Gears of War 3 review round-up

The Gears of War 3 review embargo lifted this morning for gaming sites internationally, and if you haven't already taken a peak below, here's a quick spoiler: Gears of War 3 is brilliant. With 7 "perfect" scores, and more to surely come, the sentiment is that Gears of War 3 not only meets expectations, but exceeds them, with the finale in the current Gears of War trilogy the pinnacle of the series so far.

Take a look at the first reviews below, and start counting down the days!

1UP : "Gears of War 3 is an amazing game, jam packed with things to do. It's designed from the top down to ensure that you never stop playing it." – A-
Eurogamer: "In its multiplayer, all you could have reasonably asked for; in its visuals, new heights reached, while cracks of old age are papered over; in its story, a fitting conclusion; and in its campaign, though short of the consistent brilliance of its predecessor, a mostly rousing and memorable spectacle." – 8/10
GameTrailers: "Gears of War 3 is a fantastic experience that's sure to make new fans with innovative new multiplayer options that give players plenty of room to experiment and find their niche. There are moments in every act of the campaign that would serve as grand finales in most other games, and it's done so well that it will make you want to play through the whole series all over again." – 8.7/10
IGN: "Gears of War 3 represents state-of-the-art design and gameplay where you become the king badass among a gory world of bad-asses. Every third-person, cover-based shooter from here on out will likely be compared to Gears 3, and it provides a fitting and poignant-- if sometimes cheesy -- closing chapter to the trilogy." – 9/10
Joystiq: "Gears of War 3 has finally kept the promise the series made six years ago, and then some." – 5/5
Metacritic: 92/100