Did Gears 3 drop the ball?

There are a lot of mixed emotions in the Gears of War community at the moment, with the impending release of the fourth instalment in the Gears franchise the fans appear to be split. Some are craving the change of direction that Gears of War Judgement threatens to bring to the multi-player aspect of the game and the other half are not so much so. This is understandable due to the amount of changes they‘re having forced upon them. Did Gears of War 3 drop the ball when it was supposed to be the touch down we were all hoping it would be?