KILLZONE 3

PLATFORMS: EXCLUSIVELY  ON  PS3

GENRE: FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER

     Every action you do in Killzone is immersive; the combat more intense and savage than other shooters. It's this design that makes Killzone 3 so engrossing and fun despite its weak story. With the fantastic pacing and set pieces in the campaign, along with the improved, fun multiplayer, Guerilla's crafted a must own for PS3 shooting enthusiasts.

               Killzone 3 is all about a war between two factions of humans. On one side, we have the ISA, the good guys with human faces; on the other side are the Helghast, the red-goggled, mask-wearing enemies who are hell bent on subduing the rest of the universe. Killzone 3 picks up right where two left off, with a small group of ISA soldiers struggling to survive after being effectively cut off and left on the hostile Helghan homeworld. Throughout it all, you play as Sev, the returning hero from the second game, who is out to do as much damage to the enemy as he can before he's caught, killed or rescued.

Story and characters aside, Killzone 3 succeeds as a superb first-person shooter. Guerilla has once again proven that they know how to make the most visceral feeling first-person combat on the market. The controls are considerably tighter than they were in two, but I love how everything you do in Killzone 3 still feels like there's momentum behind it. From climbing ladders to running to slamming into cover, Killzone 3 makes you feel like your character is grounded in the world around him. Even shooting feels more real thanks to the weight and swing of the weapon – but not at the cost of overly floaty controls.

       Killzone 3 is beautiful and easily amongst the best looking games on PS3. But what makes its gorgeous environments so important to its design is that it makes the combat more immersive. Enemies are animated so that they realistically fall off railings or cliffs, your own soldiers die in agony as they're cut down by enemy fire, and the environments Sev is fighting through are haunting because they look so plausible.

        Killzone 3's single player is good despite the story, but the reason it's a product worth holding onto is for the multiplayer. The three modes are all fun to play, offering both standard Team Deathmatch and more objective-driven options (including the new Operations Mode, where the highest rated players get to see themselves in cut scenes between objectives). And the revamped leveling system – where leveling means getting points you can use to buy what you want, rather than using a class to unlock abilities for just that class – is a welcome change. Occasional moments of slow-down are likely to occur in larger matches, but make no mistake: this is one of the better multiplayer games available to PS3 owners, and those who enjoyed Killzone 2 online have a lot to look forward to.

      Along with its fun multiplayer, Killzone 3 is so enjoyable because it’s not just a shooter, it’s an experience. Guerilla has crafted scene after gorgeous scene that made me feel like you’re a part of a brutal, human war that is somehow fantastic in setting but also eerily reminiscent of the wars we see on TV. Combine this with the superb pacing and you have a campaign that’s totally fun despite its boring characters and uninspired story. This may not be the best game on the PS3, but it’s a fantastic option for shooter fans, and the type of title that non-PS3 owners are sure to envy.