PlayStation Plus-exclusive Killzone 3 beta kicks off Oct. 25

Two months after it was first teased via a bare-bones Web site, the Killzone 3 multiplayer beta has been detailed by Sony. The test will begin October 25, and will be public--for those willing to pay for the privilege.

[UPDATE] According to the official PlayStation Blog, those wishing to participate must sign up for PlayStation Plus ($50 per year) and then download the Killzone XMB theme and follow the instructions sent via e-mail. In PAL territories, participation is limited to the first 10,000 players who register, but there was no apparent limit in the US.

The public beta will feature all the multiplayer modes for Killzone 3, including the all-new Operations game type, party system, and jetpack and exoskeleton vehicles. The latter two were shown off at Sony's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

As the name suggests, Killzone 3 will serve as a direct sequel to 2009's critically lauded Killzone 2. In last year's title, the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance took the fight to the Helghan homeworld, where it achieved a measure of success against the Nazi-esque civilization that invaded the human colony of Vekta in the 2004 original.

As detailed by Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst in July, the Amsterdam-based studio will be fleshing out the Helghan homeworld with "more enemy types, massive environments, and a broader vision of the planet Helghan and its many terrains."

Killzone 3 will introduce jetpack gameplay to the sci-fi shooter series, giving the ability to thrust skyward for a limited period of time. It will also add a platforming element of sorts, giving players access to heretofore unreachable locations and opening up the possibility of aerial gunfights.