Earlier this week, I was given a great opportunity to attend Sony's Killzone 3 media event in Toronto. Taking place at Sgt. Splatters Indoor Paintball, the event was filled with many games journalists, news reporters and Sony representatives, all playing paintball and Killzone 3. It was a fun day and a great idea for an event.
The game was set up throughout the building, in various different versions. Downstairs, they had the game set up with the Dualshock 3, whereas the game was set up with the Move controller and new Sharpshooter gun peripheral upstairs. Additionally, one 3D television was set up in a side room, with the Move for control. Everyone was gracious and we all took turns trying the game. I alternated between playing the game with different control schemes, and playing paintball with some friends.
Throughout the three hour duration of my stay, I managed to play quite a bit of the retail version of Killzone 3. I really enjoyed what I played of it. It was fast, fun and really engaging. The environments I saw and played through were very detailed and varied, featuring traditional indoor shooter environments, a cave filled with bugs and grass to hide in, as well as a mech section that takes place in a destroyed city landscape. I was impressed with the variety in both gameplay and visual styles, especially since the cave allows you to be stealthy in your approach, which you are rewarded for. There is also the ability to be healed during gameplay, if you fall in combat. Your teammate can save you with a healing gun and vice versa. However, there is always the risk of being shot while attempting to do so and healing abilities are limited.
It was loud there, so I didn't sit and watch many cutscenes. However, I was quite impressed with what I did see from the game's cinematics. The character models looked great, especially during a cutscene showing Helghan ministers. Their movements and designs looked realistic and were really well-done. The voice acting and writing were also really good throughout. It was noticeable that they toned down the amount of swearing within the game as well.
The game is still very mature, however. Killzone 3 includes a brutal melee system where you can take out enemies with a click of the right joystick. The animations that follow are incredibly violent and can range from using your fingers to smash in a Helghast soldier's eyes or knifing one in the neck to more elaborate brutal melee events, which have a few different parts (each requiring you to press the joystick in to complete.) These are quite helpful against a new enemy type that rushes you and can take you out in one hit, provided that you are faster than it is.
The game controlled very well with the Dualshock 3, with precise controls and some interesting Sixaxis support (when you go to turn a valve to open a gate or activate a breach charge.) I personally thought that the Sixaxis controls fit those sections of the game well, adding an extra level of immersion to the experience. Normally I'm not a big fan of motion controls (I'll be honest,) but these worked quite well and only factored into small, 30-second sections of the game, complementing it instead of being obtrusive.
Although I preferred the precise controls and comfort of use that the Dualshock 3 brought, I also enjoyed using the Move/Sharpshooter combo to control the game. It was my first time using the Move peripheral and I was impressed by its range of motion and how well it tracked my movement with its in-game cursor. With a click of a button, you could zoom in and the game would lock onto enemies within an individual square, allowing for easier targeting. Reloading is completed by twisting the peripheral quickly to the right. The only major issue I had with this control scheme was the fact that it had some slight frame rate slowdowns when you'd spin around quickly. I was told that could be adjusted in the settings, as it had to due with sensitivity, but I never tried adjusting anything.
It was also the first time I got to play a video game in 3D. I've been underwhelmed by 3D in the past (with regard to films) and have thought of it as being a fad. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how immersive it was, as well as how good it looked. I played the mech section in 3D and was impressed with how much depth was added when I put the glasses on. The mech's front roll cage looked like it was out in front of me and any button prompts seemed as if they were floating in front of the screen, which was somewhat surreal. It was enjoyable and an interesting new way to play.
Now that I've had a chance to play the game, I can't wait to pick it up on Tuesday. I really enjoyed it and look forward to a chance to experience the full story of its campaign. Though I've been a fan of the series since I played the first game during high school.
Killzone 3 will be released for the PlayStation 3 on February 22nd (this upcoming Tuesday.)
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