Killzone 3 is one of the most immersive games to date, boasting a solid campaign and excellent multiplayer.
Killzone 3 is set out to carry the torch that was left by its predecessor. It promised to perfect this new feeling in a FPS, while also improving upon most every aspect or problem present in the second game. With me loving Killzone 2, I couldn't help but hold high expectations of a sequel to one of my all time favorite FPS. And the game just kept on piling up on more and more good news that made me more and more excited. Then the game came out, and I picked up my pre-order from the store, installed and updated it on my PS3, and began playing it.
From the introduction to the opening cinematic, I couldn't resist smiling at how sky high my expectations were. The main music was phenomenal, just like Killzone 2. The first cut-scene was absolutely stunning, again, like Killzone 2. And then I started the campaign, and this, is where it is not like Killzone 2.
Killzone 3 picks up where the second game left off, with Visari dead at the hands of Rico. As you would guess, all hell has broken loose on the planet. You take the role of Sev, and your overall goal in the game is to get off the planet before you and the rest of the ISA on the planet are killed. But, as it turns out, this is only the beginning of how many problems the ISA have. With new order in the Helghast, they are hellbent on revenge, with their target being something that the ISA cannot lose, Earth.
There are a ton of new characters to be had in Killzone 3, and it almost feels necessary due to the focus on the story that Killzone 2 never had. What feels like a flawless plan, with top-notch voice acting and a great place to pick up on the story, feels like and underwhelming action movie. With Killzone 2, the story never got in the way of the action, and it was sub-par. With Killzone 3, the story gets in the way more than enough times, and is even more sub-par. The main source of the problems with the story felt like they came from the direction the story was going in. The art-style is great, but it felt like it wasn't properly used and the Killzone universe has gone the route of a typical FPS that doesn't even care where the characters are traveling next, as long as there are plenty of explosions to be had. At the end of the day, the scenario set fourth by Killzone 3 is disappointing, and leaves a lot to be desired.
You saw me mention that the story felt generic, in an action-movie sort of way. Think of Killzone 3 as a very high budget action film with enough explosions and ammunition to level an entire country. With the story being the only legitimate roadblock for the single-player game, if you can look past it, this will be one memorable campaign. The pacing and the action in Killzone 3 sets the standards for what a FPS campaign should be; nicely sized, good on action, and has a distinct feel. The game took me roughly 9 hours to complete on normal, with me in awe at some of the massive bosses or stunning set pieces.
Killzone 3 uses mechanics that are similar to its predecessor, but is polished to some of the best shooting action in any FPS game ever made. There were two things that turned me off from the campaign. One, there are a few bugs in the environments and other places. Two, the difficulty. Killzone 3's difficulty is definitely harder than what was found in Killzone 2, and that's saying something, considering Killzone 2 was a challenging game already. There was one point at the campaign where I checked just to make sure I hadn't accidentally set the difficulty on hard, and wouldn't you know it, it was on normal. But this is the kind of difficulty that isn't cheap or unfair, it's the type of difficulty where if you die, then it is pretty much your fault, thanks to expert enemy AI. Your friendly AI could've been better, but this game is hard to pure challenge, and absolutely no fault.
The overall mission design of Killzone 3 stays consistent throughout the game, with more than enough on-rails vehicle sections to please pyrotechnics. In addition to these vehicles, you also commandeer jet-packs you scavenge from the Helghast to fly around for aerial combat. These segments never last for too long, but they give you just enough to make you smile. This is one of the few aspects that Killzone 3 really improves upon, giving you more variety in mission and gameplay types. There are some missions that give you multiple options on how to tackle the missions that make for some light strategy. It also makes for intense fire fights with plenty of rounds to be heard and shot. Most of the weapons return from Killzone 2 (with some new additions), and have been given a complete over-hall with how they work. For example, the Bolt-Gun is much smoother, and is much more reliable when taking down enemies. It strays away from Killzone 2, where you would most likely stick with one weapon most of the time, for a more accessible approach. This game has changed a lot in how it plays from it's predecessor, which may disappoint some Killzone 2 players, but it should definitely please everyone else.
On topic of the campaign, you can also play it cooperatively with a friend, but you can only do it on the same couch because there is no online co-op. What co-op action is there is flawed by frame rate issues, but it's nothing to serious. Also, the entire campaign can be played with the Playstation Move controller, and if you're feeling saucy and have a good hunk of change on your hands, you can buy yourself a 3D TV and play through Killzone 3 on there too. I haven't gotten the chance to try any of these features yet, but from what I've heard, they work just as you would expect them to.
With the good comes the bad, unfortunately. Die-hard fans of Killzone 2 might be disappointed in the changes made to the mechanics of Killzone 3. Gone, are the very weighty movements and actions that set Killzone 2 apart from other games in the series. What we have now is this old style mixed with what you would find in a typical FPS. There are also a few changes to the multiplayer that also reminisce other FPS's you might find on the market. Killzone 3 has made some crucial changes to how it plays, but it would've been hard to please fans of Killzone 2 and new fans alike, seeing how controls in Killzone 2 were criticized greatly. It kind of painted GG into a corner, and I commend their efforts to try and fix everything, but at the end of the day, not everybody will be satisfied. I was, in my opinion this is one of the best playing FPS's I have ever played, with both subtle and huge changes alike.
How about that multiplayer anyways? Killzone 3 has also changed a lot from Killzone 2 in this regard too. The leveling system from Killzone 2 has been replaced by a skill-point system that allows you to choose which classes you want to focus on. And if you are not sure what to level up, you can always go into the bot-zone to fight enemy AI with all of the classes leveled up to their respective caps (with multiple difficulties for the AI, might I add). Every class is effective from the start, and are all useful in deciding which team wins. The maps are great, and have a ton of variety in how they are constructed, but it is difficult trying to figure the maps do's and don'ts. Which, again, encourages a few matches in the bot-zone to inspect the maps more carefully before going out and making yourself look stupid.
The amount of match-making options you are given is surprisingly plentiful. You can choose which classes you can and can't use, change the time and kill limit caps, and manipulate just about anything that matters. There are 3 different types of play, Guerilla Warfare, Warzone, and Operations. Guerilla Warfare is your basic team death-match. Operations is essentially a bomb planting mode. And my personal favorite, Warzone, is a mix between all the modes in the game. It works just like it did in Killzone 2, so veteran players should be able to jump in and know what to do. And if you don't know, bot-zone is still calling for you...
So, on to the presentation. And I can pretty much sum it up in one word: Wow. Killzone 3 may not look it, but it has improved plenty over Killzone 2's presentation. The visuals are the best for any console game yet, and shows it off in more ways than one. You'll be seeing Helghast jungles, snowy wastelands, and industrial laboratories that could make your Wii weep (zing!). The sound design in the game is also masterful, with amazing gun sounds and expert voice acting, well, most of the voice acting anyways. I'm not a real fan of the new voice actors for Sev and Captain Narville, but they work out just fine in the end.
The soundtrack, oh boy, the soundtrack. This is probably the best music I've heard in and FPS ever. The main theme always sends chills down my spine, and some of the action moments had me humming them. All of the sound in the game can be changed to your liking in the multiple options found in the game, and trust me, there are a ton of them.
I have to say, this is one superb game. Everything feels polished and refined from the last two games and has crafted one of the most immersive FPS's ever. Everything from the weighty feel of the guns to the movement feels realistic, and very spot on. Animations are incredible, the motion-blur is perfected...This truly is one of the most impressive games to have ever been made. The fact that the only thing that holds this game back is a weak story and a few nitpicks is very impressive for everything that is here. Multiplayer will keep me busy for a while, just like the last game, and I will definitely come back to play the campaign on its other difficulties. It may not be an instant classic that everybody hoped it would be, but it is pretty damn close.
Review by Cal Burkhart