I knew jumping into a new Gears of War game would be fun, but I didn’t realize it would be this much fun! Gears of War 3 is exciting, fast-paced and deliciously frantic. But the skills garnered from previous Gears games means I’m good enough to keep up with the frenzy! Armed with my chainsaw lancer and shotgun, I’ve been tearing it up on the Versus Multiplayer. I definitely haven’t been winning all the matches, but I’m more than holding my own in these no-holds-barred matches of blood and testosterone. I’ve only been playing for half an afternoon, but the joy and excitement of tearing it up in Gears of War 3 is just  so energizing!

I mentioned the chainsaws, right?

And the big, burly space marines? Ladies...

Anyway, this isn’t a full review. That will come in a few weeks once I’ve beaten the campaign. I just wanted to tell everyone my first impressions of the game so far. I was only able to play for a few hours Tuesday night, but they were beautiful hours. I’m already Level 10. I’ve dropped and chopped over 100 bodies. And at one point I was playing as a giant spider/crayfish killing people with my massive mandibles! The game is chock-full of different game modes. The weapons have been tweaked. The Retro Lancer charge is sweet!

If Gears of War 2 was any indication, I’ll be immersed in this game for hours/days/months to come.

This Spinal Tap cliche is a classic, but if the Gears 3 beta earlier this year was a 10 (and it was!), then the developers turned the dial up to 11 for the actual Gears 3 game!

I suppose it’s hard to describe the energy I’m feeling just from playing the game. It’s one of my favorite games to play with my friends, and one of the few games where I actually have a real team I play with, so just booting up the game and knowing what fun awaits is a blast. But actually getting into the game and being right in the thick of the chaos is exhilarating! This energy and excitement is why I game! As I’ve written before, Gears of War is an action-oriented game that has real weight to it. You move, shoot, dodge and run as if you really are a hefty Space Marine wearing massive Space Armor. In space! And most of the time you’re playing against real people out there in video game land. So they’re smart, and victory over them is doubly rewarding. The Versus Multiplayer is a true test of skill and ability, so to see me rake up the points and be at the top at the end of the match is a treat. I’m good, and I know I’m good.

Gears of War 3 is already living up to the hype and excitement. And I haven’t even started playing the 4-player campaign yet!