Killzone 3

 Killzone is a series that is near and dear to any PS3 FPS fans heart.  The series made it start on the PS2, had an offshoot game on the PSP, and finally made its way to next gen with a bang with Killzone 2.  Killzone 2 introduced most players to the gritty world of Helghan with amazing graphics and a fresh new take on FPS controls.  Can Guerilla Games up their tactics and produce another great game on the PS3 or will they suffer the next gen sophmore slump?  Read on to find out.

This time around, you will continue to play as Sev with Rico by your side throughout most of the game.  If you played the second game, you know that Rico is a pain in the ass to have as backup.  I'm happy to report that finally made him into less of an asshole and you don't spend the entire game hating him.  Where the first game had you as an assault force on Helghan, you are now a fraction of the force you once were and you are taking on much more of a small skirmish role.  Rescuing comrades and finding ways to outsmart and outflank the Helghast forces are all part of a days work.  The Helghast, to kill the ISA forces, decided to nuke their own city and the devastation is visible everywhere.  This gives some insight into just how much hatred there is between these two factions.

The graphics in Killzone 3 are those you sell a system with.  The gritty dark landscape overshadower with snowpeak mountains, industrial yards, and sci-fi bases all come to life with some of the best graphics I have ever seen in a video game.  You definitely feel like you are on an alien world and it is more hostile than ever.  Killzone 3 changes up the all dark landscape found in the second game with some levels that have crazy plant life that is just as dangerous as the Helghast.  The change in scenery is extremely welcome, especially when the first game was criticized for its overly dark landscapes.

One thing to make note of about Killzone 3, this isn't a Call of Duty type shooter.  Where Call of Duty has lose weaponry and fast movements, Killzone 3 makes you feel the weight of your weapons.  Weapons aren't little playthings and they have some weight to them.  When holding and firing one, you would feel the full weight of the weapon and have to compensate for it.  This is, in my opinion, where Killzone 3 surpasses all other shooters.  The weapons feel natural and shooting and taking down enemies just feels completely natural with the weapons you carry.  The range of weapons available, both expected and sci-fi in nature feel like they would fire if they were real live weapons you hold in your hands.  While this may feel completely unnatural to anyone who plays CoD type games, you can easily adapt and learn to love this control/design choice.  As a former CoD type shooter fan, this is now my preferred FPS experience.

So, we know that the game itself is amazing.  For 60 bucks, you get one hell of a single player experience that will rival the single player campaigns on any other platform shooter.  But, what you also get is a new and fresh multiplayer experience that is different from most of the others on the market.  Sure, you still get the deathmatch and team deathmatch type games you're familiar with, but you also get a lot more variety.  The same heavy weapon feel is carried over into the multiplayer levels and this skill needs to be mastered before you can compete with the best.

In the multiplayer, you will pick a class to play.  These range from medics who can heal the wounded, snipers that can stealth, engineers who can repair turrets and machinery, and others.  By playing each class and leveling them up, you'll unlock different levels and awards for each class.  This almost gives you a sense of loyalty to your career choice and you'll try to level it as fast as you can to stay ahead of the competition.  You'll always be teamed up with people close to your skill range so feel free to mix and match while you get used to it.  The multiplayer has always had a nice following, even during Killzone 2's run.  This isn't going to be a one and done multiplayer experience.  If you are a MP fan, Killzone 3 will provide you with a worth experience.

With everything considered, Killzone 3 is shaping up to be my FPS of the year, if not more.  The gameplay is so fresh and new vs. everything else on the market that it is really hard not to love it.  If you have a PS3, you owe it to yourself to pick up this game.  If you don't own a PS3, the temptation to pick one up just got sweeter with another exclusive that can sell systems for SONY.  While you decide on your purchase, I'll be on the battlefield mowing down some ISA soldiers in multiplayer.  Long live Helghan!