VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Killzone 3

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Published by:  Sony Online Entertainment
Developed by: Guerrilla
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Available on: Playstation 3

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INTRO: Hey, everybody! Killzone 3 is here! For those of you who haven’t played Killzone one and two, well you’re sort of in the same boat as me. I played one a few times back in the days of the PS2 (when it was deemed to be a ‘Halo killer’ but somehow failed to live up to the hype), and barely scratched the surface of two because quite honestly I don’t play games too often on my PS3. With that being said, I sometimes have a hard time deciding what game to review and my intentions with this series have always been good, so here we are.

Anyway, the story: The story begins where Killzone2 left off, with Visari, the vicious Helghast dictator, lying dead at the feet of Special Forces soldiers Sev and Rico. The battle may have been won but the war is far from over. Visari’s death has left behind a world of political scheming, infighting and outright murder. Meanwhile his parting gift, a nuclear bomb detonated in Phyruss, the Helghan Capital, has decimated the ISA invasion force. With no re-enforcements and supplies quickly running out, you must now fight against the ruthless Helghast war machine alone.

GAMEPLAY:

Know this right off the bat folks- this game was difficult for me to get through. I don’t mean that it sucks,  I mean that I definitely sucked at it and as such was struggling to get through this review because I hadn’t played enough of it. As such, I finally beat it and I’m pretty proud of myself. Again, I consider myself the most average of gamers at best so it’s a nice badge of honor. Also keep in mind that I’m no Killzone expert, so I’m pretty objective in this review.

First of all, this game is paced well. When you start the game you’re thrust right into the action and the atmosphere of war surrounds you. As the game progresses, you’ll explore the ‘jungle’ area of the planet and it’s lush and danger lurks around every corner, and that’s just the tip of it- wait until you see the icy arctic!The I liked the progression of the story (even though I felt like I was missing pieces, whether they were plot-holes or things I missed from previous games, I don’t know) and this made the game enjoyable.

This is a first person shooter, and it is tight and responsive. Firing your various weapons is precise and quick, and accuracy is good. You can also enjoy weapons new to this game, like the WASP, a portable mortar that can actually home in on your foes. The lightning gun from the last game is gone, replaced by the ‘arc cannon’, a powerful weapon that makes your foes explode. You’ll also pick up portable turrets to aid you in large battles, and can even get a JETPACK! Yeah, that’s right- an actual jetpack. If it sounds fun, that’s because it is. On top of that, you have a ton of awesome melee attacks that you can use when you get close to your foes which include jamming your thumbs into the eyes of the bad guys! Badass, without a doubt. This isn’t everything either, there’s a stealth/cover element to the game, on-rails moments and pieces where you can control massive robots.

You need the tools in your arsenal too, because you’ve got a ton of enemies to fight. You’ll fight the Heighast in the air and on the ground and that ain’t all, you can even encounter beasts like exploding spiders among the ranks. The enemies are incredibly smart and will always keep you guessing and watching the bad guys show up in jetpacks is really tense and fun. Laying one of them to waste is even better as you watch them spiral out of control like a popped balloon.

If you dig multiplayer (and a LOT of people do), this one is solid. If you like the way Killzone plays, you’ll really get a lot of practice here. First, let me mention that this game sports local co-op, splitscreen! That is absolutely fantastic news and this is an option that is missing far too often, if you ask me.  The game works on a point system and there are a lot of different modes like Ops mode and Guerilla Warfare mode that take place on well designed game maps.

I don’t have a lot to complain about here. If anything, the single-player campaign was way too short (although I died several times), and only took me about 6 hours to complete. If you’re any good, you’ll probably beat it in 4 hours.

Gameplay: 8.5/10

GRAPHICS:

This is one of the most gorgeous games I’ve ever played. This game is a veritable smorgasbord of detail. While there isn’t the most variety present and a lot of the game sports a familiar post-apocalyptic look, this game is SUPER detailed. There’s always stuff going on in the background and a lot of moving pieces to observe. The characters move really well and the level of precise accurate detail in the arctic levels is staggering. 

Graphics: 9.5/10

AUDIO:

The sound presentation is also truly fantastic. You’ll notice some great performances from the veteran Malcolm McDowell and Ray Winstone. On top of that, supporting characters are well acted and the game’s score is fantastic but can be buried by the other ambient noise. 

Audio: 9.5/10

FINAL VERDICT:

This is a quality product that looks about as good as it plays. It might be a bit short and the story may not be your cup of tea but if you love Killzone, I bet you’re in heaven. Really, this is about as good as an FPS can get- if you dig this sort of game then you must play this one. The presentation is almost flawless, the mechanics are tight, the enemies are smart and varied. Get to it!

Final Score: 9/10

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