There comes a time in a gamer's life when they question what the next purchase for their gaming collection should be... As a fan of first-person shooters and one who mainly plays these types of games, I tend to be a bit picky, nowadays, with how an FPS actually plays. Does it play well? Does it play bad? Will there be constant lag? I'm sure many of you are the same way.

I don't really want to wait until the ending of this review to even tell you what my true thoughts are of this title. So, I won't. I will just come out and say, at the beginning, that Killzone 3 is an adventure worth taking. If you even have the slightest bit of interest in first-person shooters, this is one shooter that you should grab and with the quickness. Killzone 3 can easily be beaten in a matter of a few hours to tell you the honest truth, but it's the adventure that you go on that really makes this title worth picking up. Let me explain.

This continuation to Guerrilla Games' first-person shooter continues the story of Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko just six months after the ending of Killzone 2. Alongside Sev is, of course, his trusty side-kick, Rico Velasquez, who is still right by Sev's side. Killzone 3 takes us across enemy lines once again on the Helghan planet, giving Sev and Rio a run for their money; and what a fun run, too. Thought you had it bad? Sev has entire alien race after him.

While playing through Killzone 3, you may notice that many of the same weapons are back. But, what is new here is one of the drivable "vehicles." I guess that a mechanical mech would be considered a vehicle, right? I mean, in the sense of what a vehicle is. Oh, what fun it is to ride on a 20-foot metal mech-sleigh. The best part of this vehicle/weapon is that there is an entire section of the game where you'll be able to jump inside one of these bad boys and reign complete hell upon the Helghan scum. You'll also be able to jump into the driver's seat within multiplayer, making you one of the deadliest killing machines in a match.

You'll also get the chance to grab a jetpack to soar through the sky as you shoot down your Helghan enemies with every last bullet remaining. Thankfully, the jetpack doesn't allow constant soaring (which could be slightly annoying if you were able to constantly be in the air). Seriously, could you imagine what that would be like in multiplayer? Which to forewarn you, the jetpack seems to be everybody favorite accessory. When you jump into a match that allows a jetpack, you'll notice quickly that everyone will be flying through the sky. There's just something about watching multiple people dropping out of the sky due to someone with a jetpack camping or spawn trapping. Shame on you.

Throughout Killzone 3, you'll playthrough many new environments, including arctic levels, nuclear wastelands, and one of my personal favorites, the Helghan jungle -- which you're goal here would be to silently takeout the enemies without setting off an alarm. This level is definitely for all of you out there who enjoy those types of stealthy missions. As you can guess, there are many trophies to be obtained in this section of the game. From the moment that I put the disc of Killzone 3 into my PlayStation 3, I fell in love. It just plays so smoothly, which is a major plus in my eyes.

Killzone 3 was visually impressive, to say the least. You may notice that the graphics have received quite the upgrade from its predecessor. It has better pristine visuals that pop more than Killzone 2; definitely showing the visual capabilities of the PlayStation 3, and the how much the team behind this creation loved their job and wanted to give gamers a purely satisfying next chapter in the Killzone series. I really enjoy being able to see every scratch and etching on a gun; the realism definitely makes the experience worth it.

Multiplayer played a bit rough at first for me, but after I learned the maps and advantage points, I was fully prepared for the battles that would commence. Get ready for large-scale firefights from the ground and the air. You'll find that multiplayer has pretty much kept its same format when it comes to the different types of game modes. Guerilla Warfare, Assassination, Search and Destroy, Search and Retrieve, Capture and Hold and Body Count are all game types which you'll be able to jump into and unleash some of that bottled up anger.

During your time with Killzone 3 multiplayer, you'll be faced with the ultimate decision - which career will you focus on? Each career class will allow you to unlock skills that will increase your chances of superiority amongst your fellow team members. The Infiltrator is a master of deception; hiding in plain sight and confusing the enemy by disguising themselves as a member of the opposing team. Yeah, that's right. They'll surprise attack you by acting like someone on your team, then all of a sudden - BAM! You'll be dead on the ground, waiting for your teammates to revive you. The Tactician has the ability to deploy sentry drones to help in the battle and can temporarily mark the enemy to appear on the mini-map. The Field Medic is a life saver, seriously. But, I'm sure that you could already sense that. The Field Medic allows you to revive a fallen teammate and can perform a triage, which will restore your health and the health of nearby fallen teammates. The Engineer can hack enemy turrets and repair just about anything with the repair tool. If you plan on taking this route (which isn't a bad one), you'll have the opportunity to repair destroyed ammunition crates, mounted guns and automated turrets. Aside from the repair tool, the Engineer is also able to deploy a sentry turret to cause extra damage to those who plan on flanking you. The last career class available for you in Killzone 3 is the Marksman. With the ability to cloak themselves and kill enemies undetected, the Marksman can blend within his surroundings. The Marksman can also scramble any nearby enemy radar.

What I enjoy the most about multiplayer is that fact that you really can choose to play however you wish. Don't let me tell you which class to choose, that choice is up to you. You'll have to find out which one best suits your abilities and how you play in order to find a perfect match.

Overall, Killzone 3 was a fantastic title with superb graphics, and a phenomenal storyline that takes you on an intergalactic story. If there was one first-person shooter that you should pick up for your collection, this is one that should be on that list. Hands-down! If you enjoyed the previous Killzone titles, then there is no reason for you to skip out on this one. Unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing. But, who am I to tell you what you should be into. I'm not here for that. I'm here to tell you whether or not I felt that this title was awesome or not - and it was.

  • Title: Killzone 3
  • Platformed Reviewed: PlayStation 3
  • Developer: Guerilla Games
  • Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
  • MSRP: $59.99
  • Release Date: February 22, 2011
  • Review Copy Info: A copy of the title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Killzone 3
9 / 10
Platform(s)
PS3
Developer(s)
Guerrilla Games
Publisher(s)
Sony
Genre(s)
FPS