I beat the game three days ago -
I want to commend Guerilla on one thing- they have found what the true essence of Killzone is. You will actually feel like you are fighting on Helghan. You will feel claustrophobic. You will feel like you are a troop on a mission. This is the most fun you'll have all year in an FPS. I find it hard to believe any FPS will top this.
I give the SP a 9.9/10.
The secret is perfecting the fundamentals. There is no odd military jargon that goes over my head, the graphics are mesmerizing, and the gunplay has been perfected.
The opening of the game starts you off in a level you wouldn't suspect. There is a small tutorial section, but its almost like a throwback to old PC games (The calm before the storm). I never thought I would see a section like this in a Killzone game. Playing this scene brought a huge smile to my face.
The next couple of levels are consistent variety and warfare. You keep going forward, switching strategies (sniping, playing stealthy in grass, small corridor warfare, on-rails sections, etc.), and traversing through every locale imaginable.
Guerilla should be commended for keeping things interesting. Most FPS games have holy shit moments that kind of fall flat while some protagonist delivers an exposition that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. This game keeps its head on its shoulders.
The Ice level from the demo is a little too long in the tooth for itself. I was hoping it would end a little sooner, but regardless, that was the only level I felt that wore its welcome out.
The single player is absolutely perfect sans a few bars-
* The on-rails sections have vehichles that never show up in multiplayer. Gears did it best where in single player mode a player controlled the gunnner and the CPU drove the machine. I understand that on-rails created a more cinematic experience, but it would be nicer to have more strategy, and it would be nice to give the player more control over said vehichles.
* The game boasts impressive features. Move (which I haven't tried), 3D (I don't own the television, but I've been able to play it at a friend's house multiple times), and split screen co-op being the big guys. HOWEVER, there are still some omissions that make no sense. Online Co-Op, horde mode, Zombies?, etc.
* Offer some resolution to players at the end. I understand its a great idea to make gamers want to buy a new product, but lets be realistic here, the next Killzone might not launch until PS4. This might be the last Killzone on PS3, so it would have been a great idea to offer something to players (like Uncharted 2), that makes players feel like they actually finished something, instead of playing an on-going saga.
* I love the cutscenes, but some of them are so poorly cut, it feels like you had no idea what you were doing. I should go easy on you, because Naughty Dog has been the only company to truly nail this medium. Take some advice, and perhaps work together on the next Killzone's story.
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My suggestions for the next Killzone-
1. I don't think there is room for another Killzone on PS3. Save whatever your about to do for PS4. If you launch the next project on PS4, it could become the defacto shooter for that gen. The graphical jumps people are expecting out of you might prove too much.
2. Nail every bullet point. 4 Player Split Screen online and off line co-op should be included from the get go.
3. Get better facial tech from whoever Take 2 are consulting. Its jarring to see the most amazing character models look like mannicans. Its a massive improvement over Killzone 2 and only lags behind Uncharted 2 and GOW3, but this criticism is to be expected. Your Sony First Party, your amongst a group of elite developers.
4. Towards the end you hinted at a "new" idea. Whenever the next Killzone comes out, take whatever you think works - Super gun, Gravity controls, whatever - and make it your own.
Your 9/10s of the way there, there are some nitpicks, but one can tell you were bided for time. InshAllah, the next game you release will hit all the right points.
