Review: Killzone 3 (Multiplayer)

Killzone 3's multiplayer. Is it good? Is it bad? Will you be cursing at the TV like you were in the campaign? Or will you have a genuinely good time? Well....

Killzone 3: Multiplayer (PS3)
Developer: Guerilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Released: February 22, 2011 (North America)

It is surprising how a game that is so bad in it's single player only needs human players and some objectives to become bonafide awesome.

Killzone 3's multiplayer is good. It's really, really good.   The same control changes made in the campaign carry over to the multiplayer.  Players move faster and aim quicker but thanks to the map layouts and game design the game isn't in danger of becoming a twitchy shooter where everyone sprints like a maniac.  Team Deatmatch is here, as it is in every shooter out there. The staple Warzone is back, and is still as great and different from most online-shooter gametypes out there.

For those who don't know, during Warzone two decently sized teams face against each other while attempting to complete different, ever-changing objectives in a map. The game might start off with both teams looking to score points in capture the flag, and once someone wins the objective becomes assasination where players on one team must defend a player on their side while the opposing team has to eliminate that player within a time limit.  This keeps the game fresh.  You might end up losing a deatmatch but then the game shifts into demolition and guess what, you were already at the objective. Give your team a slight advantage and set those charges, soldier!

There's a new mode called Operations which has one team assaulting a position while the other one defends.  If the goal is achieved (and this can be capture and hold, destroy an objective, etc.) then the game moves to a different part of the map with a different objective. There's little cutscenes that play in between each segment of the match. This mode is fun, but Warzone still takes the prize.

No matter what the current objective is during Warzone, there are TONS of stuff for players to do and worry about. Throughout the maps there are Tactical Spawn Points that when captured will give players another position from which to spawn, and thus, a greater control of the map. These points will also give players access to other goodies such as mortar beacons to call down airstrikes or jetpacks.  Having control of these resources is very important to victory as being able to spawn near an objective can help keep the pressure on the enemy or reinforce a defensive position that is in trouble. In some games I never went for the objective, choosing instead to capture and defend a spawn point to prevent enemies from taking it over and overrunning my teammates who were doing their thing.  Having people all over the map doing different things to aid their team's cause makes the game feel like a true battlezone. If you are getting frustrated with the way your team is performing on the current objective, go do something else. This is what I like most about the game, even if we are losing beyond hope, I can still have fun.

Some maps allow players to use jetpacks or exoskeleton robot suits.  These are pretty powerful but at any time an engineer can repair one of the gun emplacements put around the map and make quick work of them.   Jetpacks aren't as annoying to use as their single player counterparts. The maps that have them actually have the sort of design that encourages you to go to up on a rooftop and then jump down on your enemies, and this sort of balance and good design is present throughout all of the multiplayer mode.

The class system also shows good design.  While it doesn't allow the amount of customization of Killzone 2 (Where you could have a turret-building engineer that could also dispense health kits) it's still very well thought out and balanced.  Every class has different skills that not only help them achieve kills and survive but also help their team out. For example the infiltrator class, which can disguise itself as the opposing faction for stealthy, close-range kills is also the fastest at placing charges to destroy objectives.  Every class can get kills and every class can directly (or indirectly) contribute to the battle-effort. Nothing seems to be overpowered or useless.

The leveling up system through which one acquires new weapons and skills is pretty straightforward.  Every time you gain a level, you gain a skill point which you can then spend to unlock something.  This is better than say, having to wait until being level 23 before you can finally use your cloaking device. Once you figure out what you want to get first, every unlock is only a couple of levels away. A small complaint, though; people at a higher level will have the more advanced version of a class' skills, as there are only upgrades to your two skills, rather than more variety. Simply put, people at a higher level will have better stuff rather than different stuff you don't have yet.

Something that is both a pro and a con is that most weapons seem to behave similarly now. Light Machine Guns, for example, are now really accurate which makes them not that different from assault rifles asides from the larger clip. While I feel that having a variety of weapons that are balanced and different from one another is good, I like how now it is easier to roll with what you think is cooler.

Since the game is a bit different from other shooters in what you can and should do to win, people may be a bit confused at first.  For example, if a spawn point is under dispute at the moment then people will get spawn killed a lot. But  players will quickly figure out that maybe it's smarter to spawn somewhere else and flank the enemies which are storming that particular spot.  Once you learn all the good stuff that the game allows: the use of sentry bots, spawn area captures, you will find this a more intense and interesting experience than say, Call of Duty.  The one small problem I have with the game is that the interface was simplified a lot. Yes, it's nice to just hit a couple buttons and join a match, and it's awesome to change my class and spawn point without having to cycle through tabs. And you can no longer browse games or invite people into your squad from within the match; doing so takes you into the XMB's messaging system. EW.

Despite that small problem, who cares! My final verdict? Buy this game. It has solid shooting, many fun skills, and different ways in which a team can approach completing an objective.   If you are reading this, then you have the internet and can play Killzone 3 multiplayer. Go buy it, I will be waiting for you online.

Score: 90 out of 100
(90-99%: Phenomenal - These games offer a  fantastic experience that surpasses almost all expectations)

Check out out Single Player review of Killzone 3.