Killzone 3

[Cookyman]

Killzone 3 review up at Joystiq.

 

Killzone 3 review: Third time's the harm

 

 

The Killzone franchise has always been caught in a struggle against early expectations. The first game fell short of its "Halo killer" billing, and the next console outing had to match a lofty, pre-rendered visual "target" -- while it came close, it couldn't silence sharp-eyed critics. With Killzone 3, developer Guerrilla has no new benchmark to beat except for the one it already set for itself: be better than Killzone 2.

 

Critics, myself included, praised that last game, even though a few turn-offs still slipped through. Killzone 3 systematically addresses every complaint voiced: the graphics have become more colorful, the story has been greatly expanded, and the controls have been tweaked to feel less sluggish. But reactionary development doesn't always work. Fixated on correcting what wasn't necessarily broken, Guerrilla has forgotten to focus on what really matters in the solo game: making it fun.

 

Set immediately after the events of Killzone 2, most of the game's major changes will go unnoticed until later in the campaign -- except for a major overhaul of the game's handling. As if someone hit fast-forward on the game engine, your character and your gun are both nimbler than ever. The noticeable weight of each weapon has been removed, letting you run around carrying an assault rifle and a sniper rifle, should you please. You can even rip out turrets, Master Chief-style, and still hit L3 to dash across the environment. This is meant to speed up the pace -- and it succeeds -- but as a fan of the last iteration, I couldn't help but feel like a crucial part of the game's spirit had been killed.

 

Rectifying the control lag certainly makes the game more accessible to the mainstream standard set by Call of Duty. A consequence of removing that weight, however, is that it makes similar classes of weapons feel nearly indistinguishable from one another. A submachine gun feels like an assault rifle feels like a machine gun, whether you're playing on a DualShock or a Move controller. The only difference between the weapons you'll really consider is the size of its magazine, an unfortunate misstep for those who appreciated the tactical aspect of the last game's combat.

 

Killzone is no longer a military shooter that simply happens to take place in space. Guerrilla fully embraces the sci-fi aspect of the franchise and, in doing so, finally gives the game a "gimmick" its predecessor sorely lacked: lots of robots and crazy alien stuff. Killzone 3 is a playground of new toys and new enemies that sounds absolutely delightful on paper. In one level, you'll fight intimidating Predator-esque enemies in the Helghan wilderness, while dodging a fire-breathing dragon-robot-thing. In another, you'll liquify electric-shooting soldiers while jumping around in a low-gravity space station. Oh, and let's not forget the jetpacks.

 

 

But every brilliant moment is countered by another of frustration, anger, or boredom. For the most part, the gameplay devolves into a mindless shooting gallery, where the greatest threat isn't enemy intelligence, but a hilarious amount of grenade spam. It's not uncommon to come to a barrier and have three grenades land at your feet ... every thirty seconds. And even when you're not under explosive assault, the game lobs equally temperamental objectives your way that tend to be unclear and poorly communicated. Considering how much of the game is driven by set pieces, it's amazing how often you'll feel lost.

 

The game's excessive reliance on rail-shooting segments quickly outstays its welcome. Sure, the vehicle you're in may change -- whether you're in a gunship, a tank, an ice plow, etc. -- but the tactics are mercilessly mindless. Just keep holding R1 until everything explodes. Don't think. Just watch the explosions! They're so pretty!

 

It's easy to see why Guerrilla added so many of these rails segments. Not only do they give off the impression of variety, they show off how stunning the graphics are in Killzone 3. You'll be hard-pressed to disagree -- the stylized HDR lighting, the overabundance of color, and the sheer variety of locations really make the game a treat for the eyes. The most compelling reason to soldier through the campaign may be just to see where the game takes you next. Somehow, the levels seem to look better and better, and you'll never want the engine to render brown ever again.

 

 

Unfortunately, the spectacle of the graphics can't rectify the travesty that is the game's narrative. Killzone 2 didn't have a story, some complained. I'd much rather have nothing than the heavy-handed, absurdly edited tale of Killzone 3. There's a feature length film's worth of cutscene tucked away onto the Blu-ray disc, and were it placed into theaters you would walk out in anger and ask for your $12 back. The performances are strong, but the script is miserable. The lack of characterization makes it difficult to care about the plot, and the cutscenes' inability to convey something as simple as cause and effect makes it impossible to even try.

 

Stripping the game of its story actually makes for a better product, as evidenced by the stellar multiplayer mode. Whereas shooting becomes a chore in the campaign, I never tired of the multiplayer experience. The class system in Killzone 2 makes a return here, streamlined to make it much more accessible to newcomers. There's no "grunt" class anymore. Instead, you'll be able to play as any class with powers, making the game immediately more gratifying. Leveling up gives you access to "points" that you can use to strengthen each class: create stronger turrets for the engineer, earn a cloaking device, etc. If you focus on a specific class, you'll make progress rather quickly.

 

Like its predecessor, Killzone 3 doesn't offer much in terms of modes, but the three included on the disc greatly expand the single option previously offered. Warzone makes a return, offering the same objective roulette that fans have come to expect. Each team competes to win as many constantly-changing objectives as possible: assassinating a specific team member, defending a certain territory, or just raking in kills. Killzone 3 fixes one of the biggest missed opportunities of the last title: vehicular combat comes into play -- and in a big way, too. Depending on the stage, you'll be able to commandeer a mech or a jetpack. It should be obvious that the dynamics of battle drastically change when these come into play.

 

 

But the most effective new ingredient in the multiplayer is the Operations mode. Similar to Uncharted 2's co-op, Operations adapts pivotal battles in the single-player campaign and turns them into objective-based clashes between the Helghast and ISA. The objectives are widely spread across the map, meaning teams will have to really coordinate well to attack or defend. The victor is rewarded a rather satisfying outro, with the winning team humiliating the losing side, with screen names highlighted on both sides.

 

Multiplayer does what the campaign simply cannot, which is to make you care. Despite that, I have to wonder if Killzone 3's multiplayer offers enough content to remain competitive with the other players in the space. There are only three modes to play through, one being a straightforward team deathmatch. The three maps available in Operations are a lot of fun, but I couldn't help but want more. And why aren't there more maps with jetpacks? Why aren't there more modes that use the mechs? What about a low-gravity mode, as seen in the campaign? (The answer is likely "DLC.")

 

The feature set of Killzone 3 is impressive: 3D support, PlayStation Move compatibility, split-screen offline co-op campaign, and offline multiplayer with bots, but no amount of 3D waggle can change the fact that the Killzone 3 campaign is a miserable experience. Killzone 3 certainly offers more bells and whistles than its predecessor -- it's just a shame they've been affixed to an inferior game.

 

 

IGN review

 

Gamespot review

Edited February 3, 2011 by Cookyman

[The Lillster]

M82 is now available for use with the Tactician.

 

There's still hope.

 

Edit: Scratch that, it's still balls.

 

After getting used to the Move controls I thought it was good.

 

What don't you like about it?

[Choze]

They fixed all the major gameplay issues.

 

More gun variety(silencers and non scopes).

 

Added Assault rifles to all classes except one.

 

proximity mine now flashes. even under snow etc. Hard to miss.

 

ADS(Aiming down sights) fixed for heavy guns. No bugs. Useful on guns at distance unlike COD.

 

KZ2 style hip fire now back. ADS better than KZ2 but not overpowered now, infact hip fire is better 90% of the time with automatics like KZ2.

 

Game is rebalanced from scratch rather than last beta. Bullet damage, fire rate etc all different.

 

Silenced guns are very cool. Guns with 3 shot bursts in some cases. Helps balance the rush capability of some classes.

 

Tactician rightly nerfed, wall hack almost gone but balanced nicely. Marksman buffed to something useful. Sta 52 long range rifle also buffed to almost KZ2 level, useful close and mid.

 

Abilities all round made more useful or less overpowered. All weapons have their uses now.

 

Most importantly the game plays slower, tactical and like KZ2, not the rush fest like the last beta.

 

Levelling up is faster. They changed how some ribbons are earned.

 

Sounds effects are the best in the genre. Best elements of other games all in one. Very high quality sound samples too not the compressed multiplatform development excuse last gen rubbish you get in COD. Also heavy bass from KZ2 is back. People with subwoofers will be happy.

 

Graphicaly improved. Added effects such as bits of snow falling off building structures. improved framerate. Improved lighting. Better textures in places. Easier to see and play outside on snow level.

 

Have not tried Move.

 

Going to play more. Definitely excited again. Going to preorder the steelbook special edition.

[Zechs Merquise]

Although I don't own a PS3, I am actually interested in this simply for the Move controls. I'm a big fan of FPS games on the Wii as I love the pointer controls and find they make playing FPS games a lot easier and more fluid than dual analog controls, I'd really love to see anyone who has played a COD game or any other online FPS on the Wii give their thoughts on how the Move compares. I realise the controls for MOVE are very similar, but I also realise it took a while for some developers to totally nail Wii remote pointing in an FPS.

 

I'm mainly intrigued by this for several reasons:

 

Firstly, in COD:BO on Wii you can use standard dual analog controls as well as Wii remote controls. Basically those using the Wii remote seem to have a big advantage as the speed of aiming is much much quicker. I expect this to be the case with Move too. My question is, that as Move is not the standard control scheme on the PS3, do players think that it will give Move owners an advantage over dual analog users that could cause an imbalance in the community where good Move players literally dominate proceedings?

 

Secondly, as the PS3 has a bigger FPS base than the Wii are their any players here who liked dual analog but have found that Move has won them over? At first I didn't like the idea of dropping dual analog, but after playing Metroid Prime 3 and later COD I was totally won over.

 

Thirdly, it took developers a while to integrate good pointing controls in Wii games and cut excessive gestures. At first developers seemed full of crazy ideas that gestures should replace all button presses. As we've moved forward developers have kept the pointer controls and simple gestures for reloads and some melee attacks, but have gone back to button presses for other actions like zooming in and grenade throws. Do people think that this first generation of Move shooters have learned from mistakes made in this regard on the Wii, or are Move controls gesture heavy?

 

Thanks!

[Caris]

What just happened?

[Choze]

Although I don't own a PS3, I am actually interested in this simply for the Move controls. I'm a big fan of FPS games on the Wii as I love the pointer controls and find they make playing FPS games a lot easier and more fluid than dual analog controls, I'd really love to see anyone who has played a COD game or any other online FPS on the Wii give their thoughts on how the Move compares. I realise the controls for MOVE are very similar, but I also realise it took a while for some developers to totally nail Wii remote pointing in an FPS.

 

I'm mainly intrigued by this for several reasons:

 

Firstly, in COD:BO on Wii you can use standard dual analog controls as well as Wii remote controls. Basically those using the Wii remote seem to have a big advantage as the speed of aiming is much much quicker. I expect this to be the case with Move too. My question is, that as Move is not the standard control scheme on the PS3, do players think that it will give Move owners an advantage over dual analog users that could cause an imbalance in the community where good Move players literally dominate proceedings?

 

Secondly, as the PS3 has a bigger FPS base than the Wii are their any players here who liked dual analog but have found that Move has won them over? At first I didn't like the idea of dropping dual analog, but after playing Metroid Prime 3 and later COD I was totally won over.

 

Thirdly, it took developers a while to integrate good pointing controls in Wii games and cut excessive gestures. At first developers seemed full of crazy ideas that gestures should replace all button presses. As we've moved forward developers have kept the pointer controls and simple gestures for reloads and some melee attacks, but have gone back to button presses for other actions like zooming in and grenade throws. Do people think that this first generation of Move shooters have learned from mistakes made in this regard on the Wii, or are Move controls gesture heavy?

 

Thanks!

 

They are better than Wii shooters thats for sure. I can safely recommend SOCOM: Special forces(by Zipper) for move. Have not tried KZ3 just yet. More focused on checking actual game mechanics changes right now as the last beta had lots of us worried. But will post here. It is getting great impressions online though

 

MAG is a killer game and pretty influential right now in the genre. But Move is definitely not the recommended play method by me. Plus you need to level up before you gain real weapons. Though some do insanely well with it no matter what. Just thinking about MAG makes me want to play again lol.

 

Bear in mind Move varies alot game to game.

Edited February 4, 2011 by Choze

[flameboy]

well I downloaded the beta...I will give it a go...was on one of the previous beta's early on but if I'm honest barely gave it any playtime. I will give this a bit more though.

[Oxigen_Waste]

They are better than Wii shooters thats for sure.

 

Such a fanboy!

 

Zechs, so far there's nothing on the same level of Goldeneye/Conduit/CoD when it comes to the accuracy of the controls and how good they feel except SOCOM (which is a third person shooter, btw). But of course, time will change that.

[Aimless]

Firstly, in COD:BO on Wii you can use standard dual analog controls as well as Wii remote controls. Basically those using the Wii remote seem to have a big advantage as the speed of aiming is much much quicker. I expect this to be the case with Move too. My question is, that as Move is not the standard control scheme on the PS3, do players think that it will give Move owners an advantage over dual analog users that could cause an imbalance in the community where good Move players literally dominate proceedings?

In my experience the Move and DualShock lend themselves to slightly different playstyles.

 

Move allows you to acquire and retain targets on screen quicker and easier than with a controller. It's easy to make slight adjustments to your aim and not overshoot your target because you aren't really moving the camera, just the reticule. These strengths lend Move to sniping or otherwise locking down predictable enemy paths; it's easy to flail about when someone gets close.

 

The DualShock is slower in terms of target acquisition but as turning and aiming are one in the same it's easier to use in terms of navigating the environment and close quarters firefights. When using a pad I'll regularly look behind me whilst moving, or otherwise regularly check my blindspots, so I'd say a standard controller offers greater combat mobility and 360° awareness. It also has the obvious advantage of being what everyone's used to, whereas the skills required for Move control aren't as transferable at this point.

 

 

Secondly, as the PS3 has a bigger FPS base than the Wii are their any players here who liked dual analog but have found that Move has won them over? At first I didn't like the idea of dropping dual analog, but after playing Metroid Prime 3 and later COD I was totally won over.

I wouldn't say I'm won over, exactly, but Killzone 3's Move implementation is very well thought out. It offers a different experience to using a pad which is superior in some ways and hamstrung in others, so I see both inputs as viable in their own way.

 

Playing the game with Move is definitely a nice novelty as it is something different, but I don't see it as superseding the traditional controller so much as complimenting it. I expect SOCOM will be a different story, however, as pointer controls are a better fit for third-person.

 

 

Thirdly, it took developers a while to integrate good pointing controls in Wii games and cut excessive gestures. At first developers seemed full of crazy ideas that gestures should replace all button presses. As we've moved forward developers have kept the pointer controls and simple gestures for reloads and some melee attacks, but have gone back to button presses for other actions like zooming in and grenade throws. Do people think that this first generation of Move shooters have learned from mistakes made in this regard on the Wii, or are Move controls gesture heavy?

Killzone 3 only features two gestures, a 'stab' forward for a melee attack and twisting the Move to one side to reload. You don't even need to use the latter, you can simply use the Square button instead.

 

It's interesting to note that they originally had a gesture for picking up weapons, something which has evidently been removed.

 

I fully expect some developers to retread the mistakes of early Wii shooters, but Guerilla appear to have taken note of them, at least. Hopefully future games will build on what Killzone 3 has done; I think it would be smart of Sony to include the implementation in their SDK for others to riff off.

[Kav]

Can you reduce any bounding boxes? When playing with pointer controls I always remove the bounding box or make it as small as possible so that turning and looking are instantaneous.

I'm trying to convince one of my friends to get Killzone 3 so I can try it but he's not sold on it as he's not been too keen on the first two (CoD fanboy).

[Aimless]

You can set the horizontal and vertical deadzone (bounding box), crosshair sensitivity and turn speed.

 

At the moment I'm most comfortable with 0, 30, 20, 100, respectively. I keep trying different settings, the one constant being zero horizontal deadzone: there's a lot of gradation in turning speed so you don't need one.

 

If your friend already has Move just have him download the multiplayer demo. It's free for anyone to grab.

[The Lillster]

I've found my sweet spot with the motion control settings and I'm doing a lot better now.

 

I can turn really fast, but also accurately as well, so I never over turn a mark now.

 

Maybe we could have an N-E match one of the nights? - That's if you can do that in the Beta (not 100% sure?!?).

[Emerald Emblem]

From what I've played of the Beta, I'm enjoying it more than any COD game I've played.

[The Lillster]

Are you using the motion controller?

[Emerald Emblem]

Nope, don't have a PS Move.

[Oxigen_Waste]

I are disappoint. So fucking generic. Gah, I've oficially given up on next-gen FPS single player games.

[Domstercool]

Just decided to record the new single player demo that came out

 

[Daft]

Played the demo. Move was good when you got rid of the stupid toggled gunsight.

 

Not sure if I'll use it over the DS3. Think I need to give it another run through.

[dwarf]

I might get this game purely for Guerilla Warfare and Operations mode, they seem to have ruined WarZone. I've just got the ideal class set-up now:

 

----

M82

Magnum

 

Air Support and spot and mark (i.e. tactician)

 

More ammo perk.

 

C4 - you get two of these if you have above perk.

----

Even though it's not really anything new, I've been finding it so enjoyable using this setup. Instinctive know-how nets me K/Ds of 5+ very often, which you'll all like to know.

 

The rebalancing has vastly improved the game, returning weapons to their former glory. There's still a minor balancing issue or two but nothing un-ironable. Having said that, I still don't like the unlock system, the introduction of mechs, rocket firing turrets, and ofc the removal of boost ability/spawn grenades, but now it's feeling a lot more familiar to Killzone 2. It's basically a more polished experience, with new maps = win.

 

Happy to see such improvements.

[Aimless]

Sweet or salty, dwarf?

[dwarf]

Didn't see that one coming aha!

 

But since you're asking, I'll go sweet, as long as they aren't as sweet as you babe

[Choze]

 

Socom beta included with new copies of the game.

 

Played single player demo. Was good fun. Nice amount of variety and it keeps the open ended gameplay from KZ2. AI top notch as usual. Miles and miles ahead of Black Ops.

[dwarf]

FFS a Socom beta is something I'd be very interested in. But I don't think I'll be buying it.

Any news as to other ways of getting it? I might have to persuade a friend.

[Cookyman]

Well couldn't resist and have just ordered Killzone 3 from Zavvi.com

 

If you enter this code - FIVEOFFZAVVI

 

You save a fiver off a £50 quid order so got the Killzone 3: Limited Edition pack for £54.85

 

I was needing a new controller and you get this with it:

 

 

 

It's a nice way to get a cheap 2nd official controller!

 

Oh and you could be really sneaky and then flog the controller on Ebay for £30 and save even more money (I'll be keeping mine though)

Edited February 15, 2011 by Cookyman

[Choze]

Yeah the controller deal is good. I am recommending it to alot of people who want another controller.

 

MP patches update from the Killzone.com forums:

 

 

What we'd like to do is give you guys some idea of how your hard work has paid off on parts of the game you've commented on, but haven't seen a patch for in the open beta. We've received a tremendous amount feedback from all of you, some of it obviously in favor of specific changes, while some other feedback was split down the middle. To compensate for the split feedback, we've looked at information and statistics we've been collecting while you've been playing on the server. Below you'll find a list of some of the most talked about points during beta, and what we plan to do to address these specific issues.

 

 

* A fix to the "Your Faction Has Won/Lost" issue, along with all oddities that resulted from this occurring

* An issue that allowed more than two clans to join a clan match will be fixed

* Increased Accuracy, Bullet Damage and Faster Reload Ribbons will update correctly on personal statistics screens

* We've simplified the process to invite players into your game (just one button press)

* The radius of the Marksman's Scramble++ has been lowered

* Medic's Revive distance increased and cooldown to re-use is decreased

* No collision on mortally wounded player bodies

* Increased player stamina

* An icon will be shown in the menu when you have a Killzone 3 message in your inbox

 

Shortly after the game's release, you'll also see these changes patched in:

 

 

* Support for color-blind players

* Implement unranked custom games for players to create private or clan matches

* Enhanced custom games functionality that will allow players to:

o Control over games modes and settings

o Secure games, allowing you to invite the players you want to play with

o The ability to prevent abilities and weapons from being used

o Toggling on and off functionality, such as ribbons, skills, explosives, etc.

o Selecting which careers you want available to players

o Allow friendly fire to be turned on or off

o Faction switching enabled or disabled

* The Clan Officer role will be added to clans

* Separate turn speeds for hip-fire and ADS

* Overly enthusiastic death screams will be toned down

* Increased the amount of kills required to win a Guerrilla Warfare match

* Increased Accuracy ribbon will have its effectiveness lowered

* Likewise, the Bullet Damage ribbon will have its effectiveness lowered as well

* Matches will end if the other team forfeits (i.e. too few, or no players on the enemy team)

* Matchmaking enhancements that will close and merge games based on player count, which will keep games more full

* Balance factions out by moving players to the other team at the end of the match if one team is lopsided

* The ability to turn off HUD markers for point pop-ups and objectives

* A menu option to allow squad-only chat

* The addition of a Mute All button

* Scoreboard flickering will be fixed

* Clans will no longer get matched against other clans that have many more players than they do (i.e. 4 vs. 7, 5 vs. 8)

 

And that list is just the beginning. As we release our patches you'll get a full list of everything we've updated in a patch list, which is much more than what we've listed above.

 

 

GAME have also knocked down the price of the special edition for now. It's just £44.99 now with double points. That's almost the price of the normal game now.

 

Killzone 3 Collector's Edition

 

 

Killzone 3 Collector's Edition for PS3 Includes:

SteelBook case

Also includes the Retro Map Pack with two maps from Killzone®2

An exclusive Killzone®3 dynamic theme

The Killzone®3 soundtrack

Unlocks all weapons and abilities for your first 24 hours of multiplayer gameplay.

Lets you rise through the ranks faster by earning experience points at twice the normal rate for your first 24 hours of multiplayer gameplay.

Gives you 3 unlock points to use on any weapon or ability you want.

 

The Home game also gives unlock points.