Ten Things We Want In "Killzone 3"

The original Killzone was brought into existence with one purpose in mind, to become Sony's Halo Killer. Back in the early 2000s, everyone wanted a piece of Master Chief's glory, so Sony commissioned Netherlands-based Guerrilla Games to produce a gritty, war-torn shooter exclusively for the PlayStation 2.

Upon release, Killzone was shunned for its many technical issues, including frequent bugs, frame-rate hiccups and fairly inconsistent AI. Despite these initial drawbacks, the franchise had potential, and Guerrilla immediately started production on the sequel.

When E3 2005 rolled around, Sony was ready to shine some light on upcoming software for the PlayStation 3, and show what their new powerhouse was capable of. No other game at the show garnered quite as much attention as Killzone 2, thankfully in part to the now infamous debut trailer. Many debated whether the trailer was pre-rendered or featured in-game graphics, and after a five year development cycle, industry scepticism was put to bed when Killzone 2 went on sale worldwide in late February of 2009.

Killzone 2 was met with critical acclaim, and lived up to most of the expectations thrust upon it by the gaming community. Not content with resting on their laurels, the team at Guerrilla Games has announced the next title in the series, Killzone 3, and judging from our recent hands-on playtest, we can tell you the game is shaping up very nicely indeed. Before Sony bombards the industry with tons of Killzone 3 info at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, we thought we'd jump in first and present the top ten things we think should make it into the next in the series.

1) Environmental Diversity

The first two games explored gritty, urban settings with unmatched detail and atmosphere. From our playtest, we can reveal that part of Killzone 3 will take part in an arctic wasteland, complete with fluffy Helghan trench coats. But don't stop there. One of the biggest complaints from Killzone 2 was the boring war-torn cityscapes offered in your choice of grey. Up the ante by offering a whole range of different environments in which to take the fight to the Helghast horde. Word is that Guerrilla is taking the player to alien jungles and even into zero-G space, so things are looking good for this request.

2) A Longer Single Player Campaign

While most single player campaigns for an FPS these days clock in at around 6-8 hours, there's nothing forcing Guerrilla to adhere to the norm. We appreciate that there is a lot of gamers who play the multiplayer section in an FPS exclusively, ignoring the campaign altogether. But there are still those of us who still enjoy a great single-player romp, and six hours is just not enough.

For some, the campaign in Killzone 2, while brief, was an intense, gritty experience that has yet to be matched by other games of the same genre. A fitting saying would be "you can never have enough of a good thing". So, we'd like to order an extra helping please, and don't skimp on the trimmings. Thanks, Guerrilla.

3) Greater Weapon Variety

Nobody likes Nazis. No, that's not the name of J.J. Abrams next TV series, it's one of the reasons we enjoy mowing down legion after legion of Helghast soldiers. And if you're going to give players the ability to take on a race of space Nazis, you have to give them the weaponry to get the job done.

The weapons in Killzone 2 were in no way weak - what better way to dispatch a Helghan heavy than with a gun that shoots lightning, Zeus-style? - they just lacked character, and felt very similar from one to another. We say Guerrilla should give the player a fresh, revamped arsenal to play with, while keeping the faves from the first two titles. The WASP is a great start. We love sending a barrage of missiles at those who stand in our way.

4) Four Player Co-op

You know the old saying, "Four guns are better than one". That phrase is enough reason alone for Guerrilla to allow up to four mates to team up and kick some Helghan a-hole. If that isn't enough for ya, then what about the possibility of four mech suits messing up Helghan territory? Sorry, but that premise just screams 'par-tay'.

Guerrilla shouldn't include four player co-op just because everyone else is doing it, they should include it because it's uber fun. Nuff said.

5) Uncompromising 3D Implementation

If you've read IGN's recent Killzone 3 hands-on, you will know that the game will be entering the third dimension. That is, the game will feature an optional 3D viewing mode for those of you lucky (or otherwise) enough to own a 3D capable TV. This announcement brings with it a couple of concerns though, as most of Sony's 3D capable titles launching later this year suffer from a drop in screen resolution A good example would be that when you display Wipeout HD in 3D, the game trades its native 1080p resolution for a more humbling 720p output.

Here's hoping that Guerilla and Sony continue to improve the technology behind the 3D implementation so as not to let the finished game suffer for it.

6) Interesting Storyline

One of the reasons the Halo franchise is so successful is the overarching narrative the series carries. Killzone 2 suffered from an underdeveloped plot and characters that basically left the player wondering why they should care about the lives of the soldiers at hand.

Killzone 3 can only benefit from an interesting storyline that dives into the back-story of the Killzone universe and which will ultimately give more meaning to the two hands and a gun stuck on the centre of your TV screen.

7) More Vehicular Gameplay

Some of the most engaging sections in Killzone 2 would have to be when you take control of a vehicle. Whether it's the ISA Tank or the Helghan mech suit, the vehicles in Killzone are a blast to use.

Guerrilla has already divulged one of the new vehicles that will feature in Killzone 3, the jetpack. Donning the jetpack will result in increased mobility for vertical assaults, and gives you a look reminiscent of Screaming Mantis from MGS4.

Don't stop there though, Guerrilla. Take off the restraints presented to the player in the scripted vehicle sections, and offer multiple vehicles littered around the environment to give the choice back to the player. Let them decide whether to attack that outpost stealthily on foot, or go in guns blazing in a fully-powered mech suit.

Refined Controls

A complaint often spat from the lips of a Call of Duty fan while on the subject of Killzone is the controls. Killzone 2 featured a 'weight' to the main character that isn't present in most first person shooters, and which is something you either loved or hated. Although fitting in with the realism of Killzone 2's world, the heavy controls turned off a lot of FPS veterans, who preferred the quick snap 'n' lock setup found in shooters like Modern Warfare 2.

Killzone 3 should offer multiple control schemes which feature different weight settings so players of other FPS series' won't feel alienated when jumping into the shoes of Sev and friends for the first time.

9) Customisable Weapons

Now, we don't want to go and compare apples and oranges, but there are some worthy features from other FPS's that the Killzone series still lacks. Customisable weapons for example, a la Rainbow Six: Vegas and Modern Warfare to an extent.

It would be nice to give the player something to work towards and earn – in both the single and multiplayer – by offering upgrades and extensions on existing weaponry. Attachments such as silencers, magazine extenders and the like would bring in a reward system that we're sure would go down a treat.

10) Less Unnecessary Cursing

Swearing is like bacon – everything is for the better because of it. But you do have to know when enough is enough. Appropriate usage is also another factor. Take bacon-scented deodorant, for example, you may smell tasty to yourself, but nobody wants to sit next to a sweaty butcher either.

Killzone 2 jumped on the 'I'm a mature game because I can swear like a sailor' bandwagon, and while most gamers can tolerate some naughty words here and there, the incessant cussing spewed forth from the ISA soldiers was enough to make Billy Connelly blush. Let's hope Guerrilla tones it down a bit for Killzone 3, or we may have to introduce some kind of digital swear jar.

There you have it. The top things we hope to see included in Killzone 3 when the final game ships. If any of these ideas happen to feature in the finished product, send all thank you mail to the IGN inbox, complete with donations. We accept cheque, Paypal or cold, hard cash.

Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/109/1093756p1.html