Lovers to the end: Gears of War 3 (360)--Spoilers

The end of the world is horrible to contemplate, and even more so if one were to do it alone. Marcus Fenix has been the center of the Gears trilogy, a gruff, hard man who began this battle in a jail cell in the original Gears. His constant companion and jail breaker, Dominic Santiago, is also often his protector, moving to Marcus’ side as he falls from enemy fire. Together, they have travelled across and below the surface of planet Sera, watching as their leadership make harder and harder decisions, resulting in the destruction of most of the human population through multiple events.

Cities have been laid waste with their population reduced to statues of ash, and the final refuge sunk in a bold attempt to flood the caverns of the enemies. Survivors cling to settlements, scavenging for food as the remnants of the military and the COG huddle on tankers that patrol the remaining waters. The energy source of the human population “Immulsion” has been revealed to be a poison, an infection that mutates and corrupts lifeforms. The enemy Locust were attacked and forced out of their underground caverns in order to extract and refine the glowing energy source. Marcus and Dom find themselves trapped in a war for energy where the energy source is simultaneously destroying everything and everyone.

More horrible is the loss of Dom’s wife in Gears Of War 2, captured early in the war by the locust as they scoured the surface for slaves. Derailing a mission through the caverns of Sera, Dom seeks out and finds his wife, emaciated and likely brain dead; a tortured husk. He gives her the only peace he can, and shoots her in the head. Overwhelmed by grief he explodes into rage attacking the oncoming waves of locust. Once spent, he falls back into place at Marcus’ side, protector and companion, quipping as he headshot’s and chainsaw’s the enemy, the façade of his marriage finally disposed of.

Only in Gears 3 can Dom finally express his devotion and love for his unconsummated partner by sacrificing himself to save Marcus. Marcus carries that burden for the rest of the story, even brusquely ignoring the clumsy attempts at contact Anya makes in the final scene. A beautiful, tough, intelligent woman drapes herself across his shoulders in an attempt to offer comfort, but he rebuffs her, lost in grief.

Marcus, the stoic warrior, unable to ever express his need for Dom, stares into setting sun, looking for a future that is empty and alone.