For the third numbered entry in its “Killzone” series, Guerilla Games has gone Hollywood. The developer of the Sony-exclusive franchise has glammed it up with a Hollywood scriptwriter, Hollywood actors and the latest Hollywood craze, 3-D. Good thing Guerilla remembered somewhere in there to make a game, because bright gunplay and a robust multiplayer mode are the only things saving “Killzone 3” from Hollywood-style ludicrousness. First, the plot. The antagonists in the “Killzone” universe are known as the Helghast, a breakaway sect of human colonists who have become bigger, stronger, faster and all-around better by living for generations in the harsh environs of a Venus-like planet. By this logic, bring on global warming! The Helghast are led by a guy named Visari, who takes their status as a super-race seriously, running the whole planet like a Nuremberg Rally. It’s hard to imagine how the Helghast were occupying their time before fighting this war. Do they even have females?
Then there’s the script, whose quality must have reminded Malcolm McDowell, one of the big names brought in to do voice work here, of his time filming “Caligula.”
On the gameplay front, “Killzone 3’s” eight-hour solo mission is spectacular if not particularly innovative. Jetpacks are back, and it’s fun to fly around while blasting things. It’s even more fun when the enemies have jetpacks, as shooting the fuel tank causes them to go rocketing off in a random direction, often to an explosive meeting with the ground. “Killzone 3” also introduces a feature called “Brutal Melee.” This means that when you run up to a bad guy and hit the melee button, instead of slashing him with a bayonet, you initiate one of a variety of animation sequences, including pushing in the enemy’s eyeballs with your thumbs.
| ‘Killzone 3’ |
| » System: PS3 |
| » Price: $59.99 |
| » Rating: 3 out of 5 stars |
Once the novelty of that (quickly) wears off, gamers can turn to “Killzone’s” online multiplayer options, which include a variety of fun modes and five specialized soldier types to choose from, like a healer and somebody who can disguise himself as the enemy.
Perhaps most importantly of all, “Killzone 3” is positioned as the flagship of not only Sony’s 3-D offerings, but of all 3-D video games. If you have a 3-D TV and those pesky glasses — and a high natural resistance to headaches — “Killzone 3” admittedly looks pretty impressive, and Guerilla was wise to include plentiful precipitation and make virtually all bullets tracers, so you’re never bereft of something flying toward or away from you.
Oh, and if you’ve plunked down thousands for a 3-D TV, it’s worth considering spending a few more $10 bills for one of the PlayStation Move assault rifles, which do a better-than-expected job of immersing you in the game’s world.
