Killzone 3
It may have some rough spots and the story might be a little disjointed, but Killzone 3 delivers a stellar experience that PS3 owners can’t afford to miss.
Killzone 3 is something of an enigma. On the one hand, it’s one of the most technically impressive games available for the current generation of consoles. The game does things with its graphics that are rarely seen outside of a high end PC and are quite frankly dazzling. But on the other hand, the game’s actual design—encounters, controls, the overall story structure—is somewhat archaic, borrowing too heavily from principles that are outdated compared to contemporary games, especially FPSes. Ultimately, Killzone 3 is a game about extremes.
Killzone 3 picks up almost immediately after the end of Killzone 2. Your character is sitting on the steps of the Helghan palace, mulling over the events that have just taken place. From there, you’re thrown back into the mix, trying to impose some control on the chaos that’s been unleashed by the death of Scholar Visari, the main antagonist from the previous game. One of the first things you notice is how visually impressive the game is. The environments are incredibly detailed, and there is always something going on in the background to catch your eye. That being said, sometimes the character models lack the insane detail of the environments and the lip-synching doesn’t quite match up—in fact, sometimes it’s noticeably off, which is a shame, because it robs some of the cutscenes of some drama that they would have otherwise had.
While we’re on the story, it’s pretty boilerplate sci-fi stuff. The evil British Space Nazis are trying to keep you from getting off-world, and you need to keep moving and stay a step ahead of them. Along the way you’ll visit lots of different locations and witness betrayals and double-crosses, which for the most part are well acted. Performances by the likes of Malcolm McDowell, Ray Winstone, and James Remar give a touch of class to the proceedings, even if some of the smaller characters’ voice actors come up a little short. Something else I appreciated is that Guerrilla made a conscious decision to cut back on the profanity that the characters use. Killzone 2 had copious amounts of F-words, to the point of absurdity. It was like a teenager’s view of how soldiers talk on the battlefield. Killzone 3 uses its profanity in a more measured way, using it to punctuate hectic scenes, rather than embellish them.
Aside from the visual upgrade, Killzone 3 also sports vastly improved controls over the previous game. You can move around much more snappily and acquire targets much more quickly. There is almost no sticky aim once you’re on targets, which is either a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view. The button layout has been changed ever so slightly to be more in line with the template established by Call of Duty. Also, your weapon selection has been modified to allow you to carry more than just one rifle and a sidearm. You now have a slot for heavy weapons which will be filled by sniper rifles, rocket launchers, light machine guns, and even movable turrets, so no more hard choices between your standard assault rifle and that shiny new weapon you just ran across. Hitting the Triangle button will switch back and forth between the last two weapons you’ve used, while hitting Left, Down, and Right on the D-Pad will move between standard, sidearm and heavy weapons, respectively.
Now, the funny thing is that the weapons still feel like they have weight to them. One thing that helps with that is the inclusion of “Brutal Melee” kills. If you click the Right Thumbstick when you’re near an enemy, you’ll perform a context-sensitive melee kill that totally lives up to the “brutal” moniker. Some favorites include slitting a Helghast’s throat from behind, viciously stabbing your knife into one eye, or jamming your thumbs into their goggles with the accompanying burst of blood.
Another new feature is jetpacks. Dude, jetpacks. You only get to use them a couple times during the campaign, but they’re worth the wait. They function a little differently than you would expect, though. The jetpack fills your heavy weapon slot on your weapon selection wheel, so you can switch away from it if the situation calls for it. When you have one equipped, the Crouch button becomes your Thrust throttle, while the Jump button is now a Boost when you’re actually in the air. Your thrust only lasts for a couple of seconds, so you’re mostly using the jetpacks to get across gaps that would otherwise be inaccessible. You also have a mounted gun on them that has infinite ammo, which is good, since you can’t take cover when your jetpack is equipped.
All of these elements add up to a mostly satisfying experience. I say “mostly” because the game does falter here and there. For most of the game, you’re running around with your buddy Rico, who will revive you if you get taken out, thereby preventing a checkpoint restart. Sometimes, though, he inexplicably can’t get to you, even though he’s literally standing right next you. Some gameplay sections are too broken up by cutscenes, never allowing you to get into a rhythm. Some of the vehicle sections are downright TERRIBLE, particularly the Ice Saw section towards the end. When you can only control the left and right aiming, and you have no idea where you’re being shot from, that’s bad game design. I also ran into a weird difficulty spike about halfway through the game that lasted until the end. Whereas I could take quite a few shots before going down, all of a sudden I could only take two or three. Your mileage may vary, though.
HEY YO, THIS GAME'S GOT MULTIPLAYER
Killzone 3 really shines in multiplayer. Freed of the trappings of a single-player narrative, you can just focus on shooting dudes in the face, which the game does really well. Thanks to Call of Duty 4, most shooters now have a persistent leveling mechanic, and Killzone 3 is no different. With every experience level you gain, you are awarded 1 unlock point that are free to use in any of the classes. These classes include field medic, engineer, tactician, infiltrator, and marksman. Each class has its own specific ability that you can use to help your team out, which gives the game a Battlefield-esque slant. Most of the abilities are what you would expect—the medic can revive downed players, the infiltrator can disguise as a member of the enemy team—while the tactician’s is somewhat unique. He can capture specific spawn areas, giving you a tactical advantage against the other team. As you level up, you get more unlock points, which you dump into any of the above classes. You can either spend them to unlock better weapons or to improve your class-specific abilities, all of which get more expensive as you unlock each tier of weapon or ability.
The game features 3 multiplayer modes. Guerrilla Warfare is your standard team deathmatch, pitting two teams of 8 against each other to rack up kills. Operations is the objective-based mode, although it changes it up a little bit by making it somewhat campaign-centered. As you progress through your objectives, there will be quick cutscenes showcasing the players involved in the match. Warzone is where things get really interesting. Instead of just choosing one mode, the game will automatically cycle between the other modes as you complete or fail your objectives. You’ll go from Search & Destroy to Bodycount to Assassination to any of the other modes. It’s a clever way to change up what you typically find in multiplayer.
IN CLOSING...
Killzone 3 is a visceral experience. I know that word gets used a lot, but it’s entirely appropriate in this situation. I had moments where I felt tired after playing through a particularly harrowing section. This game totally conveys what it feels like to be pinned down on a battlefield, struggling to survive against enormous odds. Throw the multiplayer into that mix, and you have a game that will last you quite some time. It may have some rough spots and the story might be a little disjointed, but Killzone 3 delivers a stellar experience that PS3 owners can’t afford to miss.
