Continue the fight on Helghan in Killzone 3, Guerrilla Games' latest installment in the Killzone franchise.
Killzone
3 picks up the exact moment that Killzone 2 ends, with players taking
control of Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko after a quick tutorial to get you back
on your feet with the new controls. The Helghast leader, Scholar Visari
is dead and the remaining ISA forces need to evacuate. A simple
evacuation goes awry and you now need to fight your way out. Killzone
3's campaign is chock full of incredible cinematic gameplay events, that
will leave you awestruck. This continuation introduces some new, very
realized characters including Admiral Orlock, the Military Commander of
the Helghast Empire, and Jorhan Stahl, CEO of Stahl Arms to name a
couple. A nice mechanic that was added into this new installment is the
ability to be healed by some teammates who you're paired with on
missions instead of just having to heal them. They can heal you up to
three times before you have to restart from a checkpoint. There's also a
coop campaign which is offline only, but can also help with the ability
to be healed quickly and adding more fun to the campaign experience.
The
first thing you'll notice with Killzone 3 is the major upgrade in
graphics. This is by far one of the most graphically superior games on
the PS3. The environments range anywhere from a post-nuclear Visari
Square to a lush Helghan jungle, and even an arctic Helghan facility,
surrounded by glaciers and a a beautiful ocean. The facial animations
are right on, using motion-capture to it's fullest potential, which
makes the characters feel more real. The blood splatter and footsteps in
the snow are very detailed as well, showing that even the little things
were taken very seriously at the Guerrilla Games facility. Killzone 3
also supports 3D, which works really well and looks even more beautiful,
as each of the snowflakes in the level I tried it on were individually
captured in 3D, which immerses the player even more.
The gameplay
has received a major overhaul, as well as plenty of options. If you're
coming immediately off of Killzone 2, you'll notice this game is a lot quicker.
While I became used to the weapon weight mechanic of Killzone 2,
replacing that with the much quicker aiming of Killzone 3 is a definite
improvement. For enemies that sometimes take upwards of 10+ shots to
kill, being able to quickly locate and shoot an enemy is welcome.
There's a standard and alternate control scheme, as well as several
tweaks you can make. You can change the R1 and L1 to R2 and L2 if you
prefer using the triggers to aim and shoot as well. Killzone 3 also
supports the Move controller, which when coupled with the SharpShooter
accessory works phenomenally. It really adds a new level to the gameplay
in which you feel like the skill is based off of how well you perform
with aiming and shooting with a somewhat life-like weapon, rather than
just dual analog sticks.
Killzone 3's online multiplayer expands
upon the Killzone 2 multiplayer foundations laid out for it. There's an
offline Botzone mode that you can play which has every weapon and
ability unlocked. It's recommended that you try this mode first so you
can get a feel for the maps, classes, abilities and guns so you can
figure out where to spend your unlock points. After each rank earned,
you gain unlock points that are used for new weapons and abilities. You
can upgrade abilities up to three times, and even add multiple abilities
per class. The online multiplayer doesn't offer much in the way of
matchmaking however. You pretty much just jump into quick matches, which
contain one of three different modes. However, despite what match
you're dropped into, you'll find a ton of depth and fun to be had with
Killzone 3's multiplayer.
This isn't to say that there's nothing
wrong with Killzone 3. Sometimes the dialog will cut itself short if you
progress too fast in the story, taking a little away from the
experience. Some dialog is straight out of Killzone 2. Recycled dialog
just seems a bit lazy. The Move controller layout has a heavy learning
curve, so players may be turned off if using that. Also, 3D can
sometimes seem a bit dark and shaky at times, which is a bit of a
deterrent. Also, sometimes your partner in campaign mode will become
stuck and won't heal you if you're downed. However, this happens very
few and far between.
With all that being said, Killzone 3 is an
excellent First Person Shooter that is a must-own for any PS3 owner. The
story runs standard FPS fare, ranging from 5-8 hours, and is so full of
action and cinematic events that you won't even know where the time
went. The campaign warrants multiple play-throughs and the multiplayer
is deep and rewarding. This is one of the best FPS games I've played in
quite a while, and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.
