Xbox Gaming in South Africa

The third and final game - at least in the current story arc - in the Gears of War franchise arrives later this year, and to say we're hyped is an understatement. The Gears of War franchise is synonymous with the Xbox 360 and is one of the most widely known franchises in gaming thanks to memorable characters and locations, and an addictive and innovative multiplayer component. With such a rich and successful history developer Epic Games have their hands full with the upcoming sequel, with fans' expectations higher than ever, especially when it comes to the multiplayer component. So, can Epic right the wrongs of Gears of War 2's multiplayer? If our hands-on time with the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta is anything go on, that's an emphatic 'Yes!'

The multiplayer component in both the original and Gears 2 were lauded as some of the best online action around, but they weren't without fault. Probably the biggest complaint by Gears veterans was that in an attempt to make Gears 2's multiplayer more accessible, Epic Games over tweaked the gameplay, losing the gunplay balance that worked so well in the original. To make matters worse, matchmaking was continually a problem, especially for us South Africans, making for some laggy public games. Gears of War 3 looks to fix all of this, and so far it seems that Epic Games has finally found the "sweet spot" of making it accessible to new comers while keeping it competitive for Gears veterans.

That "sweet spot" is made possible thanks to the selection of weapons, both new and old. Whether you want to run around with your old faithful of a Gnasher Shotgun and Lancer Assault Rifle, or perhaps try the Retro Lancer for some bayonetting fun, or the Double Barrel Sawed-off Shotgun for explosive one shot kills, there's always a feeling of perfect balance between power, reload time and aim control.

The maps on offer in the beta: Checkout, Old Town, Thrashball, Trenches, are fantastically detailed, and offer up a great variation between open areas for large scale gun fights (especially in CTL) and smaller choke points for that surprise shotgun gib.

Most of the maps are playable in the three modes on offer in the beta: Team Deathmatch, Capture the Leader and King of the Hill. All three modes are for the most part just tweaked modes from previous games. For example, Capture the Leader incorporates Guardian and Submission, where you must down the leader of the opposite team and hold them for 30 seconds. While the leader can be downed, they can't be killed, so it allows leaders to get more involved. The combination works well, and is a great replacement for the former modes. King of the Hill is as expected, with the hill moving around the map to provide for plenty of jostling between teams as they race to the next location. Team Deathmatch is the new default mode, and for the most part it's as expected - your team must kill the other team. The difference comes in with a pool of lives. As you and your team mates die, your team lives drop until you eventually run out. It's a simple yet effective method which allows new comers to get into the action without having to sit spectating for most of the match as happens in Gears 2's Warzone mode.

Adding a bit of flair to the proceedings is the return of Executions, ranging from chainsawing your opponent's chest into little bits and pieces, to ripping your enemy's arms off and beating them to death with them, with the longer you do it, the more XP you earn. Speaking of which, you'll nearly always get some kind of XP or award during a multiplayer match, with a constant stream of ribbons for simple tasks like getting the first kill or even getting the most deaths in a match, to unlocking medals as well as new Executions and multiplayer characters. There's always some new challenge awaiting you, and the ease at which you can earn ribbons, along with the constant feedback that you're doing something right, helps motivate players - no matter the skill level.

As mention earlier, one of the biggest gripes in Gears of War 2 was the matchmaking system, and again Epic Games seems to have found the perfect solution. For one, dedicated servers have been introduced to provide players with a more stable platform, as well as negating host advantage. While it doesn't look like South Africa will get dedicated servers, the performance of the Gears of War 3 beta was excellent. Matchmaking always matched me to other South African players - or a few bots while I waited on some locals to join - and I've yet to experience any lag. It's questionable whether South African players are using dedicated servers over seas, and it may be a case that it's in fact using peer-2-peer, but either way, it works, and that's what we want at the end of the day.

If I were to sum up my Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta experience in one word, it would be 'balance'. Balance between gun play, balance  between map locations, balance between accessibility; everything just feels right. With the retail game still months away, it seems Epic Games are not only on the right track with their multiplayer component, they're already at the finish line holding up the trophy. September 20 can't come soon enough.

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Be sure to check out our Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta details & FAQ article for an in-depth look at the multiplayer beta.