So the Gears of War 3 trailer has finally landed. But what do we think of it? We think it's great actually. It might not have the immediate impact of the announcement trailers for the first two games, but after repeated watches it really gets into your head.
Because after repeated watches, you get to read between the lines and realise what's really going on in it. It might look like just another chunk of carnage-strewn Gears warzone, but it actually reveals a lot about the state of things in Gears of War 3. A hell of a lot. Here's what we've found.
UPDATE:
It's been brought to our attention by Cliff Bleszinski's Twitter feed (and about 300 of you lot) that the blonde femaleGear isofficially Anya from GoW 1 and 2. Great news we say. Should create even more interesting tension between Marcus and Dom, if our interpretations of the trailer turn out to be correct.
This might look like just another war-torn city, but after paying closer attention it becomes apparent that the crowds of torched humansdied while fleeing from something. And they appear to be trying to shelter from the sky. We reckon this has to be the scorched part of Sera, the majority part of the planet that was wiped out by the COG with orbital lasers in an attempt to finish off the Locust back before the start of the first game. The petrified bodies aren't the victims of the Locust; they're the victims of the rest of humanity.
But why are Delta out here, in the post-apocalyptic remains of the forgotten part of the planet? Two possibilities. Either they need something that was left behind out here, or they just have nowhere else to go. We reckon the latter at the moment. After sinking Jacinto at the end of Gears 2, humanity won't have much left in the way of a home. The fact that they're introduced as literally on the run seems to back this up:
This meansa fewthings. Firstly, AWESOME! Secondly, Gears 3 is set a good while after Gears 2. Probably another six months or so, which would explainhow things appear to have gone just so badly to shit for Delta. And third, it's a sign that Dom has let himself go. He took all the emotional brunt of Gears 2, culminating with his reunion with lost wife Maria in that scene. Evidently he's still reeling from that. In fact we suspect he's in a complete mess.
Look how he reacts to his impending death by Locust bullet:
No shouting. No snarling. No attempt to fight back. Just a look of peaceful resignation on his face. And check out the bodies his gaze is drawn to. A mother and young child. Dom has given up, and just wants to 'go home'.
Marcus has carried Dom's pain for a long time, but we think it's straining their relationship now. If Dom is falling apart as we suspect, Marcus is going to be pissed off, both at the lack of discipline and the loss of his best friend. Check out what happens when Marcus saves him with his brilliant new pump-action, double-barreled shotty. Not a word. Not a helping hand up. Just a scowl, and then away he goes. Instead, Dom is looked after by...
