Killzone 3 revealed, playable, and in 3D

SCEA gave Killzone some special love on Wednesday night, revealing the next game in the series, and allowing hands-on time with one of the levels.

Killzone 3 for PlayStaton 3 picks up right where Killzone 2 left off. Only now the invading ISA forces, courtesy of a massive nuke strike, are under-resourced against a Helghast army thats dominating numbers are only undermined by the infighting between two competing rulers aiming to take Visari’s place as head honcho of the planet.

Herman Hulst, managing director at developer Guerrilla Games, revealed that this instalment will showcase more of Helghan’s surface. We got to play through an ice-themed area, dotted by derelict oil rigs that still enable the cover mechanics and shooter gameplay familiar to anyone who picked up the highly rated Killzone 2.

New areas include a jungle setting that could involve more stealth-like gameplay–we’re guesstimating here based on the comment by Hulst that you’ll be “avoiding patrols”–and a finale that gets you off the planet surface and takes the battle to space.

Hulst also promised that each level will be bigger in scope and more involved than KZ2, offering multiple routes dotted with bigger cinematic moments. While we saw a couple of new weapons, expect bigger, badder options to be revealed later. We did test out the new Brutal Melee system that showcases a close-up stabbing if you get within melee distance of an enemy and bash the L1 button. Knife through the eye? Okay. Through the head? Check. Up the gut? Of course. Aptly named, this Brutal Melee system gives a satisfying pay-off when you get up-close to an enemy.

In 3D

“We worked on the 3D right from the beginning,” says Hulst of this move into an extra dimension. But what does it bring to the experience? “It makes it easier to aim, to navigate, and move in the environment,” Hulst adds. It definitely looks impressive though takes a little adjustment to get used to the aiming mechanics. That’s only part of the technology advances promised in Killzone 3. Hulst claims the team is using “every clock cycle of the Cell processor” across four different and specifically optimized streams covering graphics, effects, and sound.

We’ll have more on Killzone 3 here on the Inside Gaming blog, but in the meantime, check out the screenshots showcasing some new enemy types (like the jetpack dudes, which you get to commandeer and use in some platform navigation segments, and can use to strategic effect in big firefights).