Killzone 3 is the fourth installment in the Killzone series, which is set in a galactic war between the Inter Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghast. The previous installment, Killzone 2, was marketed as yet another “Halo killer,” but failed live up to such expectations. But with Killzone 3, Guerrilla Games has finally made Killzone 3 into a league of its own.
The story picks up immediately from the ending of Killzone 2 at the entrance of Scolar Visari’s palace. Visari has been defeated, but the war continues. Helghast forces are yet again amassing against the Alliance. This time, they are armed with even stronger weaponry and led by new antagonists, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock. Sgt. Tomas “Sev” Sevchenko, a veteran of a Special Forces unit, “The Legion,” remains the hero of this installment, charged with the task of organizing the outnumbered Inter Strategic Alliance troops against the impending Helghast swarm. He is joined by Rico Velasquez, a heavy weapons expert and Captain Jason Narville, a leader of the ISA marines.
There are a number of lazy storytelling moments in this game, with awkward “Six months later” or “Six months ago” interludes. The voice acting is good or the most part – something out of a B-rated Sci Fi movie.
Killzone 3 an absolutely gorgeous game. The set pieces are impressive and make you feel like you’re thrown right there in Helgan. The environment is painstakingly detailed and immerses you in its colorful, awe-inspiring alien universe. Secondly, the weapons are fantastic. They feel substantial and weighty, making the gameplay feel more realistic. Even the character’s animation feels natural. In the most chaotic gunfights, it is easy to position and maneuver your character and to steady your shots. This is a strong improvement over the slightly sluggish controls in Killzone 2.
This game also features “Playstation Move support” option, in which character movement is determined by the Navigation controller, while the camera is determined by Move support itself. You can adjust the horizontal and vertical dead-zones to throttle when the camera moves. Depending on your taste, this feature may make gameplay seem more integrated and natural, though it will certainly confound those who are more used to Dualshock 3 controllers.
The multiplayer component is robust, and it retains all the fantastic game design from the single-player campaign. It features objective-based game modes that require a substantial amount of teamwork and strategy in order to carry out a set of tasks across a vast battlefield. It supports two-player local co-op, allowing you and a friend to engage others online. It even offers a bot mode that allows you to explore and get to know the maps before playing online.
Killzone 3 is an absolutely solid first-person shooter by any standard. It’s not an industry changer, but it’s 7 hour single player campaign is a solid playthrough for series’ fans. If you enjoy sci-fi first-person shooters, or if you liked Halo: Reach but want to explore a new universe, you cannot afford to miss this game.
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: First-person shooter
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Release Platform: Playstation 3
