One of the most anticipated games of the year is Gears of War 3, so it came as no surprise that the game was so popular during this year's E3. The game had solid lineup of fans waiting to check it out during all three days of the event, but the reveal of Horde 2.0 was the real talk of the town during the big event.

Epic Games detailed the new mode for Gears of War 3 behind closed doors during E3 2011, and we managed to sneak in and check it out. Horde 2.0 is certainly quite an upgrade from the original mode that appeared in Gears 2, and Gears heads everywhere should be very excited.

Executive producer Rod Fergusson guided us through some of the new elements in Gears of War 3's single-player campaign, but he made sure he didn't skip on news pertaining to the new and improved Horde mode. Horde 2.0 is almost a completely different game mode when compared to its predecessor, and that is not by any means a bad thing.

The first thing players will notice when booting up the new mode is that there is a dollar sign on the top of their screens. As players rack up their kill total, they will also receive money. This money isn't just another thing that can be shoved in a friend's face (although that's certainly part of it), but instead has a much more intricate role in surviving to the infamous wave 50. The money can be used to buy fortifications on the map, so that players have something to hide behind while they tear through wave after wave of Locusts. Teammates collect their own individual funds to spend however they wish, but they can give money to teammates who are in need of some cash. Communication and teamwork are still key to surviving in Horde 2.0.

Gears of War 3 Horde 2.0 Boss Battle

The different items that are available for purchase include fences, turrets, ammo and yes, the Silverback mech suit. All of these items — minus the Silverback and ammo — can also be upgraded, allowing Marcus and friends to build up a heavily fortified area that any grub would be fortunate to get through. Fences can be upgraded to laser fences and turrets can be equipped with shields, but there is still so much more that the money can be spent on.

Say an individual is playing and all of a sudden a Boomshot round hits them and they're dead instantly, this usually means they'd be sitting out until their team completes the wave, but in Horde 2.0 they'll actually be able to buy themselves back into the action if they have enough money.

Other than the new fortifying options, the first nine waves will seem rather traditional when compared to the original Horde mode, but on the tenth, wave bowels are sure to empty into some unsuspecting pants. Every time players ascend to a wave that is a multiple of 10, they will be greeted with a boss battle. The boss that appears is completely random and can end up being anything from a Brumak to a Lambent Berserker. There are a total of six different boss monsters that the game can select at random, and each boss is accompanied by a wave of smaller enemies that must be offed as soon as possible.

Check out the new trailer for the new and improved Horde 2.0 below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U870XwEYMo

There is also a new weapon that was announced, and it's something that fans have been asking for for a while now. The Butcher's cleaver can now be picked up and used to chop through baddies like a hot knife through butter. The new weapons, bosses and the ability to deck out an area with the latest in anti-Locust technology are some of the main additions to Gears of War 3's Horde 2.0, and anyone who is a fan of the series now has even more to look forward to when they finally get their hands on the game.

Gears of War 3 will be coming to the Xbox 360 on September 20th, and is also available in both Limited and Epic Editions.

Does Horde 2.0 sound like a nice upgrade to you? Are you excited to pick up the new cleaver weapon and go to town on some unsuspecting grubs?

Follow me on Twitter @GnarleySquid if you want to talk about Gears of War 3, or pretty much anything else that's not related to your personal life.