On January 17, Epic will launch the third downloadable content pack for Gears of War 3 . Dubbed "Fenix Rising", the new pack will offer a slew of new maps, including the classic Escalation from the original Gears of War and a return to Azura in Depths. Additionally, the pack brings in new character skins and a "Re-up" feature that allows players to reset their number rank and unlock new bonuses.

see deal Gears of War 3 - Xbox 360 $14.99 on Best Buy

The+classic+Escalation+makes+a+comeback+in+Fenix+Rising.

Carmine+appears+as+Recruit+Clayton+in+the+DLC's+new+set+of+character+skins.

IGN was given the chance to ask Epic's Jim Brown, Lead Level Designer on Gears of War 3 All the maps in the Fenix Rising map pack represent a location or event that was significant in the life of the Gears of War main protagonist, Marcus Fenix. In Escalation, you'll visit his childhood home before it was invaded by the Locust Horde. Academy takes you on a tour of the school he was destined to attend, while The Slab shows you the prison where he ended up serving time instead. Anvil is the ruined fortress that Marcus retreats to with the last vestiges of humanity, while Depths is set in the opulent city of Azura, where Marcus finally reconnects with his father.There are a good mix of play-styles represented in these maps. Academy and Depths are great examples of the tactical gameplay that makes up the core of Gears of War 3's online play. Escalation is highly asymmetrical, and plays more like a tactical assault scenario. One team spawns with no extra weapons at their disposal, but an extreme height and cover advantage; the opposing team spawns very exposed, but with an arsenal of weaponry including multiple sniper rifles. On the other end of the spectrum, The Slab is a close-quarters mash up, with all the subtlety and finesse of a prison riot.In Gears of War 3, players are able to progress from level 1 to 100, earning gameplay unlocks and customization options along the way. With the Fenix Rising add-on, players who reach level 100 will have the option to "re-up" and enlist for a new tour of duty. The re-up will reset your number rank , but maintain all your profile unlocks, TrueSkill Rating, and custom items. Re-upping will also give you access to some new weapon skins so that you can show off your status to other players online.Players can "Re-up" up to three times, earning a new rank icon color each time: Bronze (default level 100), Red, Green, and finally Gold. Each "Re-up" level after Bronze also awards the player an exclusive, custom set of weapon skins that cannot be obtained by any other means: Re-Up Plasma (animated flowing plasma in gold), Re-Up Omen (shiny, red omen), and Re-Up Electric (animated, golden electric shocks).For the COG team, the Fenix Rising add-on will unlock Recruit Clayton (Clayton Carmine as he appeared when he first enlisted) and a special limited edition version of Thrashball Cole. On the Locust side, the add-on will unlock a special limited edition version of the very popular Savage Kantus, and a brand new Savage Marauder Drone.Yes, The Fenix Rising add-on will add several new Achievements for a total available Gamerscore of 250 points.I'm actually excited about all of them for different reasons. Escalation is a classic Gears of War map that was loved by many players. Some of the combat setups in the Fenix Rising maps are very intense, and have given us some memorable and unique gameplay moments during testing. And while all the maps are gorgeous, Depths is a real standout in terms of visuals. I think the one thing I'm most excited about is getting the chance to play them all online with the Gears community!