Killzone 3 – Hands-on Impressions: PAX Prime 2010

Killzone 3 is one of the first full PlayStation 3 games to support 3D. At this year’s PAX, the game was playable in both single and multiplayer and in 3D. Since I haven’t been able to get my hands on a 3D game yet, this was my opportunity. Does the 3D enhance the game, or is it merely a gimmick?

I was able to play a segment of the single player campaign in both 2D and 3D. The 3D worked excellent in certain areas and was more of a hinderance in others. I’m told the game is designed around 3D but there were some later areas of the game that felt more cumbersome only because they were in 3D. However, the parts that did work worked extremely well:  you felt like you were on a much bigger battlefield than normal. It’s still early for 3D gaming, but if it continues in the positive, in a few years it’ll be amazing to view.

The game itself remains standard Killzone. The game’s controls, much debated in the previous game, seemed a little looser than before. Perhaps it was due to the new game, the 3D, or my own playthroughs of the previous game (thus getting adjusted to the admittedly sluggish controls), but the controls felt off in a different way. It’s still much to early to figure if it’s a problem, but I’m wary they may have changed things for the worse.

The visuals and sound remain as stunning as ever, even behind the blur of 3D glasses. When I did see the game being played in 2D, it looks absolutely amazing. Killzone 2 was a visual high water mark when it released for the PlayStation 3, and Killzone 3 looks to continue that trend.

The only negatives I saw were a lack of much change and the 3D itself. The change I can’t say for sure, as I only played a very small segment of the game, but what I did play felt almost too similar to the previous game. There are moments where you’re on a jetpack in the game demo, but between those segments, it feels very close to Killzone 2. Hopefully it’s just a side effect of the small part of the game I did play.

Killzone 3 looks to continue the visual amazement that Killzone 2 started. Coupled with more varied gameplay elements and all of it in 3D, it could be the next step the franchise needs. We’ll find out when it comes out early next year.

Killzone 3 releases on the PlayStation 3 on February 22nd, 2011, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Guerilla Games.