RAAM's Shadow priced and dated; Horde Command Pack maps go free on Nov 24

by Christopher Grant on Nov 1st 2011 4:00PM

If you've purchased the Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack, now available, you've got access to three new maps titled Azura, Rustlung, and Blood Drive. However, if you wait until November 24, you'll be able to snag those three maps along with two Gears 1 favorites, Swamp and Clocktower, in the free "Versus Booster Map Pack" update. Of course, that free update leaves out the new Horde fortification upgrades, the new playable characters and weapon skins and, perhaps most importantly for some of you, the Horde Command Pack's 250 Achievement points.

But if it's single-player DLC you're interested in, RAAM's Shadow will be available on December 13 for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). That buys you "more than three hours" of prequel gameplay, six new multiplayer characters, and another 250 Achievement points. It also gives us another opportunity to learn more about Locust war hero, General RAAM ... what are his motivations? What about his feelings?

Gears of War 3 (Horde Command Pack)

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"Gears of War 3" Gives Thanks with the Free "Versus Booster Map Pack" on Nov. 24

Epic and Microsoft announce a free upcoming game add-on featuring five action-packed maps, as the "Horde Command Pack" launches today with an all-new trailer

As "Gears of War 3" Horde Mode devotees around the world celebrate today's launch of the "Horde Command Pack," Epic Games and Microsoft are giving thanks to the entire fan base with the announcement of the "Versus Booster Map Pack," available for free on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Thanksgiving Day – Nov. 24.

The "Versus Booster Map Pack" will feature five explosive maps available in public matchmaking playlists – two favorite maps from "Gears 1," Swamp and Clocktower, as well as Azura, Rustlung and Blood Drive from the "Horde Command Pack."

While the "Versus Booster Map Pack" will unlock five new multiplayer battlegrounds for public matchmaking, those who purchase the "Horde Command Pack" (or access it through the "Gears of War 3" Season Pass) will still have exclusive access to the pack's Horde fortification upgrades, new playable characters like Bernie Mataki, Big Rig Dizzy and the Onyx Guard, as well as the Team Plasma and Jungle Camo weapon skins. To give players a sneak peek of the multiplayer mayhem, Epic Games released a new trailer for the "Horde Command Pack," available today on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

With Epic and Microsoft continuing to roll out the big guns with three game add-ons to carry fans through 2011, there's never been a better time to grab a copy of "Gears of War 3" and jump into the action on Xbox LIVE. Don't miss any of the action and purchase the "Gears of War 3" Season Pass for 2400 Microsoft Points, which entitles you to the first four game add-ons for a discount of more than 30 percent! Stay tuned for additional announcements as the battle rages on in 2012 with more game add-ons coming next year.

Current "Gears of War 3" Game Add-ons Calendar

Tuesday, Nov. 1 – "Horde Command Pack" – 800 Microsoft Points
Pack includes:
· New Horde fortification upgrades – Command Center, Decoy upgrade, Sentry upgrade, Silverback upgrade
· Exclusive playable characters – Bernie Mataki, Big Rig Dizzy, Onyx Guard
· Exclusive weapon skins – Team Plasma, Jungle Camo
· New multiplayer maps – Azura, Rustlung, Blood Drive
· New Achievements worth 250 Gamescore

Thursday, Nov. 24 – "Versus Booster Map Pack" – FREE
Includes five explosive maps for competitive multiplayer – Swamp, Clocktower, Azura, Rustlung and Blood Drive – available in public matchmaking playlists powered by dedicated servers.

Tuesday, Dec. 13 – "RAAM's Shadow" – 1200 Microsoft Points
Delivers more than three hours of new campaign gameplay set in a storyline that precedes the events of the first "Gears of War," as well as six new multiplayer characters, the Chocolate Weapon Set and new Achievements worth an additional 250 Gamerscore – along with the ability to play as Zeta Squad, elite Locust enemies, or RAAM, one of the series' most legendary Locust bosses.

Tags: DLC, epic-games, Gears-of-War-3, microsoft, microsoft-game-studios, microsoft-studios, raams-shadow, release-date, versus-booster-map-pack, xbox

Reader Comments (77)

I guess that means the Horde Command maps'll be integrated into Vs. after all. Good news.

...not that anyone'll pick anything but Gridlock and Checkout anyway...

@baby sea tuna And Thrashball. That gets chosen every time if that's an option when I play. It's like people got comfortable with the beta maps and refuse to play anything else.

@Hoops....I'm always perplexed why those Horde maps are chosen, when IMO, Mercy and Old Town is where it's at.

@baby sea tuna Can't blame them since every other map is fairly bad when it comes to balancing.

@baby sea tuna
I am so sick and tired of Gridlock. The match plays out the same as it has since Gears1. Rush to sniper or rush to boomshot, whoever gets them wins. So GD boring!

@baby sea tuna i don't get how sandbar doesn't get more spins? park up in the middle and fortify the sides level 50 should be achievable

$15 for 3 hours?
No.

@The Great Cornholio

But $10 for a 2 hour movie? Yes please!

@Erluti
lol so true. That's how I view a lot of things. If I find it a bit overpriced, but still really want it, I go "well I would spend this much on a movie, so this gets me a bit longer for the same price"

@Erluti You must not be LA... I'll correct it for you

14.75 for 2 hours?
16.75 for Imac or 3D for 2 hours?
No thanks.

Dollar = Experience not duration.

@MarkHawk Imax* Rawr for lack of edit button.

@Erluti
I hardly see how paying $10 to see a two hour movie and paying $15 for an insubstantial add-on to a $60 game are similar.

Human Revolution's "Missing Link" DLC is $15 for 8 hours. That's the length of most games these days. $15 for something i could plow through on my lunch break? lol no.

@Erluti

You pay $10 for a 2 hour movie?

I don't think I've paid more than $6 for a movie in ten years.

Oh wait you must be thinking of those overpriced "theaters" filled with annoying people and crying babies. Do people really still pay to go to those?

@The Great Cornholio You get a 3 hour lunch break? Do you live in France? He's comparing a hour movie for $10 to a 3 hour game experinece for $15. Seems very comparable. It being an ad-on doesn't make a difference, he already has Gears of War 3, that expense is not factored into this one. Just like if you go see Pirates of the Caribean 4, you don't factor in the fact that you paid to see the first three movies before this one. If you don't have Gears 3, this expansion probably doesn't concern you and you're just trolling.

@Hoops
I HIGHLY doubt straight run-through of this DLC will actually take 3 hours. Maybe and hour to an hour and a half, tops.

I have to have a certain game to voice my opinion about over-priced DLC? Nice argument, bro. Honestly, if ANY other company was trying to convince me that $15 for a short mission pack was a good deal, I'd voice my opinion just a strongly there too. $10? That's a bit more reasonable. 1/4 of the price of the main game for 5%-10% more play time that really has no replay value? PSHAHAHAHAHA.

"Just like if you go see Pirates of the Caribean 4, you don't factor in the fact that you paid to see the first three movies before this one."
LOL WUT. I can walk into a movie theater, pay $10 for a ticket to "X Movie 4" without need to see or pay for the other movies. That's where your poorly constructed analogy falls apart.

Also, learn what "trolling" means.

@The Great Cornholio -Three hours is only 5-10% more? Did Gears 3 really have a 30 hour campaign?

@The Great Cornholio My point is, if you already have the game, it doesn't matter that you need the game to buy it. It's a sunk cost, you've already spent the money. If you don't have the game, then you probably don't care in the first place. You're complaining about the pricing of a game you don't care about. That's trolling. The people who actually bought the game don't have a problem with it. I imagine many of us just bought the season pass and are getting this as part of it. And I don't care how long you 'think' the DLC is, Joystiq says it's over 3 hours, you definately don't know differently.

@arkweld
You do realize it's all those people who do pay $15 to see movies that makes it so you get to see anything decent for $6. I go to budget movies too, but I acknowledge how the system operates.

@The Great Cornholio

Oh yeah, I forgot that $15 for 5 maps, in which 2 are old, is a better deal. GTFO.

@MarkHawk

You hit the nail on the head, MarkHawk. A lot of people who defend these pricing decisions often present unfair, illogical, irrelevant, or imprecise comparisons.

Dollar amount SHOULD equal the experience, not duration. They could essentially have you stand in a room for ten hours and nothing would ever happen, but it's ten hours long. So, based on some people's reasoning, that 10 hour experience would probably be worth 20 dollars (1600 MS points). A bit of an exaggeration, I know, but it illustrates MarkHawk's point, I feel.

"What about his feelings?"

This. It has been my burning question about all characters in GoW and I'm so glad the Gears 3 campaign was so emotional and told such a masterpiece of a story. If it had been released in his day, Shakespeare would have rage quit the writing game.

@Erluti I can't tell if you're being serious or not. I found the story and dialogue laughable. It was the gameplay I cared about.

@Erluti

Are...are you being serious?

@Erluti
His feelings?
In his words: "Raaaargh, groundwalker!"

Yeah, if there's anything the GOW story could have used, it would be a bit more dynamic character development. Most of the characters stayed static throughout. A bit more about Prescott, Myrrah, Adam Fenix, etc., would have been cool.

Wow, when's the last time a major game had DLC maps go free after a period of time? All I can think of is Halo 2...

@(Unverified)

Gears 1 had free Maps for its first DLC. Raven Down and Old Bones.

@xFenixKnightx
Yes, but those started and stayed free. I'm talking about paid maps that became free later on.

@(Unverified) Halo 3: Heroic Map Pack

@blackangel209

You get Horde Command PLUS the maps with the season pass, or just the maps for free + Horde for 800 points. So the maps are free, but the other stuff ain't. Simple, really.

@xFenixKnightx
I think halo 3 did it for one of their packs

That's very good of them

So glad I didn't spring for the season pass, the maps are all I want from this.

Btw, there's no map in Gears called "Swamp". Do you mean Bullet Marsh?

@Vcize

Looks like Swamp is Bullet Marsh with some alterations.

@Vcize

Same. And I re-state. I hate Sandbar!

@xFenixKnightx

Lol, ditto.

Sandbar was actually fine until they moved they changed the weapon spawns because everyone just battled in the top area for the power weapon anyway. Now that the new spawns don't draw the players to a common point it's just a matter of sitting around for 10 minutes and seeing which team's sniper can pop off the other team's heads faster.

The good news is that no one votes for that awful map anymore.

@Vcize
Alterations meaning no Kryll, I assume?

@Vcize

I thought I was the only one. Sandbar is awful. The thing that makes gears great is close quarters combat. The way that Sandbar is so spread out completely ruins that.

@Vcize

Exactly! Also, it just comes out too much on the quick matches. WTH?!!!!

@Vcize
Respectfully disagreed, good sir. The weapon swaps for Sandbar made it much more balanced. You now have the option of rushing to the bottom of the map to take boom/hammer, or grabbing your team's sniper and taking the top of the map. If you choose to go the bottom route, you may end up getting your head popped off by an enemy sniper if the rest of your team couldn't hold off the top and the enemy took the overlook. If you choose to take the top, then you have to deal with either a hammer blasting you to bits from relative safety under the cliff, or an enemy team rushing your high-ground position with a boomshot. And if you're up on the overlook sniping, it can be VERY difficult to defend that position by yourself if the rest of your team gets demolished over by scorcher. You don't NEED power weapons to rack up a lot of kills in Gears, so the only balancing they really need to do in regards to the maps is making sure that one power weapon doesn't afford a drastically better position than another. And I think they accomplished that quite nicely with Sandbar v2.

Regarding RAAM's Shadow - Is this, or is it not, included in the Gears 3 Season Pass I purchased? Or Is it an entirely separate thing?

I'm very happy so far with Gears 3 though. The online versus and co-op are the most fun I've had on the 360 in ages.

@Styli

I think it is included.

@Styli

I think it is.

@Styli

Yes, it is included.

@Styli
You get all the DLC if you bought the season pass.

@Styli
It is included. You can trust me.

I got the season pass

Dunno about you guys but Bullet Marsh sucked. I rather have Tyro Station or Fuel Depot again.

@(Unverified)
This ^^^.

@(Unverified)

Agreed. Bullet Marsh was one of my least favorite Gears 1 maps.

Playing through the original Gears campaign recently made me really miss it. It's much more about flanking, whereas the Gears 3 campaign seems to just emphasize shooting. It's like the tactical aspect of the game has been removed entirely.

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Gears of War 3

RAAM's Shadow priced and dated; Horde Command Pack maps go free on Nov 24

Gears of War 3 (Horde Command Pack)

Reader Comments (77)

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:06PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:40PM Hoops said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:52PM Slight of Ham said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:48PM INTRO said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 7:00PM fohf said

Posted: Nov 2nd 2011 1:13PM Darkwunn said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:10PM The Great Cornholio said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:12PM Erluti said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:39PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:53PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:53PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:06PM The Great Cornholio said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:44PM arkweld said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:48PM Hoops said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 6:17PM The Great Cornholio said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 7:02PM Mcmax3000 said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 7:55PM Hoops said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 8:50PM aristokrat said

Posted: Nov 2nd 2011 1:51AM asslber said

Posted: Nov 2nd 2011 3:39AM applefleas said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:11PM Erluti said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:16PM Tommy758 said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:39PM civilciv said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 9:32PM Gandkaidos said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:12PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:30PM xFenixKnightx said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:44PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 5:06PM blackangel209 said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 7:07PM SamuraisShadow said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 8:26PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:14PM papershadow said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:15PM Vcize said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:23PM Vcize said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:28PM xFenixKnightx said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:33PM Vcize said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:45PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:51PM CaramelZappa said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:56PM xFenixKnightx said

Posted: Nov 2nd 2011 1:31PM trendscenedental said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:25PM Styli said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:31PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:33PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:33PM Vcize said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 7:04PM fohf said

Posted: Nov 2nd 2011 1:55AM Doms Beard said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 4:27PM MercShame said

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