Gears of War 3: Raam’s Shadow DLC preview

Last time Epic dabbled with single-player DLC for the Gears of War series, it came in the guise of a downloadable chapter salvaged from the cutting-room floor. As such, it was perhaps best left there. This time around, though, Epic’s provided something purpose-built to expand on the game’s lore and prolong fan interest in its most recent offering. A prequel to the entire Gears of War trilogy, Raam’s Shadow is set in Ilima City shortly after Emergence Day, when the Locust horde first emerged from the depths of Sera and attacked mankind.

The downloadable chapter tells the story of Zeta Squad, with player one assuming control of one Michael Barrick. Raam’s Shadow marks Barrick’s first appearance in a Gears of War video game, and he’s otherwise known only to those who’ve read the wider Gears of War literature. But there are at least a couple of other familiar faces to those who’ve played only the games; Minh Young Kim, who ended up on the wrong end of General Raam’s blade in the first Gears of War, and Tai Kaliso, who met a tragic fate in Gears of War 2. Raam’s Shadow also serves as the surprise origin story for another major Gears of War character, but I’ll leave that one for fans to discover for themselves.

It all kicks off in Ilima City as Zeta Squad and other Gears attempt to evacuate citizens before an approaching Kryll storm devours them all. The Kryll, of course, being the creatures from the first Gears of War that inhabit darkness and can best be described as a combination of bat and piranha. The trick was to stay in the light; if a human ventures into darkness or shadows, the Kryll will strip their flesh from their bones. These creatures never made a return appearance in Gears 2 or Gears 3 (apparently killed off in the wider Gears of War canon outside of the games), which I always thought was a tremendous shame; it was a clever inclusion in the first Gears of War that made for some fun light/dark puzzles.

In fact, there’s something that’s perhaps fairly important to point out with Raam’s Shadow: since it makes use of the Gears of War 3 engine and associated assets, the gameplay is, of course, very faithful to what we knew and enjoyed in Gears of War 3. Early in the piece, you will have the opportunity to man the Hammer of Dawn satellite, guiding the laser onto unwitting Locust foes from above (think something along the lines of a stripped-back gunship segment from the Modern Warfare games). The major addition, however, (and surely, it’s no secret now) is the opportunity to assume control of General Raam. For fans of the franchise, this is a rather special treat, and there’s a real sense of satisfaction from decimating Gears soldiers with this formidable Locust general. As in the first Gears of War, Raam is surrounded by a swarm of Kryll, which act as a shield and protect him from enemy fire. He can fire the Kryll in a stream towards a single target; while this will tear them to shreds, it does render Raam temporarily vulnerable. Raam can also charge at enemies with his sword (in a similar manner to the retro-lancer charge from Gears of War 3), and he can also perform a rather gruesome and satisfying execution on downed Gears foes. In co-op, player one’s teammates will assume the role of either one of two Locust Onyx Maulers (who can deflect enemy bullets right back at them with their shields) or an Onyx Theron Guard with a Retro Sawed-Off Shotgun.

Aside from these things, Raam’s Shadow plays out much like a standard Gears of War 3 act. That said, there appear to be no collectibles for those who like that kind of thing. Essentially, the main reason to come to Raam’s Shadow is for the additional story and fan service that it brings to the Gears of War franchise. And in that sense, it’s a nice and lengthy chunk of campaign-styled story – just don’t go expecting the gameplay to deviate too far from what you know and love in Gears of War 3. The ability to play as General Raam is a welcome inclusion that will be extremely satisfying to long-serving Gears of War veterans, and there are six new character skins for the game’s multiplayer component. It’s definitely worth a look, particularly for those who really engage with the series’ story.