The definitive Gears' experience, and the one that had just the right amount of story and epic levels to play through. Introducing new Fatality-style mechanics that upped the gore-ante and allowed you to lacerate fallen foes with weapons as fun to use as the explosive-arrow-firing Torque Bow, it marks the high-point for the series that Gears 3 accompanies only slightly underneath. The revolutionary Horde Mode also remains something that draws fans new and old back in - a mode where you must face increasingly-hard waves of enemies who spawn in, with you recouping your losses and scavenging for ammo in the seconds between assaults. Tackled with friends this was a huge amount of fun, and although Gears 3 would reprise the mode with some tacked-on additions to the arena-management idea of fortifying sections, it's this original mode that has the most appeal, with the best levels too. Replay it specifically for: The unmatched level of gunplay and fun, exemplified by the comically violent altercations between your under-mounted chainsaw-machine gun and many an opponent's chest.
