I originally intended to write this earlier, say, just after the beta ended. No matter, it's an important matter for the gaming community. With a Beta Tester medal, (or was it badge?) and a flaming Hammerburst as my witnesses, so I begin.

Honestly, I didn't like it. I didn't like the Gears of War 3 Beta, and I'm sure I won't like the retail version.

And before the sea of flames and napalm comes falling from the skies, I shall proceed to tell why.

When you make another iteration of a game, you expect things to improve, because developers have seen their mistakes, studied them, and corrected them, and add new, exciting new content. Take Patapon for example, in Patapon 2, your little Patapons weren't lost forever when eaten by a monster, so all that time upgrading wasn't wasted, and new classes like Magipons were amusing and useful.

But, I feel GOW 3 is just a copypasta of the previous game. You see, the concept of Gears of War is fantastic, like guerrilla/urban warfare. You take cover, flank enemies, blast them out of cover. On practice though, all that is nonsense. In fact, what people kept doing in the Beta, was pull their shotguns, roll in proximity, and blast everyone out, which is exactly what people do in GOW 2. And I'm sorry, but before you go all lrn2play on me, if everyone is going to do that, and call that playing properly, what in blazes are you playing? If you're going to just rush in, rolling so you can't get hurt, shouldn't you be playing a proper FPS? Minus the rolling part, of course. Why bother using grenades, making executions for every single weapon and new game modes, if in the end it's just shotgun duels?

And camping. Some people won't do anything but rush in for the power weapon. Yes, they're power weapons, they're supposed to be overpowered to a point. But it's the same thing with shotguns, that's the only "strategy" some people will use. And when you couple the Oneshot with a one-way hall, you got a recipe for camping. The only weapon I did enjoy was the Digger Launcher. That one did give you an edge in battle, without the insane splash damage of the Hammer of Dawn.

And between shotguns and campers, I'd rather go back to playing Bad Company 2.

Honestly, if y'all liked it, good for you. I'm sitting this one out, as I wait for Battlefield 3.

--From Zim's olde desktop.