Toxic reviews Killzone 3

Ah Killzone, probably the first reason I wanted to get a ps3. Back around 2008-2009 when I had no ps3 and was a huge fan of the 360 I mainly devoted my time on Halo 3. But one day my friend was telling me about this "halo killer" coming out in 2009 exclusively for the ps3 known as Killzone 2.

So i looked it up and i was simply amazed, i seriously had no words describing this game. The graphics where like nothing i had ever seen before at that time and it just looked so incredibly immersive. Quite frankly i was very interested in it but jealous because I had no playstation 3.

I think it was 2011 when i finally got my hands on my own PS3. By then Killzone 3 was already out and i decided to buy the ps3 that was bundled with Killzone 3 which along with Resistance: Fall of Man where my first two playstation games. While i very much enjoyed the game i never got around to finish it with Resistance, Uncharted and Infamous catching my interests but after the announcement of Killzone Shadow Falls i decided to finish it and here are my thoughts about it. Now i do have to note that i never played Killzone 2, i am aware that many consider Killzone 2 vastly superior in every way however i cannot make the comparison so it will be completely based on this one and might buy Killzone 2 soon as it's now cheap anyway. Anyway here is the review.


Graphics/Artstyle:

When we talk about Killzone the first thing that pops in our mind are graphics. The massive visual presentation that Killzone is know for is what made the franchise big and Killzone 3 certainly delivers. Visually, KZ3 is a masterpiece. The level of detail in the environments is staggering and sets the benchmark for all games on all platforms that followed.

The first thing i truly love about the game does what no other first person shooter has ever done to me, and that is delivering a true warzone feel. The gritty realistic war feel is extremely immersive and makes this game truly unique. This true war feel is what most other millitary shooters fail to deliver but Killzone not only nails it but does it in a unique way that gives it a certain killzone charm to it to stand out of the crowd. Aside from that the details are simply incredible, the visuals are immersive truly delivering a world you can immerse yourself in.

10/10



Gameplay:

The gameplay feels tight and, while there doesn’t appear to be any level of aim-assist like in Halo, the controls do work. Switching between weapons, performing melee kills, swapping zoom levels while sniping all feels natural and takes only moments to learn how it all works.

While it is fun i do have that feeling that i've played this kind of game before. Yeah, you get to fly around on a jetpack for a bit and yeah, it’s always a blast but... ultimately it’s a series of extremely polished action set pieces you’ve seen before, rather than any kind of evolution of the genre. Don't get me wrong it still has a unique Killzone feel but it feels like they didn't bring anything truly innovating to the table.

8.0/10



Storyline:

Now keep in mind that i haven't played the previous Killzone games so i can't really base it from a continuation point of view. As far as i know is that after the fall of dictator Visari the helghast got stuck in a civil war between two politicial factions, you play as ISA soldier Sev who with his mate Rico are between this civil war as they try to find other ISA soldiers and get the hell out of there.

Just like the gameplay i feel that the story is just overall lacking innovation. Characters feel generic and predictable and really give me a hard time caring for them, and they also lack a certain iconic feel to them, something that makes them unique. Overall the storyline seems just like a big action movie. Which is still very enjoyable nontheless.

7.5/10



Multiplayer:

There really is not much to say about multiplayer. It has the same problem with gameplay and storyline and that is while it's really good, it's just not something that makes the game outstanding. It's just a fun multiplayer mode you'll play for maybe a week but i'd rather play other multiplayer games.

One thing i did really enjoy and this is a REAL big plus is warzone where you are in a huge map constantly doing different objectives. It's long, has a real competitive feeling to it, it brings variety and no longer having to wait so long to play multiple matches. I very much hope other developers will do this aswell.

8.5/10



Replay value:

The campaign is rather linear and does not leave much exploring so after the 8 hour campaign you'll most likely won't go through it again, i don't recommend co-op campaign either because the split-screen is fucked up. Multiplayer might last much longer depending on how much you like it but personally it didn't catch onto me, though admitted i did go back quite a few times for botzone.

Overall the replay value is what you'd expect from a FPS.

8.0/10



Overall:

Killzone 3 aside from the extremely immersive graphics and war feeling does nothing to innovate the FPS genre, but i'm okay with that. Because not only do they perfectly nail the formula but they do it with their own charm and flavor.

This franchise is definitely a great addition to the playstation family and they can be proud of it.

8.25/10

Nice review, Toxic. I completely agree. :)

However, the story is by far the weakest area of the game. I found myself skipping multiple cutscenes just to get it over with.

I also wish there would be more modes in the MP portion. I mean, maybe not like Halo or anything, but 3? Really? Only 3 fucking modes? :fuckthat: