A great improvement on the already impressive Killzone 2
The story picks up immediately where Killzone 2 left off. Visari has been killed, so the Helghast government is in disarray. There are two people fighting for power: Admiral Orlock, the hot-headed commander-in-chief of the Helghast military; and Jorhan Stahl, the CEO of one of the Helghast's primary arms factories. The story allows for a deeper look into the dysfunction of the crumbling Helghan government, thus making for a more compelling narrative overall, forgiving another sequel-bait ending. The solid voice acting from Ray Winstone and Malcolm McDowell helps bring the characters more to life.
The story is told primarily from the point of view of ISA Sergeant Thomas "Sev" Sevchenko once again. He and his pal Rico Velazquez have been reprimanded for killing Visari without cause, as their orders were simply to capture him, and are about to be punished by Captain Narville when a surprise attack forces all remaining ISA troops to evacuate from the Helghan capital. The troops immediately get pinned and separated, thus keeping most of the remaining ISA trapped on Helghan and its harsh environments.
Returning characters such as Sev, Rico, and Captain Narville help keep familiarity within the series intact. New characters like the Helghast leaders Orlock and Stahl, along with female ISA soldier Jammer, keep things fresh. The main characters keep their typical military bravado, but they never play up the stereotype to where it becomes overbearing. In fact, due to the harsh environment they're thrust into, they take on more humanity than previous titles have given them, though these moments are short for the most part.
The gameplay of the previous entries has basically remained the same. Killzone 3 still refuses to control like your average FPS. Players used to the way Call of Duty controls may find themselves struggling with certain aspects of the gameplay, such as the intricate cover mechanics, the slower, more methodical movement, and the swapped buttons for most actions. However, this is not a huge issue, as learning how the game wants you to play takes little time to get used to, much like the previous title.
One major difference from Killzone 2 is that you're no longer limited to a single weapon aside from your pistol. The game now allows you to hold both a regular weapon and a heavy weapon, along with your basic pistol, which gives greater variety to the action. A new feature is the use of jetpacks for certain missions. The controls for the jetpack, which I thought would be either stiff or unresponsive, actually performed rather well, and never feel gimmicky, only being used for one chapter in the entire eight to ten hour campaign.
Where Killzone 3 shines is in its action-packed missions. Enemies will surround you from all sides and do their best to shoot you down. The Helghast AI remains as intelligent and lethal as before, which allows once again for a more strategic approach to clearing an area before advancing the level. The environments are still reactive, destructible, and give unique options for cover. This blistering action is only broken once by a single chapter in which stealth is the key to advancing. The stealth mechanic isn't used to death, so it's a nice change of pace from the heart-pounding set piece moments that fill up the rest of the chapters.
The graphics of Killzone 3 don't need to be discussed too much, as they're basically the same incredible graphics from Killzone 2. Smooth textures, zero pop-in, and fluid animations are all present in this game. The biggest difference from the previous though, has to be in the art direction. Whereas the last game made great use out of the many possible shades of brown and gray, Killzone 3 allows more colors into the design, making for a more detailed and appealing design. Special mention goes towards the Helghan Jungle level, where the incredible use of reds, blues, and yellows within the plant life deserves an award all on its own.
The orchestral score is also worthy of mention. The previous games were no slouches in the music department (they were all excellent in their own right), but Killzone 3 ramps the intensity of each musical piece significantly. The score helps to set the mood of an intense war that feels almost hopeless. It spikes when it needs to, and feels somber during introspective moments after huge battles, which sets the mood perfectly throughout the campaign.
Killzone 3 also brings back multiplayer, which has been modified since the last game. There's still the standard online skirmish mode, which changes how the game is played every round, but the way you level up has changed. You have several different classes to choose from now, ranging from engineer to medic. The more you use each class during online matches, the more skill points you earn for the specific class you're using. These points can be allocated into new weapons and skill perks that replace the traditional ranking system.
There's also an added co-op mode, where you and a friend can take on multiplayer maps taking on bots. This is an offline mode, and it doesn't feature the same ranking system as the online multiplayer, but it's still a fun way to become better at the game, especially with the bot AI being as clever as those from the campaign.
Many things give Killzone 3 an edge over its predecessor. It's more compelling narrative, the increasingly intense combat, the amazing art style, and the massive overhaul to the multiplayer mode helps make this game a must-buy for all PS3 owners. It won't knock down any of the current FPS champions from the top position, but you will regret not having played this stellar experience.