Killzone 3 is due out in late February but recently the online multiplayer beta got underway giving players a chance to break in a couple of maps and modes. Although I didn’t spend a great deal of time with Killzone 2 multiplayer, what I’ve experienced thus far in the Killzone 3 beta is very similar, which isn’t a bad thing.
The two maps are environmentally very different: Corinth Highway and Frozen Dam. Corinth Highway’s centerpiece is a massive highway or overpass (i.e., like a bridge) that has been destroyed and is laying in ruins. Players can go up parts of the broken highway but most of the action takes place underneath and around it. Bases are located on opposite sides of the wrecked road. The atmosphere has a lot of browns and oranges in it, but I like both the look and feel of this map pretty well.
I thought Frozen Dam was a more interesting map though overall, largely due to its atmosphere. In Frozen Dam, it’s actively snowing and the weather effect is really good looking. The layout of the map includes a few tight corridors and plenty of indoor-outdoor action. Naturally the level is designed around a massive dam that acts as sort of a barrier between bases.
Two modes of play are included with the beta: Warzone and Guerilla Warfare. Warzone is just like in Killzone 2 in which ISA fight the Helghast on a single map and the game type randomly cycles between a few rounds of Bodycount, Assassination, and Seek And Destroy. If you played Killzone 2, these are all instantly familiar and still fun. Guerilla Warfare simplifies things and tasks both teams with reaching a certain kill count. The first time to reach that value wins the match. There is also an Operation mode that puts the ISA on the offensive and Helghast defending objectives. Highlight clips are created that depict the best players in their best moments which is pretty cool.
In addition to multiplayer support, the beta has a Botzone mode in which players can have up to fifteen bots spawn in. The difficulty setting for the bots as a whole, not individually, can be set to one of four values. Naturally, the Botzone is a great way to explore the two maps without the pressure of an online game.
Character classes are back again in Killzone 3 including field medics, engineers, marksmen, and tacticians. Each of these classes has their preferred weapons and specific traits, such as the medic being able to revive wounded comrades and the tactician having the ability to claim a spawn point for his faction. Killzone 3 sports the XP and ranking system from Killzone 2 as well.
The game is still several months away but it appears that Killzone 3’s multiplayer side will be a solid refinement of an already good component of Killzone 2. Check back with in the coming months for more coverage of one of 2011’s first AAA titles.
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