Gears of War 3

All good things must come to an end. It's a shame that in the case of Gears of War 3 we're not just talking about the Epic (Games) saga that has been one of the defining series of the Xbox 360's lifespan - we might just be talking about the human race, too. Not to be dramatic about it or anything...

But yes, things are looking pretty dark for Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, not to mention the rest of humanity. The last human city has fallen and mankind is scavenging amongst the wreckage of civilisation to survive. It's not really about winning any more - it's about staying alive. Even the Locust are on the back foot as the Lambent infect the planet from within.

While the tone might be dark as death, Gears 3 has had a bit of visual touch up. It's not quite as grey as past instalments in the series and the graphics have been sharpened up. That means it's sure to look even better for those that have the equipment to take advantage of the game's 3D functionality.

On the multiplayer front, gamers will find four-player campaign co-op for the first time - including female Gears. There's also a new Beast Mode to sit alongside Horde. Where in Horde Mode has players teaming up to take on wave after wave of Locust enemies, Beast Mode flips things round to have up to five players assume the role of Locust and fight off scores of human enemies. On top of all that we shouldn't, of course, forget the return of competitive multiplayer.

You certainly can't accuse the Gears saga of not going out with a bang!