Killzone 3’s release date, February 2011, seems to have snuck up on us somewhat, so it’s high-time we had a look at Guerrilla Games’ latest. If Killzone 2 looked to demonstrate the PS3’s graphical horsepower then it seems the sequel will seek to demonstrate the PS3’s flexibility, featuring as it does support for both 3D and Move.

By now you will have no doubt seen the trailers of the single player game but information on the multiplayer side of it has been light on the ground; what better place to start? Guerrilla start by stating their goals; they want to make it accessible to everyone by implementing a matchmaking system to pitch you against similarly skilled players, they want to encourage team play: so squad rewards – similar to MAG’s scoring system – have been introduced which see points awarded for assisting teammates, defending objectives, etc.

Guerilla have also tripled the rewards you can unlock and players will now earn in-game currency as they mow down enemies and win matches, currency which can then be spent on what ever upgrades you want. Multiplayer will also feature five distinct careers for players to get to grips with; not stopping there it seems each career will have six unique weapons and abilities.

A cloaking device, designed to make the player invisible if stationary, looks very useful but our favourite is the infiltrate ability which disguises the player – perfect for a spot of espionage and sneak-attacks. To balance the game each special ability has a counter-ability, for example, if you are undercover it’s more than likely that one of the enemy has a counter-disguise ability which will announce your presence on enemy radar.

New vehicles will also be making the leap from the single player campaign. The jet-pack will feature of course, but there will also be the massive exoskeleton walkers. The medic class is enhanced too, now packing a drone that will circle and protect him as he heals fallen comrades and even able to heal from the point of death; you heard it here first: always finish off the medic.

A new story-driven multiplayer mode will feature two sides, both receiving intros and with specific objectives to complete. Guerilla have also introduced ‘level event explosive actions’ into proceedings which despite the rather clunky moniker sound pretty interesting. Basically, these are events that can change the outlook of the game, releasing poisonous gas into certain section of the map for example. At the end of the match the winning team’s MVP even gets a cutscene all to himself.

Even more interesting is that Move and DualShock users will go head-to-head, something sure to cause an outcry – or else a sudden rise in Move sales. From what we sat the Move controller works brilliantly, allowing for pinpoint accuracy when picking targets. Looking around using the controller might take a little time to get used to but Guerilla assure us that all sorts of settings will be available to get that natural feel.

So what’s it like to actually play you ask? We got to try out the two multiplayer modes for about half an hour. Lots of the problems that dogged Killzone 2’s multiplayer have been ironed out, the weapons are more reliable, melee attacks make the trip from single player and controls seem more responsive. It feels very close to being ready, it looks amazing, plays really well and we come away wanting more.

Oh, and just so you know, I finished in the top three was given some praise by the development team…I’m just saying is all. February 2011 can’t come soon enough, we’re just wondering if we can can a 3DTV between now and then.

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