Before Riftworms and the Lambent, Gears of War was about closing Emergence Holes, sticking to cover, and unleashing an Active Reload on the next batch of Locust scum. Gears of War 3 took the series to new and colorful locales much brighter than its two counterparts, but its first story-driven DLC, RAAM's Shadow, takes everything back to the beginning, well, before the beginning. RAAM's Shadow takes place shortly after Emergence Day as the Locust Horde makes a move to overtake Ilima. With a new cast of playable characters and some fun battles, RAAM's Shadow is a good addition to a great series.
RAAM's Shadow doesn't break down a lot of new walls, but it brings one key new element to the table: playing as RAAM. Unfortunately, while crossing the lines of war is an enticing idea, playing as RAAM feels like stepping into a steamroller and flattening any puny COG soldiers that stand in the way. RAAM can't drop into cover, can't roll, and can't dodge, but can send a storm of Kryll to any target, light be damned. His power is overwhelming, so there's no real challenge in hiking through his levels and stabbing everyone in the gut with his iconic knife, even on Insane. Sure, flinging Kryll from RAAM's hand -- lovingly dubbed Kryll Finger -- is a fun mechanic, if a novelty, but it proves that an entire game can't rest on RAAM's shoulders.
The storyline is simple and serves more to place future moments than exist in and of itself. While the fight may be fun, is RAAM's Shadow a tale that needs to be told? The first chapter reveals the origin of a certain minor COG from Gears of War 3 and the finale sets the stage for a pivotal moment in the original Gears of War, but we already know RAAM can't die in this prologue, so that deflates the pressure from the growing narrative.
Additionally, as Zeta Squad stalks through Ilima looking for survivors, Barrick delivers some of the worst one-liners the series has ever seen. "Never could manage a day at school without going to the Principal's office," he belts as the team trudges through an abandoned school. While the series has been known for some cheesy lines, I couldn't help but note this groan-worthy gem. Tai Kaliso's sage wisdom also pipes in throughout the experience and feels almost too Zen to go head to head with Barrick's brash quips.
In addition to the grating dialogue, the story's midpoint relies too heavily on a Gears of War mainstay: attack of the wretches. Since the dawn of the original game, every time the Gears enter an abandoned building, hear odd noises, or things are too quiet, wretches are right around the corner. It's entirely too predictable to make for compelling new content for the series. The pacing of this Chapter indicates that players ought to be surprised by the arrival of these crawling critters, but there's nothing fresh in this segment -- and it's followed by tickers.
But the moments when the DLC returns to its early roots are when RAAM's Shadow shines. Shouts of "Close that hole!" ring out and once again you need to toss frag grenades into those eerily glowing crevices. It's been a while since the Locust's entryways were a problem, so dealing with them all over again is a nostalgic joy -- though still frustrating when you're low on explosives. Despite the time frame, RAAM's Shadow pulls weapons and enemies from the rest of the series into the early years after E-Day. Sawed-Off Shotguns litter the ground, Mortars reign down on Zeta, and Serapedes swarm a high school locker room. For continuity enthusiasts, this may pose a head scratcher. Of course each game built upon the last, but does taking every element from the current game and dropping them into the past make sense?
There are some great battles against cool enemies, but much of RAAM's Shadow funnels players through doorways and around entrances blocked by arguably moveable debris. Of course the experience is designed to lead you down a path, but when you walk one direction and find a table in your way, then walk another way and kick a desk to proceed, it feels unfairly limited. RAAM's Shadow's best moments emerge when trapped in firefights against the Locust in open areas; where Emergence Holes rip open from every direction, and the team is pinned down behind cover. That's Gears of War.
RAAM’s Shadow is a good addition to the Gears of War universe and offers three to four hours of new content. While the dialogue isn’t great, new weapons appear in the past, and we’ve battled countless wretch attacks before, when the credits roll this was a journey worth taking. Sure the story points aren’t cliffhangers from the series, but the tale is still fun. If you can’t bear the thought of the Gears of War trilogy ending, definitely pick up RAAM’s Shadow to continue the fight, just don’t expect a long journey or answers to all of your questions.
7.5/10.
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