By Alessandro on 2 May, 2011: published about 5 years ago

Gears Of War Beta Coverage — Week 2

Last week, Caveshen and I brought you up to speed with the first week of the Gears of War 3 Beta. On Monday, the beta was officially opened to everyone, so by now you should all be revving your Lancers and blowing Locust and COG alike into tiny little bits of flesh. This past week, only a new map was added to the mix, Trenches. So, in this week’s coverage Cavie and I will detail all five starting weapons that are available to players, as well as describe each of the three maps open for carnage.

Maps:

Thrashball is probably my favourite map in the Beta so far. From the varied and outstanding aesthetics to the brilliant lighting, Thrashball is a spectacle of graphical brilliance. Thrashball is basically an old Thrashball stadium (The fictional sport in the Gears of War universe) that has been scarred by the recent war. Walls are broken and cracked, light gleams through slits in the roof, nature has taken course and even a downed Raven forms part of the map. Thrashball is completely symmetrical, with opposing teams entering from opposite sides of the stadium, just as Thrashball teams would have done before the war. The concessions stand is one of the three routes one could take. There is a flight of stairs that leads to a small area, allowing for some intense close-quarter battles. There is also a doorway that leads down to a sort of viewing platform, allowing a clear view of the entire battlefield. Here one can find either the Mulcher or Mortar Launcher, depending on the round. This viewpoint also provides an excellent vantage point for snipers and skilled Hammerburst users, but leaves them vulnerable to attackers from behind who may have flanked them unnoticed. On the other side of the map, players will encounter the downed Raven (Helicopter) which hides either frag or ink grenades beneath. The corridors are narrow and long, again setting the stage for intense scrambles over the scarce grenades. The pathway also provides an excellent flanking opportunity, allowing players to direct fire to the sides of enemies as well as being extremely close to their spawn point. Lastly, the middle portion of the map. This is where most fire fights will take place, with each team trying to gain ground kill by kill. It is also here where players are able to see the dynamic portion of Thrashball. At the beginning of the round, the centre of the map is empty, with no cover and certain death for anyone who decides to take a casual stroll through it. A minute of so into the match, players will hear the loud snapping of iron girders, and upon holding down the Y button, their attention will be drawn to the fact that the scoreboard hovering above this “No man’s land” area is about to fall. Players can shoot the last wire holding the scoreboard up, sending it crashing down on any unaware victims, and essentially altering the map for the remainder of the round.

Next on the list is Checkout, a map that is built around an old store that has long since been abandoned. You’ll find shelves and railings for cover, and there are various areas of interest around the map. As with all the maps, sandbags also feature as cover, in places, with sofas and chairs in others forming the destructible cover we know from the previous game. There is a side area that forms a choke-point which contains a Mulcher if you’re lucky enough to make it there and pick it up. There is also a room behind that, that doesn’t have much of a view of the entire map but allows you to hit a switch that triggers a fire alarm which opens a secret compartment that, at least in the beta, gives you an extra smoke grenade. We gather in the retail version, that secret compartment might contain some super weapon instead. Perhaps Marcus’ socks. On the other side of the map lies another weapons spawn in a secluded little area, that either gives the Digger Launcher or a very handy Longshot to play with. Slightly ahead of that weapons spawn is a raised area that contains a Grenade spawn and can be used very effectively as a sniper post, given its raised nature, though good luck to you if someone chugs an Incendiary at you. It’s these sides of the map where most battles will occur with players either rushing for the Longshot, or the Mulcher, given their weapon preferences, while someone sets off that fire alarm to add to the mayhem.

The final entry on the maps list is Trenches and it is very different from the other two maps for one very specific reason: It’s fun. No but seriously, every so many minutes a loud wail is heard and what follows is truly the most chaotic and incredible thirty seconds or so that you will experience. First, the area is essentially a group of trenches, as the name goes, with weapon spawns around each non team spawn trench. Closest to team spawn areas are Grenade spawns, and then on the west and east ends of the map are Boomshields to be picked up and used, though those mostly go ignored by the n00bz who underestimate the power of their pistols (not a metaphor). In the middle area, a hotly contested area, there are Incendiary Grenades usually, ripe for the picking. There are also Mortar spawns on the upper trenches above that middle area. What is unique about this map is that it is the only one in the beta that contains the One Shot. Put simply, it is a heavy weapon that instantly kills whatever it connects with, so if you can aim at something, you WILL insta-kill it. But due to its heavy weapon nature and limited ammo, you’re not going to go on any rampages with it. It does however have a scope for easier aiming, and you might think of it as an over-powered Longshot of sorts. But then that loud wail is heard and for the next thirty seconds or so, the map completely fogs up in sand and dust, completely cutting off your field of vision unless things are right in front of your face, essentially turning what was previously a long to medium ranged map into a crazy, chaotic melee map where you can easily get away with having a revved chainsaw and running around like a maniac. It’s this dynamic shift from long range to melee and back again, that is the reason I favour this map over the other two. It’s different and it’s exciting and it evens things out so nobody truly has much of an advantage all throughout. Also that One Shot is just retardedly over-powered.

Weapons:

Let’s begin with ye’ old faithful, the Lancer. With the chainsaw bayonet, the medium range and sixty-large clip of bullets, it is the weapon we know and love from the previous games, with a little added kick-ass for good measure. What the Lancer lacks in any sort of specialisation, it makes up for in being a balanced and well-rounded weapon that is deadly from any range if you can put enough bullets into a foe or can rev up your chainsaw in time. On the latter, it is also the only time when you will engage in chainsaw duels, upon you and an enemy both meeting with revved up chainsaws. This is a weapon for the sadist in us all and I swear by it. It is balanced, accurate enough, powerful enough, deadly enough and it doesn’t take much extra effort or skill to use it well. It was a favourite of mine all through the campaigns in both games and through the multiplayer in the second game, and once again it is a firm favourite with most, myself included, as a starting weapon. And this time around, when you pull off a perfect reload, it lets you know how much more powerful your bullets are by that sweet sound it makes when you fire. Never have I felt more alive in full auto.

I am sure from the previous article you noticed my love for the new Hammerburst. This semi-automatic rifle was introduced in Gears of War 2 and quickly became a fan favourite due to its accuracy and ability to fire at a ridiculously high rate. Well it’s back in Gears of War 3 and Epic has focused heavily on improving it. Firstly, the Hammerburst is deadly, whether it be from close range or from the other side of the map. It is deadly accurate, and delivers immense stopping power. When someone shoots you with the Hammerburst, you will know it, and you will wish the bullet had missed. One of the best improvements Epic has made is the inclusion of iron sights when a player zooms in. In Gears of War 2, when a player zoomed in with the Hammerburst, the reticule just reduced size and the view zoomed in slightly. This was the main reason me and many other players disliked it, because it did not give a big advantage in the accuracy department. Well, Epic listened and iron sights was their answer. By zooming in with the iron sights, players can line up each shot with deadly accuracy, being able to hit even the smallest pieces of an enemy’s body that could be protruding from cover. This is what makes the Hammerburst such a versatile weapon, and definitely one that should be feared by people facing the business end of this deadly weapon.

Back to another stalwart of the previous games, the essential shotgun that you know and love, here called the Gnasher because it gnashes stuff, has always been a favourite amongst online gamers. In previous iterations it was all you needed together with the Longshot, in order to be a force to be reckoned with, and once more it shows its tough as steel nails approach to short range dominance as any shotgun veteran will effortlessly display, running circles around you and then exploding your body to bits with a single movement of their Right Trigger and the resulting shot from their Gnasher. Some will swear by nothing else in multiplayer. For the rest it is simply a decent substitute for the lack of close-range effectiveness that comes with their usual automatic rifle, or simply a quick swap-to for when they run out of ammo on their main weapon. It is a faithful weapon to have as a spare and yet more deadly in the hands of someone who can treat it like a main weapon. Nothing says dead quite like an explosion of gibs courtesy a close-range hit from a Gnasher.

One of the new additions to the Gears of War arsenal is the twin-barrel Sawed-Off Shotgun. I think the reason Epic may have created this weapon was to give a bit of variety to those shotgun loving players out there, and they will be pleased with this new addition. As you may have noticed while playing the beta, there are numerous places where shotguns are the ideal weapon to use, and players would certainly get bored if they only had one option to turn to. This weapon offers a single shot before having to reload, so the key to effective use is accuracy and the distance from your target. The Sawed-Off Shotgun has an extremely short range, but an explosive amount of power. Players effective with this weapon will wait until the last possible moment to pull the trigger, and make sure that their shot hits its target. If you happen to miss your shot, there is a large possibility that you will lose that particular encounter, as any other weapon will be able to tear you to shreds before you are able to reload and fire off another shot. It is a great addition to the game, and will really help in diversifying the intense close-quarters battles that will take place often online.

The second new addition to the Gears of War weapons locker is the Retro-Lancer. The story behind this peculiar weapon is that this was the model before the famous chainsaw Lancer was invented. The Retro-Lancer sports a long and sharp bayonet instead of the tradition chainsaw attachment, already making the weapon completely different to its big brother. The changes don’t stop there either, with the Retro-Lancer being more powerful, but also less accurate than the Lancer. The Retro-Lancer is effective for a medium to close range encounter. Don’t expect to do much damage to an enemy that is on the other side of the map, because you won’t do any at all. This weapon has massive recoil, and is best used in short controlled bursts. With that said, the Retro-Lancer packs a mean punch, and will definitely out do the traditional Lancer in a frantic close-quarters encounter. The bayonet is also an awesome addition, and stands in a league of its own when compared to the chainsaw on the Lancer. Unlike the Lancer, a player’s melee attempt will not be disrupted by a few shots from the enemy. Instead, when a player holds down the B button, they will engage in a relentless dash with minimal control that can only be stopped by releasing the B button, or death. If a player reaches the intended target, the enemy is launched into the air and impaled by the bayonet. It’s gruesome, bloody and breath-taking all at the same time.

Loadouts:

Let me just state one quick point here; there is no perfect loadout in Gears of War. The loadout you pick should suit your playing style and strengths in order for you to be a valuable member of your team. That said, my favourite loadout during the Beta is the Hammerburst as my primary and the Gnasher as my secondary. I enjoy taking down enemies from a fair distance, but I also love a high rate of fire. The new Hammerburst delivers on both these fronts. I choose the Gnasher purely because I am not extremely effective with shotguns, and again I don’t really enjoy getting up close and personal with enemies. The Gnasher offers a decent range with effective damage, allowing me to gain ground while I keep enemies at bay.

I’m far more old-school in my approach, relying on the ever trusty and lethal combination of the Shotgun and Longshot for the perfect close-range and long-range combination of death by headshot. In truth, if you’re relying on automatic weapons in Gears of War, then you probably watched too many gameplay videos and trailers. However given that your loadout must have an automatic weapon in multiplayer, I usually go with the ol’ faithful Lancer, and in this Beta, considering how good the Lancer feels, most maps I just stick with it all the way through. The Gnasher takes up my other spot, being a well-rounded shotgun-class weapon that is forgiving in allowing more than a single shot, while still being deadly at close range. The traditional Lancer-Gnasher combo for me, then. At least until I can get to that Longshot spawn point.

We hope everyone is having tons of bloody fun in the Beta, and hopefully we might even see a few of you online. If you want to jam with either of us, hit up the comments box with your Xbox Live ID’s and we will be sure to set up a few matches. There are only two weeks left until we have to wait until September for the Gears of War 3 release, so if you haven’t got your fix yet, what are you waiting for?