Killzone 3 Review
More Game Info (Print This Article)
Graphics:
9.1
Gameplay:
9.2
Sound:
9.4
Control:
8.9
Replay Value:
9.0
Online Gameplay:
9.0
Overall Rating: 9.1
Publisher:
SCEA
Developer:
Guerrilla Games
Number Of Players:
1-32
Genre:
FPS
In our eyes, Killzone 2 represented an evolution in the first-person shooter category, due primarily to the core mechanics and unparalleled visual presentation. That heaviness, the feel of an elite soldier weighed down with a massive amount of equipment, is what set it apart. Now, to be fair, Killzone 3 is one of the most polished, intense experiences you will ever have this generation, but it almost feels as if Guerrilla Games made a concession of sorts. In other words, they saw the immense success of Call of Duty, fielded all the complaints about “dead spots” in KZ2, and overreacted. So, they went and “lightened” KZ3 to the point where it feels too much like any other FPS. Still, it remains a step ahead due to that aforementioned refinement, stellar AI, wonderful balance and pacing, a fantastically satisfying campaign, and excellent multiplayer.
I have to start with a small caveat when analyzing the graphics. Perhaps it’s because three years have passed since KZ2, or maybe it’s because Guerrilla implemented some sort of shading or coloring style that doesn’t quite agree with me. The detail is amazing, to be sure, but facial animations during cut-scenes aren’t overly impressive, and there seems to be an overabundance of black and silver. However, some of that is subjective and the bottom line is that, overall, KZ3 is indeed a graphical tour de force: the environments are meticulously designed, there’s actually a fair amount of variety, special effects are top-notch, and the animations are some of the best you’ll ever see. It’s the whole package that stands head-and-shoulders above the competition, just because of the attention paid to every tiny visual element. With every step, you see another example of gargantuan effort on the part of the developers.
The technical aspects of the sound are just as good, if not better, although I’m still not a fan of some voices. Sev is solid and so are a few other main characters, but for some reason, I thought the Helghast side sported much better voiceover work than the ISA side. In terms of soundtrack and effects, Killzone remains the cream of the crop. No other shooter can equal KZ3 in regards to diverse, fitting, and supremely effective music selections, and no other shooter has this beautiful, memorable blending of combat effects. In short, no FPS battle sounds quite as good as a KZ3 battle, and that’s the long and short of it. There’s an urgency and a crispness to every gunshot and explosion, and the cries of the combatants are just plain invigorating. The soundtrack is a nice mix of pumping orchestral tracks, which serves to complement most any situation. With the exception of a few lackluster voices, the sound is a major highlight, and I can’t stress that enough.
You know what a shooter is and few require a control explanation. Therefore, let’s just start with what I mentioned in the intro: the mechanics alteration. But lest I give the wrong impression, let me be clear about one thing before the elaboration- in comparison to the competition, the basic control is basically blameless and almost entirely without fault. One could argue that developers have long since mastered the foundation of the FPS, but this is still worth noting. But when we think of Killzone, especially after what KZ2 accomplished, we tend to envision a higher bar. Personally, I had hoped to see a simple honing and refining of the “heaviness” found in this game’s predecessor, but what we got was, in my eyes, an overcompensation. It’s still not exactly like the slick, speedy, sliding-on-glass feeling of CoD, though; there is more weight involved.
While I’m on the subject of perceived drawbacks, I should also add that I’ve been pondering the cover system for the past few days. It works well but I’m wondering if it’s even necessary… Firstly, I don’t think it’s a great idea to have the crouch and cover button be the same (L2), and secondly, I’ve been killed several times because I was “stuck” in cover. You really sort of adhere to the obstacle that’s providing cover and that can pose some issues. Also, when you zoom in with R3 while popping out of cover, you remain exposed unless you hit L2 again. It’s just a teensy bit awkward and after a while, I found I just wasn’t using it that often. We’re all so used to playing shooters a certain way that I keep thinking a cover mechanic is best restricted to third-person games. Oh, and finally, I don’t find the story to be all that impressive, but it has its moments. No spoilers here.
With all that out of the way, I’m happy to say that Killzone 3 is an accomplishment of the highest order. The balance and pacing puts this one amongst the elite titles of the generation; one minute you’re in a pitched, chaotic battle (hoping the controller doesn’t slip out of your sweaty hands), and the next, you’re sneaking about in the dark, knifing unsuspecting Helghast and executing perfectly timed head shots. The first one and a half to two hours consist of the most engrossing, rewarding gameplay you’ll ever have the pleasure to sample. You’ll deal with competent snipers, get tossed into a trench with flamethrower-toting enemies on the rim, pilot a futuristic killing machine, and slink through the grass, avoiding detection. You’ll then embark on what seems to be a suicide mission, which includes manning a mini-gun in mid-flight and testing out those nifty jetpacks.
The unbelievable environments and the challenge the Helghast AI presents keeps us involved; you really can’t let your attention slide. I liked the addition of the ammo crates – it added a dose of realism, to some extent – and you always experience this invigorating combination of fear and aggression. It’s sort of like, “oh holy sh**, here they come,” followed almost immediately by, “yeah, come got some!” I’ve played just about every shooter of the generation thus far, and I can’t think of one that presents the player with such an immersive atmosphere. That alone is worthy of a high ranking because I believe it embraces the gamer; it effectively puts us on the battlefield. I’m not sure why other critics didn’t feel this, or if they did, I wonder why they didn’t mention it. This hectic, ceaseless adventure hits you right between the eyes from the start and just never lets up, and it still manages to boast great pacing.
The AI has enemies lying on the ground to shoot, firing back over their heads, flanking, constantly moving in the open, taking appropriate cover, and in general, making every battle feel dynamic. The open battlefields contrast well with the cramped areas (of which there aren’t many), the fierceness and ruthlessness of the Helghast is better depicted and downright chilling, and when you die, you die because it was your fault. The game can never be blamed for cheap shots, cheating AI, or poor collision detection; i.e., “damnit, I was hitting him the whole time and he killed me!” Most every area is loaded with activity and looks fantastic, and you always want to keep playing. Perhaps that’s the best indicator of a top-tier title. Then, you have to factor in the multiplayer, which features plenty of different modes, very distinct and challenging maps, and of course, all those continual updates and alterations, which are appreciated.
Many will dismiss the multiplayer, likely because they say it wasn’t the best in Killzone 2, but this element has come an awfully long way. There was evidence of that in the beta and you can bet the team will continue to work hard at fleshing things out. As it stands, it’s pretty damn good, although it’s tough to get an idea of how well things work with a lot of people involved (game isn’t out yet, remember). It seems stable although I should mention that the single-player campaign came close to freezing on me a few times. It never actually did, but it was close. All in all, the single-player campaign will leave you breathless and the multiplayer, with its class-based system and very diverse gameplay – you can really experiment quite a bit – amplifies the experience. I know Black Ops will be the perennial favorite but I really believe KZ3 has it where it counts online. And it feels a lot different, too, which is a huge plus in my eyes.
Despite a few reservations, which I will admit are more personal in nature, Killzone 3 is a game that begs to be played; an experience that begs to be had. It’s super intense and is, in many ways, the epitome of nonstop entertainment. You never feel like it’s getting too repetitive, you always feel completely involved in what’s happening, the story isn’t great but it certainly plays a bigger role than it did in KZ2, the AI is awesome, and the control, balance and pacing are all nearly flawless. I am not a fan of the cover system (which I also believe is slightly flawed), I would rather they kept the same weight – although I must reiterate again that it’s definitely heavier than CoD – and the voiceover work and parts of the story can be spotty. This, combined with the escalating competition in the industry, results in a significantly lower overall score in comparison to KZ2.
Still, I really can’t see how this game isn’t worthy of an elite 9+ score. I just don’t get that at all. I could’ve been more lenient in this review; I fail to see how less than a 9 is accurate. But we’ll talk about that a little more tomorrow, when our very first video commentary for a review goes live. For now, we’ve got a little teaser for you; it introduces you to our new attempt at branching out, and also introduces you to our official PSXE YouTube channel. This is only part of what we have in store, though…the future holds something even bigger, so stay tuned.
The Good: Fantastic environments. Excellent soundtrack. Solid, stable control. The best AI in the business. Pacing and balance are huge highlights. Intensity is almost unparalleled. Story is more prominent. Significant, rewarding challenge. Multiplayer is diverse and rewards experimentation.
The Bad: A few mediocre voiceover efforts. Cover system is questionable. The removal of a lot of weight may upset KZ2 fans. Plot can be iffy.
The Ugly: "Go ahead, throw another grenade...how many of those you got?"
2/19/2011 Ben Dutka
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Comments (162 posts)
Victor321
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 9:46:05 PM
Reply
I can't wait for the commentary too!
3 up, 4 down
CrusaderForever
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 9:49:53 PM
Reply
Just kidding! Thanks for a great review! A real joy to read. This is my number 1 site and you do a fantastic job! Keep up the good work. By the way, did anyone see Amazon's KZ3 deal? I returned my preorder and ordered Amazon's! I got KZ3 for $40! I have KZ3 on the brain so I tried Black Ops tonight and I just couldn't get into it. Psychologically cemented on the KZ universe now..........I am ready!
4 up, 3 down
johnld
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:05:08 PM
i wanted the 2x experience preorder bonus from best buy but their preorder system got retarded. first you have to search for the game on one of their cluttered preorder kiosks, then print a ticket from the kiosk, bring the ticket to the register to pay for it, activate your preorder at home, get your preorder bonus in the mail.
1 up, 1 down
CrusaderForever
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:55:32 PM
1 up, 1 down
JSHidaka
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 9:50:40 PM
Reply
2 up, 29 down
Victor321
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:21:49 PM
Or you work at Sony, and you got an early copy!
Nah, that's highly unlikely. I hope you're lying here...
7 up, 3 down
Jawknee
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:21:54 PM
17 up, 3 down
MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:42:07 PM
4 up, 2 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:02:37 AM
9 up, 3 down
Godslim
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 6:34:45 AM
4 up, 1 down
Cavan1
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:31:57 AM
2 up, 6 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:17:00 PM
8 up, 3 down
shadowpal2
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:04:32 PM
Unless of course if the person was just joking and trying to fun...which in that case he or she would have a humorous/fun character...wouldn't you agree?
6 up, 0 down
shootu
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 @ 12:02:07 AM
1 up, 0 down
hellish_devil
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 9:54:13 PM
Reply
....
So we finally get to see Ben Dutka in person??
ohhhhhhhhhhhhh
.....
Last edited by hellish_devil on 2/19/2011 9:57:06 PM
4 up, 3 down
johnld
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:08:59 PM
1 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:38:25 AM
5 up, 1 down
johnld
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:37:22 AM
i also found an exploit against radec. when he hides by the bookshelf or wall behind the staircase at the back of the room behind the middle statue, just hide behind the statue till he comes out. before he takes about 3 steps come out and blast him with a shotgun. if you did it correctly he'll go back to the same cover and you can keep doing it. he does manage to get out though but when he goes back you can repeat it. its best to use the shotgun because he tends to back off when hit but sometimes he just keeps charging so i run around and run backwards when i find him. keeping him in my sights the whole time.
1 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:44:23 AM
And yeah, that tank part on the train was the only other real hard part. I managed to survive that.
But I did get to the rocket launcher part like you described. In fact, I seem to remember using a similar method as yours. But that was it, I kept dieing from some random blast, or something very lame. I was hoping to get it to trigger the crashing transport ship (I think that triggers a check point) But basically, that KZ2 game broke me. I've gotten to where if I have to lean on exploits and design holes to win, I probably won't try to finish the game. Likewise, Master Ninja on NGS2 can get like that; though, I am halfway through it, I'm thinking of going ahead and enduring until the end, but just in very small doses.
You know, I wonder if that "cloud save" feature PS PLUS is about to offer will allow KZ2's saves.
2 up, 1 down
AcHiLLiA
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:17:17 PM
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 2/20/2011 1:20:36 PM
1 up, 2 down
johnld
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:51:03 PM
I'm gonna have to disagree with you because one simple fact, treyarch cant make challenging games only cheap ones. killzone gets challenging while treyarch cods get cheaper and cheaper. i tried both veteran on W@W and black ops and they suffer the same fault. they have multiple parts where you take less damage, enemies more accurate, enemy grenade spamming, unlimited enemy spawns, and moronic ally AI. black ops took this cheapness further by having all these in a confined space/hallway and stair cases that forces your character to slow down while decending at the same time everyone is shooting at you.
2 up, 1 down
CrusaderForever
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:00:26 PM
Reply
Little Big Planet 2 - 9.5
Mass Effect 2 - 9.2
Dead Space 2 - 9.0
Killzone 3 - 9.1
All I can say is....how the hell are they going to top 2011!!!
6 up, 2 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:06:42 PM
5 up, 2 down
Kiryu
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:42:53 PM
santa monica's new ip
final fantasy versus 13
agent
yakuza of the end
so many other ps2 collections
quantic dream's next game
2012 is also looking excellent!
3 up, 2 down
CrusaderForever
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:57:51 PM
Really?! LOL! I know what games are exclusive or multiplat. I am just saying the PS3 has got some 9.0 games! The kicking A$$ part is based on the exclusives. 2 of them really scoring high so far! Anyway, 2011 is very special.
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 2/19/2011 11:58:17 PM
2 up, 1 down
___________
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:00:31 AM
i seriously doubt SMs next game will be out next year, especially if its a new IP.
they spend 5 years working on GOW3 so i cant see how they can get a new IP out in 2.
same goes for QD, look how long it took them to do heavy rain!
0 up, 2 down
Kiryu
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:10:50 AM
QD's engine is already done so they can use that same engine to make another classic.
I think santa monica will announce their new ip by this year.
0 up, 1 down
Lawless SXE
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:17:20 AM
0 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:00:46 PM
Reply
Good review. Looking forward to this. Can't wait!
2 up, 3 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 3:25:04 AM
Unless..your talking about when you go back into cover, your still getting hit? Thats not a flaw, thats just how it is. You have to move left/right so they cant get you, then just quickly pop out and pick your shot. Was exactly the same in KZ2..
3 up, 2 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 11:13:24 AM
2 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:42:59 PM
1 up, 1 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 5:38:41 PM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 6:03:18 PM
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/20/2011 6:04:32 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 6:48:12 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:02:46 PM
0 up, 0 down
johnld
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:54:13 PM
i needed to beat hard mode 2 times to unlock elite and elite 2 times because the first time i beaten elite my trophy didnt sync. also the second time through elite became a cakewalk and barely used the cover system. only problem was the tank on the train. if the pacing for killzone 3 speeds up because of accessibility then i dont think the cover system wont be as useful as it is in killzone 2. i'm picking up my copy tomorrow at midnight so i'll check it out then.
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:54:49 PM
By the way, you're looking at the wrong Jawknee's trophy list.
I'm at Jawknee1. :)
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/20/2011 7:58:00 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:16:18 PM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:35:42 PM
The cover system did more harm than good the first few times I played the game. But once I was forced to use in one Elite, it did become more natural.
0 up, 0 down
Kiryu
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:03:15 PM
Reply
2 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:17:15 PM
3 up, 4 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:03:21 AM
0 up, 2 down
Kiryu
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:12:41 AM
i did need to use the cover system in the demo in trooper difficulty.
1 up, 2 down
kraygen
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:48:35 AM
1 up, 1 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:09:57 PM
Reply
I've stated before that I'm not a fan of FPSes, but I'm going to try to reward quality in whatever genre it reveals itself, so KZ3 is a must. My backlog for games is getting a tad out of hand though...
Peace.
2 up, 2 down
Bugzbunny109
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:13:06 PM
Reply
2 up, 3 down
MyWorstNightmar
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:21:14 PM
Reply
Despite a few reservations, which I will admit are more personal in nature, Killzone 3 is a game that begs to played; an experience that begs to be had.
You meant begs to be played. =)
Great review. Any score north of 9 tells me it's a can't miss, top notch title.
I wonder if we will get a Killzone 4, or if they bring the story to an end with this one.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 2/19/2011 10:23:59 PM
2 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:22:49 PM
4 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:27:29 PM
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:59:05 PM
1 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:24:43 PM
Reply
Anyway, I was able to try the multiplayer demo for a while and thought it was really fun... until I started getting dizzy. LOL I get killed a lot (I suck at such games), but I don't remember getting frustrated. I might still try playing the game, but I could not really guarantee that. All I'm hoping for is that those who plays and enjoys FPS games would pick this game up.
Great review, Ben. As always.
1 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:25:57 PM
0 up, 1 down
ZettaiSeigi
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:37:21 PM
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:26:07 PM
Reply
I like the jingle in the PSXE vid, I hope those help the site expand to a bigger audience. Could you imagine even more level headed regulars having relatively healthy conversations about games? It could start an uprising of intelligent gamers against the nuts.
3 up, 3 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:39:31 PM
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:18:53 PM
3 up, 1 down
Shams
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:30:48 PM
Reply
I obviously haven't played it ( though I know the kind of quality to expect from Guerrilla Games), but still, my major gripe with a lot of the reviews was precisely the question you asked: what is that would make KZ3 a sub-elite title? Any they never precisely answer that.
And great to finally see you (or your hands or Arnold or his hands). I would not think it presumptuous to say I speak on behalf of our community here, that it's great to see and hear the esteemed writer(s) whom we regard also as friends after years. And getting on video in front of so many people takes some moxie. So, mad props to you (all).
2 up, 2 down
ZettaiSeigi
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:52:34 PM
Last edited by ZettaiSeigi on 2/19/2011 10:55:26 PM
1 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:03:12 PM
1 up, 1 down
ZettaiSeigi
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:28:17 PM
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:05:21 AM
0 up, 3 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:38:30 AM
0 up, 1 down
Shams
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 3:48:37 AM
0 up, 1 down
CH1N00K
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:33:01 PM
Reply
And now new video reviews? Looking forward to seeing those, but...ummmm...are you going to keep that music in the intro?? :D
I use to teach courses that had a Promo video in it that I had to play over and over....and over...and it had the same music in it. Listening to it now makes me break out in a cold sweat..lol
Last edited by CH1N00K on 2/19/2011 10:39:21 PM
1 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:36:12 PM
Reply
2 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:49:15 PM
Reply
My only mini-complaint was that in both, the multi-player Betae, & the single player demo's, the weapons are more feather-light compared to the 2 earlier KZ's...bummer!!!!!
And YES, I finally played a game in MP mode for the very first time, & I got up to 173,000 XP with numerous unlocks, ribbons and some bronze medals as I was able to reach Captain 1 before the beta ended. Not to bad for a 1st time total MP n00b I hope, right????.
Anyway, I finally got the chance to play the SP demo last night & there were a few....
"Holy batshit Robin, was that really live or was it "Memorex????"????.
1. I took cover & a few that devious crafty Helghast bastard in the second tank blasted away my cover in about3 seconds & killed me before I even knew which red-eye hit me.
2. After I realized I could destroy some of their cover(see #1 above), I hit a few metal=plated guard rails covers that some Helghast were using as cover & I was able to knock the plates away, exposing them & kill each of those Helghast(paybacks are a bit*ch, M.F.'ers).
3. Aiming for(and hitting)the Helghast in their jetpacks caused them to explode & fly off every which way but loose, like a uncorked welding tank(great special effects).
4. I sniped a Helghast look-out in the front forehead on a high platform corner , & as his head yanked back & exploded, his helmet also shot off & clanked all the way down as it hit every corner rail on the way down.
But the most amazing part of that whole scene, was that the Helghast then fell across the side rail, dangled about 2/3's over the guard rail where he had just stood, and his very own body weight slowly caused him to slither over that rail about 8 seconds later & do 4 cascading cartwheels as he plummeted down to the ground.
Simply f*cking awesome
2 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 10:56:44 PM
Wow, the realism of the motion & the unbelievable graphics of that ocean was absolutely amazing & totally memorizing too!!!!
2 up, 1 down
johnld
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:00:18 PM
Reply
trust me, the cover system is essential on elite difficulty, at least in killzone 2. but if killzone 3's pacing is the same as the second one then it'll be a welcome feature. but hearing that they made changes to make the game for accessible, aka cod like, i'm afraid the pacing may have been changed. if it came from a strategic FPS to a run and gun FPS then i can see why the cover system would be redundant. 2 more days and i can make my own opinions on the game.
0 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:19:42 PM
0 up, 1 down
johnld
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:34:37 PM
where i had trouble was that part on the train where i had to destroy a tank. i replayed that checkpoint so much times. i actually went back to the machinegun on the tank to take out rushing helgans only to find out that they just keep spawning till you destroy the tank. i hate endless spawns. i mean i had to hit the tank with rockets 2-3 times while helgans rushed me and the rocket ammo is in the open with all the helgans and the tank shooting at me. i shot my rocket in between a group of helgans, they fell and got back up. seriously, those guys are friggin tough.
0 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:04:12 AM
What matters is how the game operates on the default difficulty.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 2/20/2011 12:04:18 AM
4 up, 2 down
johnld
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:41:52 AM
1 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:50:22 AM
Yes, I've played the demo a lot ;)
1 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:21:34 PM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 11:11:56 AM
1 up, 1 down
Cesar_ser_4
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:22:36 PM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
AshT
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 11:23:17 PM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
___________
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:08:45 AM
Reply
i preferred the controls in KZ2, i actually found it allot easier to pull off shots then other games.
i wish games would go back to being made by developers, not by fans.
99% of the time they end up ruining the game, cough the removal of the death cut scenes because people have a 2 second attention span!
that was by far the best part of the story!
have to admit though this is looking allot better then what i was expecting!
i was expecting KZ2 with jetpacks.
but the levels are much more open (not as much as crysis 2 but its a start) much more variable, its no longer a corridor shooter.
mission variety and enemy variety does not look like its changed though, sadly.
i hope KZ3 has many more boss battles than 2, they always help breaking up the gameplay and stop it from getting repetitive.
hopefully they have more enemy classes and a bigger difference this time.
in KZ2 you honestly could not tell the difference between the soldiers and the scouts!
almost every enemy was the same, only just with a different weapon!
whats the point of having enemy classes if there going to be so similar?
you need to change their AI, for example if the enemies wielding a shotgun then he will be heavily armoured so he does not need to take cover, and flanks in close because shotguns have poor range.
if you have a rifle and less armor, then common sense would tell you rushing up and not using cover would be suicide!
thats the whole point of having enemy classes, to have a group of enemies that act differently then each other because of their strengths and weaknesses.
0 up, 11 down
sirbob6
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:50:01 AM
On the topic of AI the shotgun guy you mentioned always charged at you and didn't use cover for the most part. To further point out the differences, in Soloman Village you could clearly see the difference of tactics between Miner's and trained troops. The miners blitzed and sprayed well the troops would flank and use cover.
I could go on a while but I think we had this conservation awhile ago.
4 up, 1 down
johnld
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:46:41 AM
2 up, 1 down
Cavan1
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:34:49 AM
everyone just leaves him alone.
3 up, 1 down
sirbob6
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:55:41 AM
Reply
By the way does the game actually show civilians at all or Helghast females for that matter.
Last edited by sirbob6 on 2/20/2011 1:09:30 AM
2 up, 2 down
FM23
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 12:57:06 AM
Reply
0 up, 3 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:04:22 AM
3 up, 2 down
STAY3R
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:16:58 AM
Reply
i never seen any console fps that looks better than KZ3, i think it deserves a 9.5 atleast for graphics
6 up, 2 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 11:54:33 AM
Ben cited the facial expressions as being not up to par with Uncharted, so maybe that's where it was penalized.
on a related note. While Assassin's Creed:BH was an entirely different game, it received a 9.1 graphics. So it would seem a multiplat that performs better on 360 is about as equally as impressive as KZ3 respective to their genres.
arrgh!, they set us up the bomb. what you say!?
2 up, 2 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:07:01 PM
And the facial animations during the cut-scenes are really mediocre.
0 up, 0 down
MadPowerBomber
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:26:39 AM
Reply
The single player demo was solid. And a LOT of my issues with the first one -- which had NOTHING to do with the gameplay, graphics, or fun factor -- were fixed. The dialog was better written, Rico seems to have a new voice actor, but I can't be certain. If it's not, it seems he brought more maturity to the role, which I appreciate. The demo was yeah... solid.
I don't know how much multiplayer I'll get into, but that beta was hella funtastic. I like the way it plays much more than the last two COD efforts (the only online FPS games I've really tried) but it mostly depends on if my roomates play online or not. I don't play online unless they are, 'cause then it's more fun.
I do have to ask... where's the MvC3 review?
heh.
0 up, 1 down
Akuma07
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 2:25:11 AM
Reply
Alot of people will complain about Guerilla getting rid of the weighty feel.
BUT
They are the same people who complained about it in the first place.
I rekon people would have scored it better if they kept the weighty feel. I liked it, was hard to get used to but deffinately added to the experience. The deadzones felt a bit TOO much on multiplayer, but they fixed that.
2 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:41:30 PM
Some people want to have their cake and eat it too.
0 up, 0 down
MysteriousMagus
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 5:34:59 AM
It was impossible to aim on the stock settings. But with 0 I owned the game... and man it was sooo epic... I just couldn't stop playing..
Even I must admit I didn't finish KZ2. I used to suck at it. Now I changed the settings a bit and started again.
So easy when you pull your knife out. I am glad they too that one hit kill melee from Kz3...
Anyways great review... I loved this game.
The ending was pretty cool for my taste. But It got me unexpected to the point of like... Going like wtf hahaha...
Still the story and great gameplay kept me going til the end!
0 up, 0 down
kraygen
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 3:00:25 AM
Reply
Second, really awesome review. I won't be getting this day 1, fps is not my thing, but I played both demo's and kz3 is definitely my favorite fps I've ever played. Eventually I'll nab the sharpshooter and kz3, then I'll have some shooter fun.
I was going to ask, thought of this a few time, but I always forget to mention it. When you do your reviews you show the score for each portion of the game. Like graphics, sounds, all that, but how come there is no story score?
Just curious as many of us play for the story experience, however I could see it dragging a lot of games down big time. Some games might drop from a 9 to a 6 if you scored the story, is that why you don't.
Well anyway, glad the full game sounds as good as what I enjoyed from the demo's. Next time I do feel like getting competitive and fpsing I'll pick up kz3.
1 up, 1 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:05:47 PM
Besides, it would drag scores down and maybe give the wrong impression. A fantastic fighting game or something like that might get a 2 for a story score, and to have the number up there just seems wrong for something so good.
0 up, 0 down
kraygen
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 9:30:30 PM
0 up, 0 down
YashaZz
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 3:55:29 AM
Reply
By the way: Is Killzone 3 the finale of the series, or...?
1 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 4:32:22 AM
2 up, 1 down
_valdips3_
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 4:15:02 AM
Reply
already pre-ordered the games months ago, excited to play it.
2 up, 3 down
Ultimate_Balla
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 5:22:25 AM
Reply
0 up, 5 down
redman479
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 6:57:05 AM
Reply
4 up, 2 down
Qubex
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:37:11 AM
Reply
Ben, I have been eagerly awaiting the Killzone3 review, and as expected it was a great read. Agree with everything written however, personally I do miss the old Killzone2 controls. From playing the Beta and (yesterday) the single player demo it really does look like a technical marvel and superlative effort by GG.
Will be picking it up this week.
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
4 up, 4 down
aaronisbla
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:55:31 AM
Reply
2 up, 3 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 11:22:30 AM
1 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:40:14 PM
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:02:47 PM
Honestly, KZ3 seems to offer a user the best of both worlds.
And while CoD has faster acceleration than many shooters, heavier, bigger guns do control heavier.
The big plus of CoD is it's slick 60fps and I love that about it.
And as real as FPS games pretend to be, they really are games and there are a few handfuls of reasons why these games are games and not simulators.
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:26:13 PM
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/20/2011 8:27:32 PM
0 up, 0 down
NoSmokingBandit
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 9:00:06 AM
Reply
I wasnt going to pre-order it and just wait to hear what other people say (outside of reviews), but Amazon has a $20 credit thing going on so it felt like a waste to not preorder it seeing as i know i'll get it eventually anyway.
The one thing i loves most about KZ2 was the audio post-processing. It was one of the best sounding games i've ever played in 5.1 and i cant wait to get KZ3 just to make my living room sound like a war zone again.
0 up, 1 down
DazeOfWar
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:08:15 AM
Reply
I just switched my preorder over to Amazon since you get a $20 credit for future order and still get all the other goodies. Now I can get the sharpshooter for half off.
2 up, 1 down
Robochic
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:15:43 AM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
FatherSun
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:28:52 AM
Reply
Just subscribed to the YT channel. Look forward to putting the names with the faces. Now, what else do you guys have in store for us? New site design? A collaboration? What? The suspense is killing me. I'm confident that you guys will go in the right direction.
Sometimes worry that we will be inundated by mediocre individuals. Wish we didn't have to deal with that but I must admit I highly enjoy the justice served when a loser is deleted. It is such a satisfying event.
Last edited by FatherSun on 2/20/2011 10:29:11 AM
3 up, 1 down
Miggy
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 11:01:03 AM
Reply
2 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:17:29 PM
Reply
LOL!
3 up, 2 down
AcHiLLiA
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:29:40 PM
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 2/20/2011 1:34:01 PM
1 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 1:39:12 PM
2 up, 3 down
MadPowerBomber
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 5:09:13 PM
0 up, 2 down
xnonsuchx
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 5:36:46 PM
0 up, 1 down
MadPowerBomber
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 @ 2:46:09 AM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 5:34:12 PM
3 up, 2 down
booze925
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:45:14 PM
about 3 months later after i gave it away, i realised how wrong i was
0 up, 1 down
BengiePR23
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 3:16:37 PM
Reply
2 up, 1 down
ianwba1
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 4:38:47 PM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 5:33:52 PM
0 up, 2 down
Simcoe
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 12:33:02 PM
0 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:07:46 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
booze925
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:43:03 PM
Reply
but your review seems down to earth and fair ben. nice work.
0 up, 0 down
King James
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 7:43:08 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:00:21 PM
Reply
:)
1 up, 2 down
Qubex
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:14:10 PM
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Last edited by Qubex on 2/20/2011 8:14:52 PM
3 up, 1 down
ZettaiSeigi
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 3:37:32 AM
0 up, 1 down
Simcoe
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 12:38:31 PM
0 up, 1 down
Nerull
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 8:18:29 PM
Reply
With its sales tho I can see why CoD has that much peer pressure and I know from KZ2 that the AI still elevates it from most of the FPS saturation.
Plus the Helgast remind me of the Death Korps of Krieg.
I'm sure the multiplayer is improved but I'll still only try it once in a blue moon.
Last edited by Nerull on 2/20/2011 8:21:10 PM
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 9:14:40 PM
0 up, 0 down
Bigtuna1
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 9:28:19 PM
The other takes forever to drop and probably sold enough to give away a copy to all of France.
Just saying.
0 up, 0 down
Bigtuna1
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 9:25:10 PM
Reply
I mean we've all been wanting our games to go that next step in one way or another. Here we are with a game that was built with a more immersive way to play than any game before it. I mean it wasn't added later, it was built with both technologies in mind. There are some of us who have one or both and would like some input from a trusted reviewer such as yourself Ben.
So what say you Ben, any chance you can comment on the sharpshooter or 3D???
1 up, 0 down
Nick Maim
Sunday, February 20, 2011 @ 10:44:24 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 8:58:19 AM
Reply
Killzone 3 received a 9ish score from PSX. That translates into nothing to worry about in my book.
After spending some serious time on the Beta, all I can say is good luck catching my KDR!!
0 up, 1 down
Devhour
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 9:28:39 AM
Reply
I share the same opinion about the low score reviews around the globe. Below 9 is insane. I wonder if they actually compare the fps games already available on stores. Look at that Black Ops! Not even in my top 50 best games of all time. Killzone 2 was a blast but that feeling of "disappointment" you felt about the controls, well, for me they are quite good. The tweaks they did fit in my style, however I understand your thought. I think they didn't make it easier to kill, They did it faster to run and turn. Everything is faster than the previous game, and I like it. :)
You talk about the cover and you're right. I feel the same. I prefer doing it in the old way. Hide, kill and run. Cover is for tps alright. :)
I just love this site. Honest reviews. Great users. I'm from Portugal and I'm always talking about this at my friends. The greatest american site about games. I'm proud of being a ps3 gamer.
Keep up the good work and sorry about my english.
0 up, 0 down
wryslok
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 10:43:39 AM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
Kiryu
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 10:56:23 AM
3 up, 0 down
Devhour
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 12:10:55 PM
1 up, 0 down
CaptainWinkie
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 1:40:12 PM
Reply
0 up, 4 down
CaptainWinkie
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 1:48:38 PM
Reply
0 up, 6 down
Devhour
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 3:11:36 PM
And play for the kz3 demo? omg...
You're joking, right?
Somebody tell this guy how wrong he is. The words are failing me...
Se fosse em português até te respondia. :)
0 up, 0 down
xnonsuchx
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 5:32:22 PM
0 up, 0 down
DjEezzy
Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 2:17:00 PM
Reply
3 up, 0 down
telly
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 @ 11:00:08 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Bloodysilence19
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 @ 8:52:19 PM
Reply
mp part is good but still noticing connection issues, lil lag, and hit detection still isn't up to par like kz2 was.
0 up, 0 down
FM23
Friday, February 25, 2011 @ 1:50:45 AM
Reply
1 up, 1 down
FM23
Friday, February 25, 2011 @ 2:52:50 PM
1 up, 0 down
natho86
Reply
Saturday, February 19, 2011 @ 9:42:36 PM