[Al Capone]

The Gears of War 3 online multiplayer beta launches on April 18 for Bulletstorm Epic Edition owners, and those who pre-ordered Gears of War 3 from participating retailers get in a week later, on April 25. The beta kicks off with Team Deathmatch on four maps: Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old Town. Each map will give Gears fans a different taste of what to expect from the final multiplayer experience. Some are tight and intense, while others are wider open and more tactical.

We recently sat down with Epic Games' Jim Brown and Wyeth Johnson to talk tactics, strategies and secrets for each of the four Gears of War 3 beta launch maps, and we'll be rolling out info on them all week long. If you're looking for more info, head over to our Gears of War 3 Beta FAQ for details on the beta dates, requirements, unlockables and rules.

Editor's Note: Due to technical-type problems, the second video in this series, Checkout, was pushed back a day. As a result, the final map, Old Town, will be shown on Monday rather than Friday. On the plus side, at least it's not Emergence Day.

Thrashball



Watch Our Video Tour of Gears of War 3's Thrashball Map


On the surface, Thrashball looks like a long distance pot-shot paradise, where teams square off at either end and edge their way toward one another. In reality, though, the action happens at the sides of the map, especially at the concession stand at the top of the stairs. According to Epic, teams that own the mulcher on their way to claiming concessions can dominate the match. But that doesn't mean the team stuck on the field doesn't have any options.

There are two grenade spawns on Thrashball, which should make for some explosive action on the stairwells. And see that scoreboard looming overhead? As the match goes on, it'll drop down a few notches, until finally a well-placed shot from below can cut it loose entirely. On the downside, it'll crush anyone beneath it and prevent access to the power weapon (torque bow or digger laucher). On the plus side, the downed scorebard can provide much-needed cover for a team that's trapped on the field.

Check out the video above for a closer look at the ins and outs of Thrashball.

Checkout


Take a Video Tour of Gears of War 3's Checkout


Like Thrashball, Checkout is set in the Cole Train's home town of Hanover. The action here will take place in an abandoned department store, ruined by war. There's a ton of cover on Checkout, and teams will gravitate toward the sides of the map. On one side, there's a mulcher machine gun protected by three low walls. On the other, there's a sniper rifle/digger launcher behind a raised platform. The team that goes for the sniper should also grab and hold that platform, where the frag grenades spawn.

Look for players to go into Checkout with the new sawed-off shotgun, which devastates enemies at extreme close range. Pro tip: If you head up onto the grenade platform and crouch in the far corner, you're out of range of anyone with a sawed-off shotgun on the ground below. Gears of War 3 introduces a spotting function that's new to the series, and Checkout is a great place to put it to use. Epic told me that in their internal playtests, on this map especially, the team that spots the most usually wins.

Source:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/115/1159610p1.html

[Twis7eD]

Looks so good. Really can't wait for this. I found some more gameplay if anyone is interested:

[monkeynutz0924]

this game looks pretty good but they probably could of put alot more weapon choices

[Waffle]

Originally Posted by monkeynutz0924

this game looks pretty good but they probably could of put alot more weapon choices

It is only the beta.