"RAAM's Shadow"'s greatest strength is its premise. A prequel set in the hours following Emergence Day, the first piece of campaign DLC for Gears of War 3 hints at what Ilima City looked like before it was destroyed, both by the Locust and the COG's scorched-earth reaction. There's a sense of melancholy that permeates the three-hour campaign as you run through a city you know will soon be ruined, accompanied by characters who will soon be dead.
There's a certain elegance in the way the Gears series (and sci-fi in general) can extract so much meaning out of such broad strokes. Games like Gears of War work because the audience instinctively realizes that war is terrifying; "RAAM's Shadow" works because it situates itself deftly into a world-mythology already primed for despair and hopelessness.
The problem for Gears, though, is the broader themes never get distilled into specific characters or narrative action. The soldiers of Zeta squad are rough-hewn archetypes, and their orders are simply to save any humans and kill any Locust they find.

Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow
Developer: Epic
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Released: December 13, 2011
MSRP: $14.99 / 1200 Microsoft Points
There's a discernible rhythm to every level of design in the the Gears series. There's the ebb and flow of intense firefighting and measured walking; the surprisingly steady tempo of shooting, taking cover, gaining ground, conceding ground, flanking, and armadillo-rolling-into-shotgunning; the delicate timing of the active reload system. High-level Gears play has a way of mesmerizing people with its locomotion.
Gears' distinctive fight-or-flight characterization fits into the later games, when the stakes and circumstances are clear, but it seems incongruous so early in the war. Michael Barrick -- the bemutton-chopped protagonist of "Shadow" and Zeta Squad's point man -- lacks the necessary self-awareness to wonder what the Locust want, who they are, or where they came from. It’s not so much that Gears is violent; it’s that the series is violent a priori.
I’m not arguing that Gears of War should be re-imagined as a diplomacy simulator, but it’s discordant that Barrick never stops to wonder what the fuck is going on, a question that seems particularly salient when sub-human Morlocks start pouring out of holes in the ground for the first time.
The flipside is that “RAAM’s Shadow” speaks volumes through its setting and visual design. Ilima City starts off relatively intact, but as time goes on, after heavy Locust incursion and a few misplaced COG laser strikes, it starts to break down. The dead bodies start to pile up as the sky darkens, and if Michael Barrick seems mutely oblivious to the destruction around him, maybe it’s by design.

An extended, relatively non-violent horror section in the middle of “Shadow” harks to earlier games, calling up memories of the mission to the New Hope research facility from Gears 2. I can’t think of a single moment in 3 that was designed to be scary, and I had forgotten the role that suspense and atmosphere had played in the first two games. I’m glad to be reminded of it, because it’s in these moments, when Barrick has lowered his rifle and doesn’t have anything to kill, that he and the player both start to reflect on the situation: Barrick with crappy, jingoistic one-liners, and the player to himself, on his own.
I’m willing to believe that soldiers like Barrick have evolved past self-awareness, irony, or self-reflection: those traits might not be useful for survival in a hopeless, helpless war. I’m also willing to accept that Barrick’s machismo and chest-thumping are a protective armor in the face of trauma. This is a videogame, after all, and I’m willing to accept that -- whether or not you agree that the characters in Gears are dumb and loud -- the narrative onus is on me, the player, to see the costs of war for myself.
In that sense, I think “Shadow” fulfills its promise of showing players a starkly different, almost livable, version of the Sera we come to find in the original Gears of War. For those of us with the patience to invest in the surrounding lore, it’s nice to see where Jace Stratton comes from, or to notice that Anya Stroud hasn’t yet become the disembodied voice guiding us through the series.

In almost all respects besides bodycount, the humans fare better than the Locust. Playing as the titular RAAM seems like it should be fun, but it’s not.
It isn’t that he’s overpowered, it’s that the RAAM sections are boring, repetitive, and break up the otherwise smooth pacing of the game. Each chapter in “Shadow” counts down toward the Locust “Kryllstorm,” when the sky is finally dark enough to unleash the ravenous kryll -- the piranha-like bat creatures that live in the Hollow -- upon Ilima. This dawn-to-dusk timeline gives the game it’s own internal structure and a sense of urgency, but the RAAM sections are more like interruptions than fun diversions.
Equally problematic, though, is that the writing team at Epic didn’t seize the opportunity to expand on RAAM’s character, his relationship to Queen Myrrah, or anything about the Locust at all. The Locust appear to all be totally identical and part of a rigid, Huxley-ian caste system of drones, Boomers, Theron, and Kantus. RAAM, however, is freakishly huge and, according to a few scraps of throwaway dialog, smart enough to coordinate complex tactics with Queen Myrrah. How did this happen?
Other nitpicks and inconsistencies abound, anachronistic pitfalls of setting “Shadow” as a prequel. It’s admittedly petty to harp on the question of "cannon," but details are the lifeblood of fantasy genre writing. “RAAM’s Shadow” is relatively small and being sold to an audience that -- as a rule -- is already invested enough in the saga to notice that, for example, the iconic Gears Lancer shouldn't technically exist at this point in the war -- the COG should still be using Retro Lancers.

It’s more interesting to notice that “RAAM’s Shadow” feels and plays more like the first Gears of War than the third, visuals and engine aside. Gears 1 had a unity and cohesion of both level design and mission structure that, I think, went missing in 2 and 3 but returns in “Shadow,” perhaps because of the DLC’s urban landscape. While the level design of 3 feels busy and trench-like, most of the original Gears and “Shadow” feel more open, like an arena. It’s less about winning and maintaining ground than it is using cover to flank and maneuver, and the firefights never feel staid or stale.
The two final skirmishes in particular feel internally consistent and well-realized and are great examples of the dynamism possible within Gears’ ostensibly rigid and heavy framework. The most telling thing about the boss fights, though, is that they don’t feel particularly triumphant. Given that “RAAM’s Shadow” is simply the first salvo in a devastating war, it’s hard to feel too good about evacuating Ilima when it just ends up being swallowed by a giant worm a few years later in Gears of War 2.
Gears of War might be a power fantasy, but it’s tempered, more than any other game I’ve played, by it’s oppressive bleakness -- each victory is small and pyrrhic.
There's reason for hope, though: DLC like this continues to be a low-risk, high-reward laboratory for developers to expand their fictional universes and experiment with new concepts. “RAAM’s Shadow” isn’t perfect -- the Locust sections in particular need work -- but there’s no reason not to look forward to Epic’s willingness and ability to tinker with its formula and find new mechanics. It might take a while before we see anything truly innovative in post-release Gears of War DLC, but, in the meantime, I’ll be holding the line.
Some video game blogs just want to watch the world burn.
JimmyX goin crazay on dis mofo
Good Lord, no wonder people bought a season pass.
I love you Leray.
This is where Destructoid shines, and why when it's publishing things like this is the best gaming blog around. Mr. Leray obviously loves the Gears series (as do I, have read all the books!) and can but a fan-centric view on the game and DLC. This in term develops a fair and honest opinion, because Leray knows about the backstory and canon Gears has to offer. His complaints and nitpicking are spot on, especially the point where the Gears Lancer should not exists during this DLC. The chainsaw beast we all know and love was developed later by Adam Fenix, when it became clear that the bayonet at the end of the Retro Lancer was woefully underpowered when it came to close quarters against the locust.
Now, there complaint I have here is that Destructoid gives games and franchises Sterling hates or has no interest in for review. Take the Mario Cart review for example, he admittedly say in the actual review that he has never been a fan of Mario Cart. So what makes a reader think he has devoted himself to the franchise, or knows enough to actually review the game on a fair and level basis. It's hard to review a game you know nothing about, for instance I would be a great person to review and recommend Mass Effect, being a HUGE fan and owning almost every piece of memorabilia, on top of that I know almost everything about the canon and characters. I however, would not be a good person to go to for a Call Of Duty review or recommendation as I know nothing about the franchise and have no availed myself to the characters or settings.
It's something that probably doesn't belong in the comments, I know. But it's hard for me to see games receiving skewed or large deviation scores from the rest of the review sites and companies due to lack of interest in the game. It seems this incident is isolated to Mr. Sterling, which is something to be glad for, but at the same time suspicious of. Above all else, I hope that Destuctoid is just oblivious in that aspect, and not just giving games Sterling has no investment in for shock value and site hits.
In any case, again, wonderful review Leray! It's a shame that RAAM is so slow and detached, although I did have loads of fun decapitating COG soldiers in my playthough...
Nitpicking your nitpicking aside, good review. The suspense part in the school was really enjoyable, while both the Locust and boss sections need more work. Overall pretty fun piece of DLC (definitely better than Gears 2's "lost chapter").
Your points are well taken and I agree with much of what you're saying, in that a reviewer should have some interest and preferably knowledge about the games he reviews. I don't however think that being a "superfan" makes one the best candidate for a review either, as I think it's equally too far to any one side.
Either way, I'm holding out for a GOTY or some-such bundle before I get these DLC packs. After the DLC bundles Gears 2 had, I feel like this is kind of a rip-off; Gears 2's "Dark Corners" map-pack came with a 2-3 hour campaign and SEVEN multiplayer maps for the same price. Here we're just getting the campaign and some character skins that should probably already be included (Kim and Tai, for instance).
Whatevs, maybe I'm just too nitpicky and/or spoiled.
For sure, being too much of a fan can make for a mighty bias as well. I guess what I was saying is that the reviewer should at least be familiar with the franchise.
I hope there's more story DLC coming down the line. Good review.
Great review.
I'm sure he knows alot more about gears than you do. Then again, knowing more than a 12yr old retard. NUFF SAYD ROLF
Probably a compliment.
@jimmyx : "obviosly" ? arrgh! my eyes! ROLF ROLF.
Great review! This is why I love destructoid! You guys call a spade a spade. Keep up the great job guys.
I will admit though, Raam's Shadow wasted a lot of potential to further develop the Gears world and narrative. I was honestly hoping to learn more about Tai and Kim as characters and not just archetypes. All I got out of it was that Tai has been speaking in bullshit metaphors his whole life and that Kim could occasionally be a badass if the situation called for it.
Isn't that, uh, not true? The Retro Lancer was from the Pendulum wars, which predates E-Day. This is way after that, so I don't see why the Lancer wouldn't exist.
Other than that good review. I've been playing it for a little while and I think the difference in level design between Shadow and Gears 3 is huge. It does focus a lot more on flanking, and it feels like Gears 1. Love it.
Am I paying 15 bucks for it? No.
I'll wait for the inevitable XBLA sale.
As far as I understand it, the Pendulum Wars are what set the Lambent off underground -- both sides heavily mining imulsion -- which is why the Locust have to come out on E-day. E-day happens less than six weeks after the end of the Pendulum Wars -- retro lancers are still being used on E-day.
Now, on to the evacuation of Ilima. This DLC takes place "shortly after" E-day, which I'm taking to mean a few days or weeks at most. The buildings are all still intact, the COG is disorganized because they've just been surprise-invaded (notice how none of the evac points are working correctly? The COG didn't have time to get the logistics right). I really never got the impression that this took place "several years" after E-day.
Besides, as a gameplay decision, I think the Retro Lancer is the way to go. It introduces players to a weapon that might have been ignoring up to now and it emphasizes that this is a prequel, that it takes place in a different part of the war than the core Gears franchise. It would've been neat.
I blame level design needing to adhere to 4 player co-op.
I played the first one co-op for a good 2 hours with a buddy and I just couldn't get into it.
NUFF SAYED!
@ Jim - Keep up the great reviews, and never let others try to tell you what your opinion should be.