When comparing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition vs Arma 3, the Slant community recommends Arma 3 for most people. In the question“What are the best LAN party PC games?” Arma 3 is ranked 47th while Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is ranked 96th. The most important reason people chose Arma 3 is:
ARMA 3 is built as a simulation-type game and features rather tactical gameplay with a slow pace. [The developers use real-life military weapons, equipment and vehicles](https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/125727-is-arma-3-authentic/). Even some of the environments in the game are virtually indistinguishable from their real-life counterpart. ARMA 3's gameplay also encompasses more than a regular first person shooter, as military tactics such as water attacks, giving orders to squadmates and drone strikes are necessary in order to successfully complete a mission. Elements such as destruction are extremely important, as certain specific parts of a vehicle can be damaged.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Nice improvement in graphics over original console release
The game has been cleaned up for PC and optimized. It can be played at 1080p at 30fps, all while performing smoother than it did on s=console. So for those that have not played the game before this would be the definitive version, and for those that have, if they would like to experience the game again in a way that improves over the original, the PC version is a good choice.
Pro Fun cover system thanks to smart AI
The cover system is the main mechanic in this game, and it is something that needs to be used often thanks to the smart AI of enemies. Some will flank you while others may come running straight at you, which means you need to balance where and when to use the system in order to outsmart the enemies surrounding you.
Pro Additional content over original PC release
There are 5 extra levels added to the game (that were not in the original PC release) as well as the addition of two new multiplayer modes (Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill). The 5 campaigns add to the story of the game and have one of the best action sequences to be found. The two new multiplayer modes add to the replayability, as these modes will mot likely feature many players for now to go up against being that they are new to anyone on PC.
Pro Fun multiplayer
One of the best aspects of the game has always been the multiplayer modes. Players will have a lot to experience here, especially when considering there are two new modes. The gameplay in multiplayer plays at 60fps and features some of the most fun arcade third person shooting out there thanks to the great cover mechanics and overly powerful and over the top guns.
Pro Well told story
Every aspect of the game helps to flesh out the story being told in Gear of War. Objectives and environment plays a big role here as the player learns more and more as they progress, but not though overly explanation based cut-scenes but through the game itself. Each objective the player needs to complete brings them a bit further in the story and in understanding why what is happening. This helps to make the player feel more involved, especially when expanded upon through well crafted environments. While the world in the game may be outlandish, it feel believable because it has all been presented well to the player.
Pro Best in class authenticity
ARMA 3 is built as a simulation-type game and features rather tactical gameplay with a slow pace. The developers use real-life military weapons, equipment and vehicles. Even some of the environments in the game are virtually indistinguishable from their real-life counterpart. ARMA 3's gameplay also encompasses more than a regular first person shooter, as military tactics such as water attacks, giving orders to squadmates and drone strikes are necessary in order to successfully complete a mission. Elements such as destruction are extremely important, as certain specific parts of a vehicle can be damaged.
Pro Huge open maps
As ARMA 3 is an open-world experience, singleplayer missions are not as linear and take place in the same map area as the game's multiplayer mode. There are a couple of different islands to explore in ARMA 3, including Altis which has a size of over 100 square miles (270 km²). Stratis is the smallest island in ARMA but is still respectable in size but 7.7 square miles (20 km²). A new map - Tanoa - is scheduled to be included in the paid Apex Expansion pack, with a size of 38.6 square miles (100 km²).
Pro Huge amount of mods and add-ons available
The modding community of ARMA 3 is quite large, with multiple online communities and free tools provided by Bohemia - the developers of ARMA 3. At the time of writing, there are 115 mods available on ModDB and over 23500 mods in the Steam Workshop.
Pro Steam workshop
So much content on the Steam workshop. You can get 200 GBs of mods in 2 days.
Pro No player limit in multiplayer games
ARMA 3 doesn't impose restrictions on its servers, allowing for a true sandbox experience with a large population. Battles can be fought with hundreds or even thousands of players; multiplayer warfare is definitely large-scale.
Pro Long single-player campaign
The average playtime for the single-player campaign (referred to as 'Main Story) of ARMA 3 clocks in at just under 20 hours, while a 100% complete playthough of the campaign averages 39 hours of playtime.
Pro Underwater gameplay
ARMA 3 features underwater gameplay with diving gear and underwater weapons. Underwater gameplay is noticeably different, because it uses a third movement axis.
Cons
Con Unbalanced multiplayer weapons
most people will be playing with a shotgun as it is too powerful when compared to other weapons and offers the best range and power for the type of cover gameplay this game offers. Sniper rifles often are overpowered as well, which can make for mismatched gameplay in multiplayer for those that like to use different weapons over a shotgun or sniper rifle.
Con Singular button for multiple moves causes some issue
There is one button that is assigned many different moves in the game such as rolling, running, vaulting or just moving from one cover to the next. The way this is designed means that the player needs to be close to an area where this button will do a certain move, the trouble being that the game may not be precise in this as one move may happen that was not the intended. This can easily cause trouble when in the middle of a hectic firefight, which can be very frustrating.
Con Controls are unique and can be a barrier
It's not as simple as ctrl for crouch. While many tactical shooters use a similar s=control scheme, ARMA takes a sharp departure from the norm. This is part of what enables it to have far more robust/tactical movement.
Con Steep learning curve
The tactical aspect of ARMA 3 is also portrayed in the somewhat difficult controls and steep learning curve of the game. For example, a lot of different buttons and keystrokes have to be remembered for all the different commands, equipment options and vehicle controls. There is no in-game tutorial, the only way to learn how the game works in by trial and error, a field guide or by using in-game hints. Tactical elements and strategies aren't explained in the game.
Con Framerate isn't consistent
ARMA suffers from some framerate issues, with very variable results in both single- and multiplayer situations. Often the game will perform well in multiplayer, while dropping down to a severely worse framerate in a single player mission. Similar problems occur vice versa as well, which results in a very inconsistent framerate.