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McDowell, Winstone sound off in new Killzone 3 trailer
So, we just found out that Killzone 3 has a story. How that's going to work without ruining all of the senseless shooting is beyond us, but at least it sounds interesting. Plus, Malcolm McDowell and Ray Winstone are going to voice two Helghast leaders vying for power. We hope you can shoot them.
Killzone 3 Move preview: Point and shoot
Two months from now, Sony will launch its latest salvo in the first-party, first-person shooter wars, Killzone 3. While we've already taken a look at the game's single-player (in 3D) and multiplayer modes, we've previously only see a brief video demonstration of another one of its bullet-point features: PlayStation Move support. I spent a good part of the past week playing the latest pre-release version of Killzone 3, examining the ups and downs of using Move (with the companion navigation controller) in place of the standard DualShock 3 controller. After making the initial, somewhat awkward adjustment to literally pointing-and-shooting Helghast troopers, I can say that my experience has ultimately been a positive one. %Gallery-111607%
PlayStation Move's Sharp Shooter 'rifle shell' blasts away in Killzone 3
The PlayStation Blog has put together a video of how the PlayStation Move and its Sharp Shooter peripheral will be used in the upcoming Killzone 3. Also, if you think that the plastic-gun-shell-thing needs a soda can holder on its side and long straw for mid-game hydration, we totally feel you.
Sharp Shooter attachment for PlayStation Move, new DualShock color announced
While it's no Game Boat, the Sharp Shooter attachment for PlayStation Move outdoes the already released shooting attachment by transforming your motion controller into a full-fledged plastic rifle, with adjustable shoulder stocks and pump-action. We tried the peripheral with Killzone 3 and found aiming to be relatively easy. Shooting with the trigger feels good, and the ability to reload using the built-in pump should make for a fun (albeit cheesy) experience. The placement of the PlayStation face buttons on the side of the controller felt counterintuitive, making things like jumping much, much more difficult. It'll be interesting to see how other Move shooters feel with the odd button layout. If you need this plastic cradle for your Move controller, you'll have to shell out $40 -- nearly the cost of a Move controller itself! If you'd still rather play with "regular controllers," Sony also announced a new DualShock color: Jungle Green, available in February to coincide with the launch of Killzone 3. See what it looks like after the break. %Gallery-110250%
Rumor: Killzone 3 to include split-screen
According to an image from NicaGamerz of an alleged Killzone 3 preview build, the third Helghast murder simulator will allow for split-screen co-op -- a function that previous entries lacked. Sony of Europe gave VG247 an official "no comment" on the possibility, but also didn't deny the rumor. However, earlier this year at E3, president of SCE worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida spoke to us about Killzone 3's 3D functionality, saying, "We were going to give players two screens anyway, for some mode ... for some gameplay anyway." Split-screen, perhaps? Given that Killzone 3 is a 3D title and its video is already being rendered twice for the 3D effect, the possibility of split-screen is a bit of a given. As for whether the split-screen will allow friends to take the game online together is unknown, but it seems players will at least be able to shoot up yellow-eyed baddies on a couch together. Let's put it this way: we're giving today's news the "rumor" tag, but calling the possibility "very likely."
Killzone 3 Helghast Edition headed to Europe
Guerrilla Games has announced that the elaborate Helghast Edition of Killzone 3 will also be available in Europe, along with a Collector's Edition, which is one rung down on the shiny, electroplated ladder of special game editions. The Collector's Edition, encapsulated in Steelbook packaging, will offer a PlayStation Network download voucher for the Killzone 3 soundtrack, a dynamic XMB theme, and the Retro Map Pack (comprising two maps from Killzone 2). The Helghast Edition comes with all of the above, plus a hardcover art book, a "Cloaking Marksman" action figure and several perk-granting pre-order bonus packs (also available if you pre-order the Collector's Edition). Oh, yes, and it comes with a helmet. You might not think it a macabre memento on your mantelpiece, but you haven't heard the full story. (Come closer.) Inside the helmet ... is the preserved head of the cloaked marksman, still surprised by his sudden encounter with a decapitator-turned-decorator. Killzone 3 will launch in February next year.
Killzone 3 beta invites sent out to more PS Plus members
Killzone 3's beta is looking for more soldiers to test out the game. Sure, that involves dying repeatedly, but it's all for the greater good of more balanced gameplay. PlayStation Plus members in North America and Europe should check their PSN accounts, as 5,000 more recruits have been invited onto the battlefield. If you're wondering what's going on in the beta, check out our preview. Killzone 3 will launch in North America on February 22, 2011. %Gallery-106624% %Gallery-106415%
Killzone 3 has considerably less input lag than its predecessor
Digital Foundry has taken its mathematical approach to examining the deep inner workings of games to whole new heights with is recent lag analysis of the Killzone 3 multiplayer beta. Using a special controller (designed by modder extraordinaire Ben Heck), the DF team measured the exact amount of time that passed between pressing R1 and the in-game gun actually firing a bullet: 116ms. According to the blog, that's about 33ms shorter than the lag present in Killzone 2, which apparently makes a world of difference in twitchy shooters of this ilk. Check out a video of the group's study, as well as a few other odds and ends about the technical side of the beta, over on Eurogamer.
Killzone 3 beta preview: Exo mechs, jet packs and Helghast, oh my!
Here's the thing about the Killzone 3 beta: It's best played with friends. But due to the limited number of players in the beta, the likelihood of forming a squad with your best gamer pals is pretty close to never going to happen. Ultimately, the beta experience suffers because of this -- the mutliplayer modes are based around playing as a cohesive squad, much like in Bad Company 2. Without friends, I've been forced to suffer the unpleasant randomness that is the general population of PSN players. Most of these folks are horrible teammates. %Gallery-106415%
Killzone 3 'Helghast Edition' includes tiny helmet
The Killzone 3 site unveiled the game's $130 "Helghast Edition," which only makes Killzone's perceived status as Sony's Halo equivalent more pronounced. For example, Halo 3's "Legendary Edition" included a miniature Spartan helmet, and Killzone 3's Helghast Edition includes -- surprise -- a miniature Helghast helmet. The helmet "opens to reveal art book, Super Voucher and Killzone 3 game." That "Super Voucher" grants access to a soundtrack, a dynamic theme, a Retro Map Pack of two Killzone 2 maps, and full weapon and ability access and double XP for the first 24 hours of multiplayer. In addition to all that, there's an even smaller Helghast in the package -- a 6.5-inch "Cloaking Helghast" figure. Notably absent from the package: "Helghast goggles," the "Blood and Thunder" pack, or a gift card, as revealed on the Killzone 3 site last week. Either that stuff is reserved for a European special edition, or it was merely placeholder text.
Rumor: Killzone 3 collector's edition features Helghast goggles
According to an apparently now-pulled page (via PlayStation LifeStyle) over on the European version of the official Killzone 3 site, Sony intends to offer the game in three different flavors: standard, limited and collector's editions. As you can see in the screenshot above, snagged by PlayStation LifeStyle, it appears there will be bonus content offered -- specifically, the "Blood and Thunder" map pack, a gift card for an unspecified retailer, and a pair of Helghast goggles. It's not too shocking, considering people gobble up working RC spy cars and statues, not to mention the pioneer in goggles-plus-game bundle, the Modern Warfare 2 "Prestige Edition." But with Killzone 3 incorporating 3D tech, we wonder if these proposed Helghast goggles will work with that? Probably not, but we're still trying to confirm the exact nature of these bundles and if they actually exist. Right now, Google is helping us lean towards this actually being a thing (check out the first result).
Sony giving away Killzone 3 beta keys on Twitter
If you're jonesing for entry keys into the Killzone 3 beta, but don't feel like ponying up for the PlayStation Plus membership required to be eligible for early access, Sony's offering social networking mavens another, thriftier opportunity. If you're all up on that Twitter, you can be eligible for one of 150 beta codes by Tweeting "@killzonedotcom Please include me in the Killzone 3 beta! My PSN ID is [your PSN ID] #killzone3 #scea http://ow.ly/2Vfcf." (If you live in Europe, replace #scea with #scee. Jurisdictions, and all that jazz.) The codes will be distributed by October 22, but if you don't manage to snag one from Sony, we'll have some a bit later this week. Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, and also our Facebook page, and you should also probably listen to our podcast, and, now that we think about it, you should probably just follow us around on the street.
Killzone 3 public beta starts October 25 in the US
Guerrilla Games' Killzone The Tres is set to unleash a public beta on October 25, the PlayStation Blog promises. Of course, there's a catch: in order to get in on it, you'll need to be a PlayStation Plus subscriber before the beta rolls out, and download a custom Killzone 3 XMB theme, which'll release on October 19. The first 10,000 to download the theme will get access -- 5,000 from the US, 5,000 from Europe. You'll also want to keep an eye on your email inbox, because Sony plans to mail out codes on October 25 to the lucky 10,000 who snagged the XMB theme first. To help tide you over, Sony's got a new trailer, which you can check out past the break.
Killzone 3's Move functionality demoed on video
Though we thought up a few applications for the PlayStation Move controller at first glance, we hadn't really considered its capacity for inflicting unthinkable violence upon the Helghast. Fortunately, PlayStation.Blog was recently able to fill in the blanks in our imagination, demoing Killzone 3's Move functionality in the video posted after the jump. Not only does the demo do a good job of showing how the series' gameplay mechanics have translated over to the motion controller, it also includes a few interesting details about multiplayer -- for instance, there will be separate matchmaking playlists for people using the DualShock 3 and people using the Move. But what about the people like us, who plan on playing the game using a Dance Dance Revolution pad? Where's our playlist?
Killzone 3 wrecking Helghast shop on February 22, 2011
PlayStation Blog has announced a February 22, 2011 North American release date for Killzone 3, the fourth installment in Guerrilla Games' FPS series (we know, we still find that confusing too). For those of you keeping score, that's almost two years to the day after the release of Killzone 2. We guess the last week of Feburary holds some kind of secret significance to the Amsterdam-based developer. If you happen to be attending the Penny Arcade Expo at the moment, you can get your hands on the game much, much sooner -- a playable 8-on-8 multiplayer demo is currently set up at Sony's booth on the PAX show floor.
Killzone 3 screenshots feature hoodies, pummeling
Before you and the many thousands of other yous gets a chance to go hands-on with Killzone 3 this weekend at PAX Prime, Famitsu has a smattering of new images to hungrily dig through for new information. One thing solidly confirmed by these shots? Dusters. Hooded dusters, no less! And hey, if you ask us, there's a severe underuse of dusters in the world of video games. Unfortunately for the gentleman above, he seems to have been socked in the face several moments before the image was taken, so his duster is fluttering through the air along with his torso. Hopefully you'll fare better this weekend at PAX!
Get hands-on with Killzone 3 multiplayer at PAX
Killzone 3's multiplayer is set for its first public hands-on engagement this week at PAX. There will be 16 multiplayer stations set up at the show for players to compete in 8v8 matches. Sony will also have four pods set up for single-player, with an additional three featuring the game in 3D -- there's nothing quite like a reload animation in 3D. If you don't care about standing around in line to touch some plague-infested controller (Purell is your friend), the company will have limited supplies of Killzone swag bags at the booth. Also, there's mention of some "collectible art cards" at the booth that will have instructions on how to "win" a code for entry into the Killzone 3 beta.%Gallery-93774%
Killzone 3 multiplayer trailer power-armors up
Sony couldn't possibly stage its Gamescom 2010 press conference without spotlighting its FPS mega-sequel, Killzone 3. So we've gotten a new trailer for the game -- the same one screened for attendees -- that provides a first glimpse at the new game's multiplayer component in action. Big, metal, stomping action. In addition to the usual running around in squads shooting the bad guys, this footage shows something we wished Killzone 2's multiplayer featured but never did: the ability to use giant powered exoskeletons to smash your opponents. (The single-player mode's jetpacks are in there, too.) Sadly, the exoskeleton doesn't appear to transform into a jeep or other vehicle -- that's for Killzone 4, obviously. For now, we'll just have to make do with what you can see in the video after the break.
Killzone 3 beta site launches, not letting anyone in yet
Just like its older brother Killzone 2, it appears that upcoming Guerrilla Games FPS Killzone 3 will be getting a beta in some form. A recently launched site with the URL "http://beta.killzone.com/kz3/beta-login.html" and a gated login (that's apparently not allowing anyone in as of right now) certainly seems to imply as much. Adding to the possibility is the fact that the Killzone 2 Community Website service on PSN lists "Killzone 3 Beta Website" as a launchable location, as spotted by Iron Star Movement. We've reached out to Sony and Guerrilla for more details, but we have to imagine it won't be completely different from betas we've seen in the past-- (say, the Killzone 2 beta, for instance -- with online multi and a few game modes, perhaps). That said, this game does have jetpacks, and that changes things a bit -- namely, our excitement for more info. Update: Sony responded, saying, "Guerrilla Games is currently testing a number of elements internally with Killzone 3 and further details will be available soon." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Killzone 3 adds 'cinematic deaths,' influenced by 'Hollywood realism'
Expect a lot more things to explode and/or fly directly into you in Killzone 3. Guerrilla is hyping up "cinematic deaths" as a new feature of its upcoming sequel, and it looks exactly as it sounds. According to a blog post on Killzone.com, "Killzone 3 is strongly influenced by Hollywood realism ... Cinematic deaths are the logical progression of this design philosophy, adding a variety of spectacular (and sometimes explosive) new ways for Helghast enemies to perish." Valve's "cinematic physics" (utilized in Half-Life 2: Episide Two) favored drama over realism, and it appears Guerrilla is following suit; however, we'll have to agree with some of the fans' criticisms. "I don't understand how when you shoot that ship with missiles, it loses control and comes right at you," one commenter questioned. Another added that the new cinematic death animations "look really weird and fake." Would you agree?
