Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow Review

It's been 3 months since the conclusion of Marcus Fenix's adventure in Gears of War 3. Now the first story-driven DLC, Raam's Shadow, is out and seeks to dive gamers back into an era where the Locust threat of annihilation was possible. Taking place 3 years before the first Gears of War, Raam's Shadow takes place in the still-standing city of Illima.

You take control of Zeta squad as they race to evacuate citizens before General Raam can blacken the sky and unleash the Kryll storm. Although Raam's Shadow attempts to mix in some novel experiences by allowing players to take control of Locust General and his squad, it falls short of delivering the same atmospheric setting and thrills that are expected.

The city of Illima is a great setting to explore the Locust threat once again, with crumbling buildings and barren environments. Spanning around three to four hours, you will explore an array of new characters, such as Michael Barrick and Alicia Valera, to familiar faces, such as Tai Kaliso, Minh Young Kim, and Jace Stratton.

Raam's Shadow provides a brief backstory for these characters, including the personal conflict between Kim and Raam, but it never develops due to the short nature of the DLC. Those who have played Gears of War will be able to predict most of the DLC, and as a result, it loses a lot of its appeal. However, at its core, this is still a fun piece of content.

The developers have done a wonderful job with the voice acting of Raam's Shadow. Returning characters, such as General Raam, Minh, and Tai, sound the same, while new additions like Valera and Barrick are each portrayed with a distinctive personality. 

Returning to a city before the intensity of the Locust invasion feels strange. As you travel through Illima, buildings crumble, fires spread, and darkness creeps into the sky, ensuring that the player is immersed in the atmosphere of the Locust invasion. 

The developers returned to the same formula that launched a franchise. Killing Locust, closing emergency holes, avoiding charging Berserker's, and nailing an active reload while using an assortment of new and old enemies and weapons has both a nostalgic and modern feel. Since this is before the Lambent invasion, or Skorge, you won't find anything linking to Gears of War 2 or 3.

However, the Gears have control of the original Hammer of Dawn, which operates from a control station that allows players to view the action from the actual satellite and wreak destruction on the Locust horde from space. Outside the Hammer of Dawn, the combat when playing as the Gears remains the same as in the first Gears of War.

 The significant new addition to Raam's Shadow is the ability to play both sides. During certain portions of a specific chapter, you will be able to take control of General Raam or one of his elite squad mates, which consists of a Theron guard and two Maulers.

These sections play as large massacres as you murder large amounts of COG soldiers in an attempt to deploy seeders to darken the sky and unleash the Kryll storm. General Raam cannot roll or take cover but carries a lethal blade and Kryll that blankets him for protection and can be used to shred COG soldiers.

However, despite being varied from playing the bad and good guys, Raam's Shadow succumbs to specific flaws. Ambushes are hidden throughout the DLC, but the Raam's Shadow makes it too apparent what and when the enemies are coming.

Some might be thrown off by the overpowered nature of Raam and his squad, but I found it more unfortunate that I wasn't able to fight a decent battle with the Locust general. While playing as the COG, I was pleased to find an assortment of mini-bosses before taking on the larger and predictable target.

Raam's Shadow does a good job of attempting to convey a story before the original Gears of War story. However, the reliance on predictable events and prior knowledge means the experience falls short due to the new standards set by Gears of War 3.

Although Raam's Shadow shows that the series can exist within Marcus Fenix, the small jests of camaraderie stated throughout Zeta Squad are nothing compared to those of Delta Squad. This DLC does seem expensive at 1200 MS points, but it does deliver if you're looking for a new way to participate in the Locust war.