It’s time again to take a look at the latest downloadable content for the blockbuster Xbox 360 title, Gears of War 3. Having been released on September 20th of last year, gamers have received a whopping three downloadable packs out of the four confirmed thus far. The Fenix Rising DLC is now available on the marketplace for 800 MS points.
Let’s start off with the goods. Along with this purchase, you are given perhaps the most significant feature of all, the ability to “re-up”. This works sort of like the familiar prestige mode available in recent Call of Duty installments, allowing one to re-up a total of 3 times. It essentially allows you to level up to 100 four times over, as if the first 100 wasn’t good enough! Each re-up also provides you with a new rank colour along with a new weapon skin; green, red, and blue & Re-Up Plasma, Re-Up Omen, Re-Up Electric respectively for re-ups 1, 2, & 3. You will also receive four brand new maps: Academy, Anvil, Depths and The Slab. The fifth and final map is the remake of a Gears of War 1 classic, Escalation. This champ has been brought back to its glory and reinvigorated, Gears of War 3 style!
Each of the maps contained within Fenix Rising have their own backdrop on Marcus’ past, part of the vast Gearsverse of knowledge attained from the novels and comic series that accompany the retail games. Academy is the educational institution that Marcus attended while The Slab was the prison that he was holed up in by Hoffman as is instructed at the beginning of Gears of War 1. The maps are great new additions to the franchise and add a great appeal to the multiplayer aspect of Gears of War 3. From Versus, to Horde and to Beast mode, ever map provides a refreshing feel and each and every one of them feels well designed and greatly refined.
Apart from the new maps and re-up feature, you are also provided with four new character skins: Thrashball Cole LE, Savage Kantus LE, Savage Marauder, and finally Recruit Clayton. The first two are limited editions of the exclusive skins and are mildly re-textured versions of the originals but to the point where the difference is clearly discernible. They may not be the most original creations out there and seem somewhat lackluster, along with the generic weapon skins which simply have a touch of gold to previously utilized ideas.
Fenix Rising also adds 7 new achievements amounting to a total of 250 GS which efficiently lengthens the gameplay and keeps you coming back for more. Overall however, the DLC is pretty well executed except for the skins but the crucial re-up feature takes the cake! At least it is much better than your generic *cough* COD *cough* content…
