUHUHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! That is all...

Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Beta & Remembering the Campaign (ya there's a campaign)

The rest of the lucky few who pre-ordered Gears of War 3 got through the multiplayer gate today, and here's what I think: In a word? BUYAKA!!!! That's Jamaican for 'BRAAP BRAAP!!!!!' and that's Jamaican for 'absolutely spiffing!!!'. This is an amazing iteration of the Gears multiplayer platform. After all the palpitations and hyperventilation I settled into the game with my GOW Clan and kick butted...and got lots of kick butting.

First scintillating presages of boom thwackery

By now you've read all the reviews, and really what more can be said right? Well I have two main points

 1. If it's this good, the final version should be beyond spectacular

I mean it. The weapons are exciting and powerful - everyone one will have a favourite but I love the Retro Lancer. It's rugged, powerful and the bayonet  charge is the most intuitive attack action in the game, followed by the vaulting kick. But the maps are really great from the textures and layout to the delicious detail. Most folks prefer Checkout, and now I understand why. It's compact (which makes for exciting combat) but more so it's easy to navigate. Trenches, Thrashball and Old Town are equally as good, but require more teamwork and skill. That's the central reason for the general consensus on Checkout. I think after a while preferences will change to maps that have more dynamism, like Trenches and its sandstorm and multi-leveled landscape. Overall the battles feel more fierce, smoke grenades are smokier, ink grenades are inkier and everything feels harder and more war-like. Awww yissssss.

Epic will have lots of feedback to work with and mine would be this: while most like Checkout now, resist the temptation to use it as a template for other maps. I didn't initially like  Pavilion (Gears 2) because its layout caused teams to lose touch and scatter. But that is part of the challenge - manage the terrain and your team. Now, I love Pavilion, as my own skills improved along with teamwork. Generally, Epic must be careful about what they listen to and ignore. But the great thing is these are only 4 maps! I'm excited because there will be tons more to choose from and likely more surprises and innovation in the weapons department too. 

What is clear is that Epic is paying attention to detail. Other clever additions, like fairly audible footsteps warning you of an oncoming enemy/bayonet charge, make the game less about chance and more about combat and skill. Good job. 

2. If the multiplayer isn't perfect, we'll still love it, and remember: THERE'S A CAMPAIGN TOO!!

Cliffy B made a point to reiterate how much it means to Epic to 'get it right' with the multiplayer. And we appreciate that. But any Gears fan will tell you that Gears is not a multiplayer; it's a story. What made me most excited about the multiplayer is the possibilities it telegraphed for the campaign. Based on the weapon-play, landscapes and environments and continuing excellent character design - this campaign will truly be the bashment to end all bashments (that's Jamaican for 'bashment'). 

Michael B. Jordan, the new Drake...I mean Jace

Gear Heads consider the integrity of the story, the consistency of design of the universe, the voice work and the appropriateness thereof to character design and the ultimate outcome of the story (which is being set up for Dom to die in my opinion). The recent announcement that rapper Drake won't be playing Jace Stratton, was a bit of a curveball after all the publicity around Drake and the role. It doesn't seem to have caused any ripples, but Gear Heads will be paying attention. Actor Michael B. Jordan will be giving his voice to the Gears character. 

I know Epic hasn't forgotten about the campaign, but all the focus on the MP could suggest it's taken a back seat. It shouldn't. There's a 4 way campaign to look forward to, and if Epic has been paying attention to what games like Dead Space and Mass Effect have been doing, they'll give us more than a deleted scene; they'll give us subsequent DLC that keeps us playing the campaign over and over, or at least gives us something new to engage us outside of the MP and a couple new maps. The new chapters and characters introduced in Mass Effect and Dead Space were master class moves. Pay attention Epic. What happens in the campaign will affect how the franchise is viewed as well. Epic has gameplay down, we trust them to give us that in the campaign. But these characters are heros to Gears fans now. What happens with them will be just as important, if not more than the MP. We can get emotional about the Squad (no I didn't cry when Dom euthanised his wife, why would you think that!). 

Nuff said. I've pried myself away from the Beta long enough!

Gears-3-Multiplayer-Beta-Limbo is Almost Like Waiting-on-My-iPad 2-Limbo

Yes I am in Limbo with, arguably, two of the most wanted items of 2011. 

Precious metal

I pre-ordered my Gears 3 a few days back, just to see if I could, by some miracle, enjoy the MP Beta that started, officially, on April 18 for Bulletstorm Epic Edition owners. Now the risk I took is that I'm currently in the UAE, and we are kind of off the map when it comes game launches etc - it may not even be available in our region. But the benefit of being overlooked is that sometimes they don't block access. If I get a code it will be sent via email tomorrow, the 21st of April (and I can join the festival of blood spatter on the 25th!). 

Admittedly, I was really tempted to see how I could nab my friend's copy of whatever it was he nabbed that allowed him to play the Gears MP Beta on the 17th (ahh bootleg world where would we be without ye?)! But I thought - I really shouldn't. But (and there's always a but), if I don't get the code tomorrow...I think I really should. But that's just a thought, nothing more! I am a law bitin' citizen. Wish me luck, I made this sacrifice for all UAE Gear Hedz, but this is longest wait ever, followed only by...the longest wait ever: iPad 2 delivery. 

Toying with our emotions...nnnnnyah!

The iPad officially arrived at UAE Apple resellers and dealerships just about a week before the iPad 2 was launched in the US. But the 'grey market' in the UAE had the iPad at the exact moment it launched everywhere else - same for the iPad 2, but for more than twice the price. So, I was not going to service the grey market, because I have grey matter. Buying it from the UK and getting it shipped here will likely cost less than the bloated costs here, and that's including my smart cover and avi adaptor! Still the price one pays for such prudence is equal to the gestation period of a 20 pound baby that's three months overdue. It's been a tough pregnancy. The hot flashes, the nausea, the irritability, the frantic and obsessive checking of email and due date. 

Not just for me though. Judging by the over 2,000 posts and 300,000 views of 'iPad 2 Shipping' thread on Apple's community support site - there's a lot of iPad anxiety and iPad envy going on. The begrudging inner twitch at those who have enjoyed successful deliveries and share with cavalier glee about the wonderful times they and the new addition to their family share. Sigh.  I would not want to be Rob the customer service guy right now (thanks for the update Rob) cause he get's the brunt of all the pent up resentment at the perceived neglect of delivery room staff. 

Anyway, I wait impatiently and with much nervous energy for the advents thus! Of course, after all the excitement, I'll have to go through it all again for Gears 3 in September, and maybe, the iPad 3...in September. Rumours abound. 

Jah guide.

UPDATE:

I got the Gears 3 Beta code just now, but have yet to try it out on XBox Live. I have been told that it can only be accessed by VPN, but I don't know how to get that done on the XBox yet. If anyone has any suggestions....

Gears Multiplayer Beta Guide - Courtesy of IGN - Let's Give Epic The Region's Feedback!

More Gears of War 3 Videos

Are you in the UAE/Middle East? Do you have access to the Beta?

Otherwise, have you gotten access by 'other' means apart from Bulletstorm or pre-order?

What do you think of the Gears 3 multiplayer so far?

Leave a one sentence review and your score out of 10!

The Next Gears Of War: The 'Cole Train' Story!

Well to be honest I really don't know. But I have two very good reasons for concluding that the next adventure in the Gears universe will revolve around Augustus Cole's character.

Thrashball Cole - an achievement in badassity

1. Cole is the man. Let's face it, Cole is the most colorful and entertaining character of the four mains, as much as we love Marcus, Dom and Baird. But, the franchise is Marcus' story and we have delved pretty deeply into Dom's as well, so there's no reason to continue with their story lines. Cole is the next natural choice, and he has the dynamism to hold the spotlight. Shoot, he kinda stole it already.

Bling Cole as revealed on the Jace Hall Show

2. Gears 3 is very Cole heavy...so far. We've seen a real shift to all things Cole Train in the run up to Gears 3. Two maps in the Multiplayer Beta are Cole-focussed: Thrashball and Checkout. Thrashball is obvious, Cole being a Thrashball superstar, and Checkout is at a mall in Cole's hometown, Hanover. Add to that the Thrashball Cole unlockable character and the urban, Bling Cole, revealed on IGN's Jace Hall Show, and we have a set up for a Cole Train Gear's spin off. Simples.

Truth is we don't know much about Cole at all, from the perspective of the game. But it's obvious he's a much-loved character and the guys at Epic have been investing a lot of their design time into the Train. Must be for a reason. 

I reckon it will be the Baird/Cole adventure with Cole taking point and Baird as the wing man, a la Fenix and Santiago. Just remember, ya heard it hear first! If I'm totally wrong then...I always have a delete button. 

I'm all for it. How bout you?

Gears of War 3 - The delay, the wait and the future

So we were all looking forward to the day in April 2011 when GOW3 finally found itself nestled spinningly in our XBox machines. That won't happen till the fall now, not Cliffy's fault but a commercial decision to make GOW3 the season's big seller. 

The consolation prize is, however, a beta version of the multiplayer which we'll be able to test online. That'll do pig, that'll do. Now it's safe to say all GOW fans are still pretty peeved at the delay, but at least we have the teaser to keep us going.

The question is, however, what do we do after it's all over? I have a few suggestions and maybe you will have some too. Feel free share.

1. A prequel. Most obvious, take us back to E-day or even the Pendulum Wars. I favor the former as the Locusts are central to gameplay. I don't think I'll dig fighting/killing humans as much (that'll make it more like the Earthbound titles like COD or MOH). 

2. A Cole 'Train'/Baird series? Now I'm not sure how a story without Marcus would fly, but these two characters have enough charisma to carry a game, and with a little fleshing out and backstory we can add depth to their exploits. Of course one could build a game around Dom and family too. 

3. A fill-in-the-gaps Cole/Baird DL. Might sound weird but I wouldn't mind playing as Cole and Baird on the missions they took on while we played as Dom and Fenix in the first two instalments. Gap fillers have a lot of potential and could include games based on the gaps between each game. 

4. Retrofitting. I can foresee anniversary editions of GOWI with reconstituted visuals - suped up and with new scenes or missions. The deleted scene was a great addition to GOWII and could be a great survey of how similar supplements can be incorporated in any or all of the instalments and any time. This is cool and doesn't necessarily change the integrity or flow of the game as we now know it. 

5. Online innovation. Epic already gives us plenty of surprises online. What with Boomer only Hoard missions, Beast Mode, new map packs and multiplied experience points, and the 4-way campaign among other things, the online possibilities are endless. There's no reason why after the third and final chapter new weaponry, beasts, executions or even characters can't be added or more maps based on the novels included. 

6. The comic as a resource. Lastly for me, the comic and novels have a life of their own and have the potential to breathe more life into the game. Pretty simple.

A part of me (and I'm sure all of us) doesn't want it to end here and sorta believes it won't. At the same time we don't want what happened to The Matrix to happen to GOW. Sometimes just enough really is good enough. 

2011: The Greatest Year for Gaming! (so far)

The return of the sequel!
This year may very well be the most awesomest year for gaming ever in the history of awesome years for gaming! And why you ask? The Sequel, that's why.

There have been a series of really good games coming out over the past few years; Gears of War 1 & 2 (2006 & 2008 respectively), Dead Space (a quiet release in 2008), Mass Effect 1 & 2 (2007 & 2010 respectively) and Dragon Age (2009), to name a few. But the first or second instalments of each, as the case may be, managed to have its own time in the spotlight, or in the case of Dead Space, no spotlight, as it gained popularity at a slow boil. As you can see by the years of release, there was very little convergence of titles.

But this year sequels for all of the above, and then some, will be or have been released. Unlike the doomed sequel in the film world (you know yourselves...Martix Revolutions and company), game developers seem to improve on their subsequent titles. Gears 2, ME 2 and DS 2 have all proven that. Maybe game developers should get into the movie-making business (I'm looking at you Wachowski Brothers! If that is your real name). 

One year, many parts

This year alone will see the release of Gears 3, Mass Effect 3, Crysis 2, Batman: Arkham City, Dragon Age 2 (maybe even Modern Warfare 3), and we've already enjoyed the return of the mild-mannered, kick buttin' nerd cum Necromorph dismembererer, Isaac Clarke. Damned marker. Oh, all these trailers are in one convenient place right here.

Gamers all around the world are giddy with excitement and have been treated, nay, spoiled, by all the material, free and otherwise, that is and will come along with the build up to game releases. DS 2 has set the pace being the first out of the gate. The build up was incredible as fans were deluged with animated comics, screen savers and wall paper, the hysterical 'Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2' video, the iPhone/iPad episode of the game as well as the Severed add-on and of course, Questions with Steve. Shoot, I even had the privilege of chatting with Sonita Henry (voice of DS2's Ellie Langford) on her Facebook page! Awesome. 

Now, we are on the verge of experiencing the Gears of War 3 multiplayer Beta between April 25 and May 15 - buy the Bulletstorm Epic Edition and get it a week early. Epic owes GOW fans for the 5 month delay, so the Beta release is a little bribe - but if they are smart, they will make like a love-struck suitor and entreat us with many and copious gifts as a way of apology and to win our forgiveness. If the other franchises are smart they won't let DS 2 or GOW3 outdo them (hint, hint).

The only loser is boredom & maybe your boss

Make no mistake, because of the convergence of all these hotly anticipated titles (of which GOW 3 is officially 'the most') both developers and gamers win (although your boss might wonder why you keep falling asleep at your desk and peer suspiciously at the AC vents - only DS fans will get that). They get lots of sales, we get lots of excellent content and game play. Oh, and Microsoft and Sony will be laughing all the way to the bank. You should probably buy shares right about now.

This is the first - but not the last of this here gaming blog. Watch this space for more as the gaming world in the Middle East takes off!