There’s no doubt about it, from a consumer standpoint game delays suck. You can sit here and argue that the extra time that game developers take is necessary to iron out the bugs and excessively polish the heck out of a game, but when a game is delayed for marketing reasons – like in the case of Gears of War 3 – you can’t help but feel a bit aggrieved. It’s true what they say though; every cloud has a silver lining. This silver lining for Gears fans is the upcoming multiplayer beta.

On the eve of Microsoft’s ‘Spring Showcase’ in San Francisco yesterday, Epic’s stalwart Gears spokesmen, Cliff Bleszinski, Design Director, and Rod Fergusson, Executive Producer, gathered to present to the world’s gaming press what they can expect when the beta hits this coming mid-April.

In a nutshell, Gears of War 3’s hugely anticipated multiplayer beta is a little different to what you’d usually get from a multiplayer beta. For one, there’s possibly more content coming your way in this beta than in any we’ve ever seen before. For two, there’s a handful of unlockables that you can earn which will then unlock in the final game. And finally, you can actually shape what content you get to play.

The long and short of it is simply as follows: the beta will offer players the chance to play – and test – 3 of the 6 game modes from the final game – Team Deathmatch; King of the Hill; and Capture the Leader. Now if you missed our huge in-depth preview from last October where we broke down these new modes and how they’ll differ from their previous incarnations, then check it out now. And finally, players will have chance to get down and dirty with 4 multiplayer maps, but which 4 is down to you.

What that essentially means is that the Gears of War 3's multiplayer beta will contain 2 stock maps – Thrashball and Checkout - while the other 2 will be voted for by you on Facebook. That means that fans can choose which 2 out of Mercy, Old Town, Overpass and Trenches will make the final cut. For those unfamiliar with the maps, Epic will be providing a synopsis and screens for each map in due course, but if you want something a little more comprehensive, then check out our map preview on 5 of the 6 maps.

So that means you played a new map, Dan? Correct! Old Town is that beast. What makes it so unique, you ask? Well, “It’s got pumpkins,” joked Bleszinski, before Fergusson chimed in and added it’s got chickens too! As the name suggests though, Old Town is a map set amongst the brick-laden backstreets and tight alleys of a place that you’d expect to see in a Fable game rather than a Gears game. With washing hanging from lines, pumpkins and stalls lining the streets, this multi-leveled map will have you watching your back, engaging in short to mid-range combat. It’s all about the shotguns here, baby!

Truth be told, there isn’t a lot we can really report as new from a gameplay perspective, especially after we nailed it out of the park last October. If you missed that, why? I mean, check that out now. The only slight tweak to that side of things is the newly tweaked dual nature of some of the face buttons. In short, button taps and button holds can have wildly different outcomes in Gears 3, which was a direct response to players who ended up picking up a weapon when they wanted to revive a fellow teammate, and so on. So now, tapping X will revive a player and use context sensitive items, like in-game buttons, while holding X will have you pick up a gun. Tapping Y will curb stomp, while holding it will perform a special execution – earning more XP but taking longer to perform. It’s a subtle change that could take a few games to be entirely comfortable with, but it’s definitely for the better.

We did manage to get a lot more tactical in this hands-on, however, having had a head start on most of the press. That meant switching out loadouts in-between spawns depending on how the game of Team Deathmatch was shaping up – i.e. selecting the Hammerburst with its iron-sight for long-range combat when we were behind; and using the Sawed-Off and the Retro Lancer when we were on the offensive.

It was a good opportunity to give the smoke grenades more of a run out as well, as not only in Gears of War 3 will they down someone if you tag them with it, but they’ll also dislodge someone from a turret, as well as making them drop their meat-shield if they have one. Both of which can be invaluable lifesavers.

Jumping back to the actual beta though. Many will be asking the same question that I often ask myself: why should we play it? Well, that’s simple… unlockables! If you want to get your hands on a handful of unlockable Gears of War 3 content that you’ll only be able to get by playing the beta, then you simply can’t afford to miss out. Can you?

The unlocks for Gears of War 3 include the Cole Train, a “flaming-fucking-Lancer” as Bleszinski puts it, and more. There are also beta models you can unlock as well, starting with just Dom and Marcus skins, you can unlock Anya and Baird; and conversely, the new-look Theron guard with its black and white outfit is available for the Locust. The ultimate reward that will be unlocked in Gears of War 3 though seems to be the Gold Retro Lancer though, which Fergusson noted could require you to play 90 matches and get 100 kills to unlock this badboy. That however is not set in stone yet, but according to Fergusson, it is the “only way to get the Gold Retro.”

So quite what the beta offers you later on this year is now down to you. With two maps confirmed, 3 game modes and plenty of unlockable content for those to get down and dirty with, all you need to do is mosey on over to Facebook when Epic throw up the poll and choose which 2 of the 4 maps will be rounding off your experience. Now if you don’t choose Overpass and Trenches when those polls open, then you don’t deserve to call yourself a human being!

Gears of War 3 is scheduled for a September 20th release.