Killzone 3 is an example of a sequel that takes two steps forward and two steps back. On one hand, you have more memorable set piece moments that define the experience. You don a jet pack and zoom about in the snow. You sneak about a sci-fi jungle and stab Helghast soldiers in the back. You take on the largest walking mobile base you've ever seen. When you come away from Killzone 3's campaign, these are the things you will fondly remember. What you won't be so fond of is the awful story. It is in your face, all the time, interrupting the awesome action. The cutscenes look great, but every scene featuring the Helghast elite arguing in their war room will make you cringe. Luckily, if you come to Killzone 3 for its multiplayer, you'll find it's very similar to the last game's. Which is to say, it's consistently awesome, thanks to perfectly designed maps that keep the action intense. Killzone 3 is a great follow up to an amazing game. And if you crave weighty action, or just to fawn over stunning graphics, it's a game you should play.
When it focuses on the heroes Sev and Rico, Killzone 3's story isn't bad, just sort of action-movie generic. Unfortunately, the Helghast all too often take center stage. Their leaders are embarrassing caricatures, and the description of the Helghast as space nazis is as accurate as ever. The game spends far too much time trying to make you care about these evil stereotypes, interrupting battle when you'd rather just be focused on the action. Killzone 2's story wasn't good, but it never detracted from the experience. Rather than make it better, developer Guerrilla Games made it worse, and gave us more of it.
Thankfully, the action more than rises to the occasion. Smooth animations make shooting every weapon a pleasure. Weapons sound powerful and animations effectively convey a sense of heavy impact. Some standard Killzone weapons return, but the new ones pack plenty of punch as well. One fires a glowing green orb of energy that plows through scores of enemies, leaving corpses in its wake. Another lets you switch between two modes, raining artillery fire onto the battlefield. Enemy AI is excellent. The Helghast use cover effectively, flee from your grenades, and have a high level of battlefield awareness. As a result, you feel like part of the war machine, rather than a simple bullet magnet.
Killzone 3 often pushes you down corridors and sends waves of Helghast at you to slaughter. Standard levels still do a good job of keeping things varied, though. You face snipers and security bots together in a junkyard, and has you joining multiple comrades as you slowly make your way up a highway from hell. The game's at its best, however, when it mixes things up even further. In several cases, you put on a jetpack and thrust about, gunning down enemies and jumping from one icy island to another. Another level puts you in a gorgeous jungle and has you sneaking around, brutally stabbing soldiers from behind. You get behind turrets, race through snowdrifts in a speeder, among a few other surprises. None of these sequences last very long, but they keep things interesting.
Once again, the visuals are outstanding, both technically and artistically. Gritty urban environments show off dilapidated bridges and rusted pipes. Thick billows of smoke fill the horizon. Long shadows stretch across blood-soaked pavement. There are gorgeous details everywhere you look, from tangles of vines to sharp barbed wire fences. If you own a 3D television, you can put on your glasses and check things out that way. The lighting and textures aren't as impressive this way. But the illusion of distance between you and your enemy soldiers, and cool effects like snowfall, make it worth checking out Killzone 3 in 3 dimensions. You can also use the Move controller if you want to further change things up, and while this isn't a game changer, the controls are as smooth as you could hope for.
The visuals don't hold up as well if you play the campaign with a buddy in split-screen co-op. The frame rate slows down when a lot is going on, though it is fun to have a friend along for the ride. It's too bad there's no online co-op, a feature Killzone 3 absolutely cries out for. Fortunately, competitive multiplayer suffers from no such issues. Warzone is still the finest way to play Killzone, as it mixes up the pace by putting different modes of play in quick succession. It keeps the action constantly changing, so you will always be on your toes. The maps look great and are designed well, putting alternate routes and choke points in smart places. There are some changes here over Killzone 2. You no longer have to unlock various classes like you did before, so the sense of progression feels somewhat diminished. Still, you earn skill points used to unlock new abilities and weapons. Another change is the addition of two modes: Operations and Guerrilla Warfare. Warfare is simply team deathmatch. Operations is an assault and defend mode, and is the better of the two.
Killzone 3 is not be the huge step forward that Killzone 2 was, though of course, it didn't have as much to improve on. Still, it's too bad that the story had to be this bad, and that the co-op isn't all it should have been. But if you come just for some great shooting action, Killzone 3 delivers what you're looking for. It's got that sense of weight Killzone fans enjoy. It's got the stunning visuals and sound Killzone fans expect. And it's got the memorable battles any shooter fan can get into. If that sounds like you, it's time to grab your M82 and get to the shooting.