The death of Visari at the end of Killzone 2 has left the Helghast legions in a state of internal confusion, but in this third game in Guerrilla's first-person shooter series, the one thing they all seem to agree on is that they should direct their efforts to wipe out the pesky ISA troopers still loitering on their rock. I.e. you.
Welcome back to Killzone – and the well-worn combat boots of Sargeant "Sev" Sevchenko, who now finds himself battling to escape Helghast and find more gel for his fin.
Fortunately, Eurogamer is here to help Sev through his hour of need – or at least his hours of shooting space nazis in the face until they learn their lesson. We've played through the whole game and compiled this video walkthrough to help you when you get stuck. All you have to do is figure out what chapter you're on, jump to it using the handy table of contents below and watch the video, and you'll know what to do.
This is a bit of an experiment for us, so we're happy to hear your feedback and suggestions for other games we might do this for. We're also keen to stress to those of you who get a bit sniffy about tips and so forth that this experiment is being done in addition to, not instead of our existing output. We hope you find it useful.
Oh, and it should go without saying, but let's make sure it doesn't: these videos are spoilers for some of the events in the game, and are only provided to help people get past bits they're stuck on.
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Chapter 2: Evacuation Orders
Chapter 3: Pyrrhus Evac
Chapter 4: Six Months On
Chapter 5: Icy Incursion
Chapter 6: Stahl Arms Infiltration
Chapter 7: Scrapyard Shortcut
Chapter 8: The Rekoning
Chapter 9: Interception
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Stahl Arms Compound, Factory – Sub Section B and Lithreich Labs
Basic training. Getting used to the controls. If you need help here, you probably need help - but here's a walkthrough just in case!
PHEW! After the gruelling trials of the tutorial level, where only the bravest, boldest and least inverted survive, it's onto the game proper, and it picks up pretty much where Killzone 2 left off – Visari is dead, and you've got to get the hell out of his palace. Don't bother cleaning up – they'll probably figure out you did it.
Then in classic Killzone fashion it's time for a rooftop showdown (no wonder the Helghast invented spaceships – it's a natural extension of their obsession with being on roofs), before your unit is blocked off. Ruh-roh. Never mind – nothing a good wheel won't solve.
You want to rendezvous with your dudes though, so you keep pressing on through a museum and then over a broken highway as the game really gets going. Sev's hair remains immaculate throughout. And his designer stubble. Would.
Chapter 2: Evacuation Orders
Escaping Visari's Palace
The first real mission, fighting your way through the building's ruins.
Rooftop Showdown
Sev and Rico head into a building, clear a few troops and find a good position in the main room to repel an impending attack.
Dead End
Your unit is blocked off. You need to open the gate to pass through, but there's a large cluster of Higs in the area. Clear them and use the wheel to open the gate.
Bilgarsk Museum
After losing a tank, you and Rico split off to find a way through. After a hectic battle involving a mini-gun, Rico opens the museum with an explosive charge, you enter and prepare for some heavy resistance as you clear the building. You head up to the roof and clear the troops, but have to avoid gunfire from a dropship...
Broken Highway
Your unit travels down a broken highway, encountering a few troops you can easily take out from cover. Watch out for rockets and bullets as you come to the end of the highway...
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
Right, time to crack on. And to climb on things. And to be chased by tanks. You come under quite a lot of pressure in Chapter 3, including the pressure not to derive unamusing jokes from the word "Pyrrrhus". But it isn't long before Sev and his buddy Rico meet up with their pals in style and start to plan for the future.
Now also seems like a good opportunity to mention that all this picked up a healthy 8/10 in Eurogamer's Killzone 3 review earlier this month, where Dan Whitehead described the campaign as "always polished and breathlessly paced" and a powerful champion for Sony's 3D and Move-obsessed future.
Would you use the Move though? Let's find out. "Move gameplay is more of an acquired taste, proving to be surprisingly precise and intuitive during normal movement and gunplay with varying levels of automatic target lock," Dan writes. "It only shows its limitations when the single-player starts getting all vehicular, and judged as a showcase of how motion control can work in a hardcore FPS environment, it sets a high standard. The proposed assault rifle peripheral looks pretty sweet as well." Told! Anyway...
Chapter 3: Pyrrhus Evac
Senlin Beach
From the gun emplacement on top of a vehicle, you shoot your way through various troops and vehicles as you and others try to clear a path for your unit. You get chased by a lot of enemy tanks, but pile a few cannon shells into them to clear the way.
Salach District
Proceed into the building with caution, kill the snipers and make your way to a vantage point. Leave ground troops alone and focus on the snipers in the opposite buildings as you try to clear the way for Rico to take out the Arc Cannons.
Ground Zero
You and Rico rejoin the convoy in two mechs. Clear the Arc Cannons and tanks and avoid incoming rocket fire as you clear a lot of ground troops in some buildings, finally taking out a tank.
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
You know a first-person shooter is cranking things up when people start talking about communications uplinks. Get absolutely stuck in.
Meanwhile, let's see what else we had to say about the Killzone 3 campaign. "You'll fight Flood-style alien spiders and lethal Helghan ninja-types who look like they've wandered in from Vanquish. You'll take down not one, but two enormous boss machines by clambering around in their guts or shooting their usefully exposed weak spots. You'll even end up essentially playing After Burner in space." Sounds great!
"In terms of environments, you hop from ruined city streets to icy glaciers, from neon subterranean jungles to vast beige junkyards, from pristine laboratories to low-gravity spaceship corridors. There's even an extremely ill-advised stealth section where you can become completely invisible by crouching in a patch of waist-high grass no bigger than a pizza box." Ah, ill-advised stealth sections. The cornerstone of every nutritious shooter.
Chapter 4: Six Months On
Jungle Valley
You head out to get a communications link up and running, but encounter heavy resistance that needs to be taken down quietly. Use your silenced weapon or brutal close-quarters knife attacks as you work your way towards your objective.
Behind the Vale
Continue to silently murder Helghast troops, sneak past troop transports and finally locate the cruiser wreckage.
Cruiser Wreckage
Kill the remaining troops around the communication uplink to re-establish the link and then take out the incoming ambush. Use cover and heavy weapons to take down the troop carriers, and clear up all the ground troops before escaping and heading back.
Kaznan Deep
More resistance on your way back to camp. Seek cover as they come from a few angles at once, then take them all out as you proceed through the jungle to regroup with your unit.
ISA Camp Siege
After returning to base, you discover it's under attack. Defend it as best you can, using heavy guns or sniper rifles as the relentless Helghast close on your position...
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
The ice levels! We remember when Sony first showed us the ice levels. "This doesn't look like Killzone 2," we said. "Presumably your location researchers found their way out of Milton Keynes after all then." Perhaps they used jetpacks – as Sev and Rico end up doing as they blow up boats or whatever.
"For anyone who found the relentless march of Killzone 2 to be one-note drudgery, this sudden burst of attention-deficit gameplay ideas may well prove enticing. Certainly, there's not much to complain about where the mechanics are concerned. Guerrilla is squeezing the PS3 for all its worth and, a couple of frame rate wobbles and NPC quirks aside, everything looks as gorgeous as a war-ravaged toxic planet can realistically be," was what we had to say about the visuals.
"The two-man hero team of Sevchenko and Rico help to hold the sprawling tale together, aided by some impressive mo-cap and better-than-average voice performances. However, they're rather overshadowed by the double whammy of theatrical ham supplied by Ray Winstone and Malcolm McDowell as power-hungry Helghan officers vying to take over from the deceased Visari." Winstone! McDowell!
Chapter 5: Icy Incursion
Frozen Shores
After being rescued by Rico, you and the raiders head up the snowy coast towards a couple of small rigs with some gun emplacements on them, kill troops and take out the supports, while you circle around with a mini-gun.
Shipwreck
You and Rico have been shot down, and must clear through a few troops on your way to a rig where you will be evacuated by the raiders. Take out the reinforcements on jetpacks before you you are picked up by Jammer.
Akmir Rig
Jetpack-boost your way from iceberg to iceberg as you try to head onto this big rig undetected. Take out the defence troops as you fly around to finally set a charge below the AA gun and allow the raiders to come in and assist you.
Nilfrost Rig
Jetpack about and take out any Helghast as you go to the supporting pillars to destroy this larger rig, again to allow for safe passage of the raiders. Jetpack troops and ground Helghast try to stop you as you set both charges and have three mins to escape before the rig goes down. Boost back up to the top and escape the rig.
Providence Bay
Your unit is pinned down. You need to take out the big guns before you can get through. You and Rico go around and take out the troops in a few buildings and then out onto the top, where you take out the turrets with some heavy machinery.
Providence Station
Head up the ramp taking cover from the tanks and troops as you progress towards the cable care, taking out a couple of buildings' worth of troops.
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
At this point, Sev's beard has gone completely off the grid. Presumably the ISA's home planet (I think it's called Vekta or Vectra or Pontiac Firebird or something) is in peril, because instead of just going home everyone seems to want to take the fight to the Helghast again. Or maybe Sev wants one of their snorkels.
But what of Winstone and McDowell? "Winstone's Stalin-esque Orlock, Admiral of the Helghan space fleet, barks, glowers and snarls like an East End cabbie with a wasp in his underpants. By contrast, McDowell channels Nazi plotters like Goering for his role as Stahl, the head of Helghan weapons development with a sideline in smug psychological wargames and oily betrayal. Both actors know precisely how far over the top they need to go, and the cut-scenes where they clash (most of them) are a real treat."
Malcolm McDowell is pretty hot, really, and has had what one might describe as a "varied career" according to his IMDB page. He loves the old video games too, by the look of it – he's been in God of War III, Fallout 3 and Wing Commander III, and he also played the pivotal role of the Chewnicorn in Rare's Viva Pinata.
Chapter 6: Stahl Arms Infiltration
Stahl Arms East Block
Exit the cable car and head to the assignment you have been given. You need to create a diversion to get past the troops as you head to the broadcast room as the executioners.
Ward 5
You, Rico and the captain have to escape, killing the heavy resistance you face as you go from room to room, trying to find your way out of the arms facility. You and Rico split off and fight a lot of troops in large rooms with lots of cover and balconies. You need to defend yourself from a medium assault.
Assembly Line #17
You and Rico go to join up with the captain and the rest of the prisoners as you go outside and battle a few troops and a flying sentry. You then boost around on another jetpack in the open area.
Sharp Pursuit
You ride down a mountain in control of a vehicle with guns and homing missiles, shoot or avoid things in your way. Kill the other vehicles and ships and dodge around the craters on the path created by the big cruise ship shooting at you.
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
Our lawyers have advised me to recant my claim on the previous page that Malcom McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. I have decided to do this by repeating the phrase "Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata" several times in order to emphasise that it is not true. "Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata" is not a true statement.
These statements are also not true: Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata. Malcolm McDowell played the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata.
Anyway, that's enough search engine optimisation for one day. What's Sev up to? According to our catalogue of thumbnails, today he is touching his ear, looking round a corner, and – second from bottom – doing an impression of Alan Wake having a stroke.
Chapter 7: Scrapyard Shortcut
Scrapyard Perimeter
You and Rico head through the scrapyard to meet up with the rest of the unit at the elevator. You alert the defence systems on the way and encounter a lot of troops as you take out sentries and clear a path.
Fenced In
Accompanied by Rico, you head towards the mobile factory, taking out heavy numbers of troops and sentries. Place a charge and head through to the next area.
Blind Yards
You and Rico need to use the crane to clear a path to the next area, kill the troops around and defend yourself, when you come under attack on the crane. Clear to the next area for pickup.
Mobile Factory
While aboard the factory there will be a few troops. Clear them out as you proceed to the top and take out a horde of jet troops and a couple of defence guns.
Belly of the Beast
Take out some more troops and head to the control room so you can use the mobile factory to save the unit.
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
It's amazing when you think about it – the ISA has managed to create flying magic carpet insertion platform things, but judging by all the cut-scenes in Killzone 3, nobody has yet invented an earpiece that can convey intra-company comms without the need to press one's hand against it. We can all appreciate the need to prioritise research and development projects, I'm sure, but come on.
Speaking of which, things are really hotting up at this point in the game, as the Helghast give up on bringing out the big guns and bring out a super-epic mega-gun called the MAWLR, which you can read more about in our Killzone 3 MAWLR hands-on from just before Christmas.
Glancing at which reminds us that Sev's first name is really "Tomas". What would Malcolm McDowell (who did not play the part of the Chewnicorn in Viva Pinata) think about that?
Chapter 8: The Rekoning
Trenches
Move quickly through the trenches taking out some Helghast at close quarters.
MAWLR
Take cover from the onslaught of missiles, mortars and bullets that the MAWLR throws at you throughout this whole skirmish. Take out defence guns and the heating vents, then take out the small ground reinforcement that appears and destroy the rest of this side of the MAWLR.
Freight Elevator
You and the raiders are circling the MAWLR taking out the remaining defence guns and finally the massive energy cannon. Destroy the MAWLR and meet back up with the captain and the rest of the unit.
Ashen Skies
The final push to the elevator by you and the remaining troops. Take out a medium-sized final resistance from the Helghast as you battle to the elevator and blast into orbit.
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
This is it then: the end of Killzone 3. If you're stuck here, that's probably acceptable compared to, say, the tutorial, which I still can't quite believe we captured. We emphasised this point earlier, incidentally (no, not the thing about Malcolm McDowell in Viva Pinata), but clearly you are not going to want to click on anything on this page unless you are stuck, lest it be spoiled for you. Fair warning.
With all that, then, Killzone 3 is done. We hope you found some use for this video walkthrough, and we're keen to hear your feedback on this, Malcolm McDowell and any other Viva Pinata-related thoughts you may have. Which upcoming games would you like to see tipped, and are there any historical conundrums that could benefit from our high-definition capture?
(With special thanks to Eurogamer video editor James Hills and his crack squad of FPS ninjas for doing all the heavy gaming.)
Chapter 9: Interception
Outer Tunnels
You and your unit need to get to the gravity controls. Fight some small exploding spiders and a few Helghast as you travel along the outer parts of the station.
Power Vacuum
Battle more Helghast in low gravity. Take out a heavy gunner at the elevator.
Inner Sanctum
As the station is falling apart, travel through and take out the final ground troops.
Fleet Battle
You're the gunner on a ship with a machinegun and a homing missile launcher. Take out all the Helghast ships that you can as you pursue Stahl. Take out the defences on his ship and then...
Check out the index for our complete Killzone 3 video walkthrough.
