Killzone 3 Review

Not only did Killzone 2 prove what the Playstation 3 hardware was capable of, it was also a good shooter that gained a strong following for the franchise. It was the first title in the series on PS3 and showcased some of the best graphics ever seen on consoles. Now 2 years onwards, Killzone 3 has arrived and packs a serious punch just like its predecessor. The graphics remain great, most of the technical issues have been resolved, and with a better narrative and tighter controls, Killzone 3 is indeed the sequel that fans were hoping for.

The story picks up pretty much literally where Killzone 2 left off, so it is strongly advised to play through the previous title to get up to speed. Players once again assume the role of Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko, a veteran with the human ISA force. Having just killed the Helghast leader Visari, Sev and his best buddy Rico regroup with a small group of soldiers and attempt to make their way through the destroyed capital and catch an evacuation ship from the hostile planet. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned, and the group is forced to stay on the enemy planet for six months. Meanwhile, the story of an internal struggle for power in the Helghast leadership develops. Chairman Jorhan Stahl, a private military researcher, offers the Helghast high command his advanced weaponry if they would be willing to follow his leadership. The council refuses, and Stahl holds on to the technology for his own use.

Overall, the story in the game feels much better paced than Killzone 2. The players won’t have to wait nearly as long to hop into some advanced armor for on-rails as well as open-world machine warfare. The action keeps the story flowing, though the cutscenes often feel like rough cuts and sometimes don’t follow the events directly before and after them. There are still significant gaps in the story as well - how does our group of survivors manage to live for six months in the wilderness of the planet? Perhaps the atmosphere has been deemed safer after years of Helghast activity and someone forgot to tell them, or they just fashion the headgear. As for the conclusion – it is not memorable enough for a supposed last chapter of the trilogy. And let’s just say, if you thought Killzone 2’s ending was a bit too long and difficult – this time around, it’s the opposite.

The action is once again relentless in Killzone 3, but it doesn’t have the same desensitizing effect as something like Call of Duty. The battle is often ongoing, but with the series’ cover mechanic and better level design this time around, a lot of tactics come into play. It is still viable to attack the enemy head on and occasionally pop out of cover to take shots – or players can navigate the level and find flanking positions while their AI teammates draw the fire. Not to be outdone, the AI is smarter as well and capable of finding cover, firing around corners and attempting to engage the player in groups. There aren’t many new types of enemies to be faced in the game (more on this later), and even a few familiar faces from Killzone 2 make a brief return.

The controls in the game have been tweaked a bit, and for the better. After the somewhat “floaty” feel of Killzone 2, aiming and shooting now feel much more accurate and satisfying. The controls feel more precise and there is a general sense of realism as you traverse through the terrain. All of the Killzone 2 weaponry also makes a welcome return, and the guns still feel good and pack good stopping power. Some weapons such as the WASP rocket launcher have more than one firing mode, which adds some variety to the action. Perhaps the most notable new addition as far as gameplay is concerned are the brutal melee takedowns. Running up to enemies and hitting the Melee button will still make the player swing at them with the rifle – but if positioned correctly, a small prompt appears to press the Melee button again. The resulting brutal takedown results in an instant kill on the enemy via a vicious method such as slitting throat, breaking the neck, or punching in the eyes. All of these takedowns are satisfying, if a bit basic and easy to execute almost every time.

Another new mechanic that’s worth a mention is the addition of Jetpacks to the game. Yes folks, jetpacks. This sounds cool to begin with – but you’ll be happy to know that not only is it sweet to jump 10 feet and hover in the air, the controls are also very intuitive and balanced. It’s probably the best implementation of a jetpack in any video game in terms of function and controls. Players can boost themselves up in the air a few times, and use another button to propel themselves forward with short bursts. Of course, the height and travel distance is limited before the player must land and let the pack recharge, creating a near perfect balance of functionality and cooldown period. Not to be outdone – a new enemy type has the Helghast put the jetpacks to good use in later levels, which adds a third dimension to the gameplay. The packs also carry an automatic rifle with unlimited ammo – giving the phrase “death from above” a new meaning.

After completing the roughly 7 hour campaign, the game offers up the robust multiplayer components. To kick things off, there is an option to complete the campaign in offline coop – which is fun, but it’s disappointing not to see an online option for coop. The game also contains a Botzone mode – an offline mode where players can load up multiplayer modes and maps, and compete against AI in order to win. It’s a fantastic option, reminiscent of PC shooters, so players can run through the paces and practice their aim while learning the maps, in preparation of going online.

When playing online, there are a total of five classes for players to choose from: Marksman, Engineer, Field Medic, Tactician, and Infiltrator. All of these classes aren’t actually tied together – the player is free to select any class they wish and earn XP. This experience is used to progress the overall rank and earn unlocks. The unlocks aren’t tied to a class – so players can spend the whole day playing as medic, and then use all their XP to unlock the perks for the marksman class. It’s a system that allows for a lot of freedom and experimentation, and doesn’t force players into any particular class. Each class comes equipped with special abilities, such as Medic’s revival skill, Marksman’s cloak, and others. The classes seem well balanced and offer significant perks, even without any unlocks.

The couple new additions in the gameplay – jetpacks and brutal melee – both appear in multiplayer. Guerilla Warfare, Warzone, and Operations are the modes offered by the game’s competitive MP. Warfare is the classic team deathmatch with up to 16 players per map, while the other two modes are a little more in-depth. Warzone, first introduced in Killzone 2 and supporting 24 players, is a grand battle with seven missions: two rounds of Assassination, Body Count, Capture and Hold, two rounds of Search and Destroy, and Search and Retrieve. Each of these missions varies in objective and scope, and gives the whole mode a very involved and grand feel.

A new mode called Operations is an objective-based series of missions with up to 16 players. On a basic level, the missions require one team to infiltrate or destroy the other’s base. The details vary – one mission has the attackers plant bombs, the next they must hold a few tactical points, and in the last they must once again deploy explosives. Like a lighter and alternative version of Warzone, this mode is just as fun to play and when two well-organized teams, it can be quite a spectacle. The developers even decided to add cutscene cinematics between the missions, featuring the players who did the best in the last round. It’s a nice touch that adds to multiplayer presentation. Perhaps the only complaint against the online components is that there are only 8 maps available – varied in setting and structure as they are, it still feels like a relatively small offering.

After Killzone 2 set the bar for console visuals, Killzone 3 isn’t quite the same leap forward. Still, the game looks great and runs much better – it’s clear that a lot of work was done to stabilize framerate and improve the texture quality. The lighting has also been tweaked to produce some magnificent showcase visuals. The game also takes full advantage of the technology – no longer are the players stranded fighting in bleak and war torn urban settings. The action now takes place across snowy landscapes, luscious and breathtaking jungle, and even space. All of these environments are well designed and varied, and provide excellent alternatives to the urban-heavy setting of Killzone 2.

The music and voice acting in the game are good, it’s nothing exceptional but it’s always nice to have the same voice actors stick around in a franchise. The music has some very good surprisingly soft touches and overall is a joy to listen to. The ambient sounds of the world add to the atmosphere of the game, and all the music fits well. The problem with sound design in Killzone 3 has to do, disappointingly, with weapons and other loud effects. Simply put, the sound of your weapons and grenades often leave much to be desired. The action is often either not loud enough, or too muffled and static to appreciate. When a number of explosions go off, the sound is just not very clear or satisfying. Though significant, this issue doesn’t impact the great overall level of presentation. The game also supports 3D visuals and PlayStation Move control – these features were not tested for the scope of this review.

Though Killzone 3 doesn’t match its predecessor in revolutionizing console graphics, it is still a better game in almost every aspect. Though the conclusion isn’t great, the overall story is well paced and enjoyable to follow. Interesting twists and characters keep the narrative engaging long enough to string together the action sequences. An offline coop mode and an abundance of multiplayer option is sure to keep players busy for a very long time – perhaps even more so than Killzone 2, thanks to some new modes of play. Though not a huge technical leap, the game instead showcases some great new environments and effects that can be created thanks to the powerful engine. Even though some sound design isn’t up to par, the overall presentation of the game can be quite memorable. All in all, Killzone 3 is a great sequel that takes the series onwards and is undoubtedly recommended to shooter fans everywhere.