Not 100% sure how I feel about that. I know I tend to hate it when I'm playing a game, and suddenly, all of the mechanics get thrown out of the window and suddenly, my completion of an action game depends on how good I am at riding a motorcycle or flying Space Harrier style (Bayonetta) or I'm playing a stealth game and suddenly I have to win a fist fight (MGS) or win a game of Poker (Red Dead Redemption).
Maybe I turned a blind eye to such flaws in Gears of War. I really liked the variety in Gears of War. It was like the jet-ski/jeep sections of Uncharted. They weren't too difficult and they added a little spice to the game. In Gears 2, we were riding the Bruhmak, flying through the air on Reavers, driving a tank over an icy lake, defending assault vehicles from being hijacked, riding on boats, flying on beast barges, sneaking into enemy territory with stealth (via the DLC), cutting through the guts of a giant worm, or disarming traps in an abandoned lab. The game threw something new at you every few minutes and the glue that held it all together was the combat. It never got frustrating. It just went from one "Man, this is cool!" moment to another.
When GeoW1 released, it seemed very cool because the cover based combat was so tight and precise. It was special. Over the years, several games have attempted to duplicate its style. The setpieces and the high production values kept GeoW ahead of the pack. I'm hoping that GeoW3 doesn't feel stale after using that same tried and true mechanic that we've seen repeatedly, over and over and over again. Going from one battle to another is not what I want. I hope the gameplay doesn't get stale without the big "wow" moments that made my jaw drop repeatedly in GeoW2. Maybe I'm one of those in the minority.
Sometimes, I wish developers didn't listen to fan feedback. Sometimes, the most vocal fans are the ones that will complain about anything, just for the sake of complaining. I hope to be blown away by GeoW3 regardless. This announcement just wasn't what I wanted.
