6things about Killzone 3

1. It looks even better


When Killzone 2 dropped last year, it was widely hailed as a high-water mark for PS3 graphics. And that’s all fine and good, but Killzone 3 brings just enough graphical prowess that makes its predecessor look like a tech demo. There’s the 3D to consider, and that looks pretty great, but overall the game sports noticeably sharper textures, more detailed structures and cool environmental touches that KZ2’s dingy cityscapes and blasted deserts lacked.

The demo level we played took place across what looked like several Helghast oil rigs (or, more likely, rigs drilling for the lightning-mineral Petrusite) in snow-covered tundra battered by a raging sea, which was filled with huge chunks of ice. It was a much prettier, more open landscape than anything Killzone 2 offered, and it certainly didn’t hurt that it was filled with destructible objects.
That’s another thing Killzone 2 didn’t offer much of; if a few Helghast were covering behind some sandbags, for example, you could fire a rocket at them and the sandbags would still be intact. Not here – sandbags scatter, flimsy bits of cover can be shredded and chunks can be torn off of concrete structures.


2. It’ll feature more vehicles


… or at least, it’ll feature sequences on the back of those hovering troop transports from Killzone 2, which were never interactive last time. That’s how our time with Killzone 3 began: with an impressive on-rails sequence during which we used a mounted minigun to cut down Helghast troops and, at one point, a speedy Helghast aircraft that was about the size of our transports (and which glowed red, just like everything else the Helghast use). The minigun could be fired continuously without overheating, which was a refreshing change from games in which you have to let up on the fire button ever.




3. The jetpacks are fun


By now, you probably already know Killzone 3 has jetpacks; what you maybe don’t know is how they work. Our first encounter with them was when they were strapped to the backs of special Helghast troopers, who – after we'd riddled them with a few bullets – lost control of their packs and crashed and burned spectacularly.

Later, we got to try one out for ourselves, and were immediately informed that they’re less “jetpacks” than they are “jump-packs.” Pressing the throttle gives you a short (but high) vertical boost, after which the secondary jets kick in and enable you to safely float back to earth.

While you’re in the air, however, you can press X for a sharp boost forward, which you can use repeatedly to reach platforms too far away to hit with a normal jump.

4. Your AI partners will be more useful this time


In Killzone 2, Rico, Garza and the rest of your ISA buddies weren’t really good for much aside from soaking up bullets, killing Helghast, helping you past co-op obstacles and needing to be revived when they'd soaked up too many bullets. This time around, we're told they’ll not only be smarter about how many bullets they soad up, but they'll actually revive you once in a while, which should remove most of the frustration from dealing with them.



5. The guns are bigger


After playing through Killzone 2, one of our whining points was that there weren’t a lot of big guns to play around with, apart from the rocket and grenade launchers and the brief, wonderful appearance of the chain-lightning gun. Killzone 3 changed that twice during our demo, first by letting us pick up and use the minigun from our crashed transport craft (which slowed us down a bit, but still chewed through the Helghast ranks beautifully), and later with a rocket-launching beast called the WASP.

The WASP is big, takes a couple seconds to reload and has two firing modes. The first, activated by just holding down the trigger, sends a volley of homing missiles at whatever you’re pointed at. The second – which necessitates looking down its scope and “painting” a target before firing – ejects your entire rocket-ammunition clip as one single, devastating mortar round.
And, of course, a lot of the ISA and Helghast weapons from Killzone 2 returned during the demo, including the ISA assault rifle (which is as weirdly satisfying to use as ever) – they were just a little better-looking this time. And while we’re on the subject of weaponry, the remote-detonated bombs from the first game – which have to be armed by tilting the Sixaxis pad side to side – are back as well.


6. The close-quarters violence is more brutal than ever


One of the criticisms developer Guerrilla sought to address with Killzone 3 was that Killzone 2’s close-up attacks – delivered with Sev’s knife or the butt of a gun – were too simplistic. This time around, rifle-butting some poor Helghast sap won’t kill them immediately, but instead puts an “L1” button prompt onscreen as they stagger from the blow. Hit it again in time, and you’ll deliver another hit, and maybe one more before killing him with a nasty, detailed stab to the chest or through the goggles.

Above: Sadly, Sony didn't give us any screens of that, so here's some more Helghast instead
The interesting thing about these is that they’re context-sensitive; sometimes you’ll simply go in for the face with the knife, but other times, you’ll slam your victim face-first against a crate or a table and then – just as he’s trying to look back at you in a daze – drive the knife into his neck. It’s a little horrific, but awfully satisfying, and hints at a much more interesting direction for Killzone 3 in general. Hopefully, we’ll see even more at E3.