3 Oct, 2011
Authors: Doug Walsh, Phillip Marcus & Michael Owen
Publisher: BradyGames
Platform: Book & eBook [Book used for review purposes]
Release Date: 20th September, 2011
In Ten Words Or Less: The perfect companion for your time in Sera – buy it.
Family Friendly? The guide itself is essentially a database of information, armed with illustrations and maps from game play. The game in question though is just about the least family-friendly title available at the moment, so whilst the guide is never explicit or in need of a mature rating, this isn’t a title for anyone other than over 18s.
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Listeners of our pod cast will already know this, but game guides are kind of my thing. A quick peek into my wardrobe provides all the confirmation you need, with nothing short of a library of Piggyback, Prima and BradyGames titles in place of clothes. From this, I can safely deduce one thing: BradyGames have never let me down. While Piggyback offer almost unrivalled quality, they also come in at a higher price point, and there have been just as many solar eclipses as there have been publications in the past few years. Prima are a good alternative, but I often find they just aren’t exhaustive enough for the hardcore crowd – ie, those likely to buy a guide in the first place.
BradyGames have always excelled though – accurate maps, collaborations with developers prior to release and expert advice on gameplay is the kind of standard service you can expect with each and every guide. Gears of War 3 is no different. Every page is lavishly detailed, containing artwork and graphics faithful to the aesthetic design of the series. Clocking in at 317 pages, the guide is comprehensive to the nth degree, even offering statistics on how player and enemy health scales with difficulty.
The guide is split into various key sections – basic and advanced controls, weapon explanations, enemy bestiary, campaign walk-through, multiplayer tactics and maps, as well as sections dedicated to Horde and Beast tactics. This is rounded off by a full list of all of the games achievements, medals and ribbons. It’s a standardised format, but it works well – key information is easy to find, and all advice offered by the guide is informative and constructive.
The majority of the guide consists of a complete walk-through of the Gears of War 3 campaign, offering encounter locations, comprehensive scale maps, ammunition positions and even offers advice on tactical manoeuvring and weapon choices. The whole thing is spoiler free, allowing the gamer to use the guide as a companion in the perfect sense of the word, without ever worrying about spoiling the experience. Each collectible is also outlined, photographed, described and guided to, with both map annotation and box-out suggestions at their first obtainable point. Even developer easter eggs are hinted at, showcasing the sheer extent of the guides knowledge. The text strikes the perfect balance between detail and concision, succinctly informing the reader whilst never overwhelming them with content. In this regard, the guide is flawless.
Multiplayer information often becomes outdated, thanks to the nature of the ever-evolving communities that surround video games. Aware of this, the guide informs on all encounters and game modes, leaving no stone unturned. Rather than offer weapon suggestions per map, BradyGames walk us through the pros and cons of every tool in any given situation, showing bias where needed but emphasising player style and choice throughout. The advise given with regards to tactics and advanced gameplay is fantastic – I’ve been a member of the Gears community since conception, clocking many hours across each iteration, but even I learned a trick or two here. All techniques are fully explained, allowing novices to practise them with ease, even if the mastery will take hundreds of attempts.
The Beast and Horde sections are also of a superb quality, offering suggestions on each fortification or Locust breed. Cost-effective analysis is provided, as is informative tables of health and damage statistics, allowing players to make sound decisions when it comes to spending their hard earned income. Each tactic is subject to pro-con evaluation, all with the aim of making a better player out of the reader – as I’ve already said, I’m an experienced Gears player, and I learnt many new tricks and sound tactics from just the few short paragraphs on each aspect.
The guide never steps a toe out of line, even when it comes to the pricing. At £12.99 RRP, the game offers unparalleled detail, advise and reference throughout Gears 3. A quick search on Amazon.co.uk yields even better value, with the standard edition going for £8.29 with free delivery. Heck, the Limited Edition, boasting a clean hardback cover, downloadable PDF versions of the strategy guides for the first two instalments of the series amongst others, is only £5 more expensive. Take my word for this – you won’t get value for money of this magnitude from any other source. Yes, game guides are usually reiterations of information that is almost common knowledge, but this guide is the perfect accompaniment to a quality title.
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Verdict: Essential.
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