On the most recent episode of GameTrailers.TV with Geoff Keighley (from Feb. 17, 2012), Executive Producer Rod Fergusson announced that the next installment of DLC for Gears of War 3 is headed to Xbox LIVE on March 27, 2012.

Called 'Forces of Nature', the premium content includes a total of 5 maps, 3 of which are brand new (Aftermath, Artillery, and Cove) and 2 remakes (Jacinto and Raven Down). All of the maps are "set either in the middle of, or amidst the aftermath of, a natural disaster in order to fit with the theme."

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Here's a full break-down of what each map will entail, thanks to GT's Side Mission blog:

• AFTERMATH – Aftermath is a government park after a tsunami. There is seaweed and wreckage everywhere, and the main play space sits under a huge cargo ship which was deposited on top of a building during the storm. The area floods and quakes during gameplay, as the whole thing is teetering on the edge of falling into the water below. This has gameplay implications as it is difficult to aim during the quakes, and difficult to be stealthy while splashing through the water.
• ARTILLERY – Artillery starts out looking like an ordinary military base, but during gameplay a storm kicks up. Lightning begins to flash on the horizon and eventually a tornado develops and sweeps near the play space. Dust and debris are kicked up making it difficult to see, and the buffeting winds can mask your approach.
• COVE – Cove is a small port that the Stranded have taken over and turned into a little village. The map is very open with long lines of sight, but there is a really, really heavy layer of fog that masks just about everything. There’s a really nice sniper nest inside a central ship, but the sniper’s form is silhouetted by the low angle light shining through the fog.
• JACINTO – Jacinto was a beautiful city, but huge stalks have popped up through the buildings and flooded the entire area with imulsion. Half of the map is dead and crumbling, with imulsion fumes hanging in the air. To make matters worse, the drizzle that is present when a match begins quickly develops into a heavy rain storm that impedes visibility and lines of sight as water starts sheeting off the buildings.
• RAVEN DOWN – Raven Down is a very small crossroads that is blanketed in a blinding snow storm. A Raven helicopter has crashed in the storm, and crashed through an elevated train on its way down, so there’s train wreckage to deal with as well. The snowstorm ebbs occasionally, but is more often so heavy that it’s difficult to see more than a few meters ahead at any given time.

In addition to the 5 new multiplayer maps for Gears of War 3, purchasers will also get access to 4 special hidden weapons called "Elemental Cleavers," 4 new character models, and 7 new weapon skins (2 of which are unlockable through gameplay).

We've posted the Gears of War 3 - Forces of Nature DLC screenshots here, but we encourage you to check out the original report from Side Mission via the source link below. Moreover, the GT.TV episode is full of other interesting information about games suach as Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Sleeping Dogs, and the resurrection of Leisure Suit Larry.

Source: Side Mission, GameTrailers.TV

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