( CNN ) -- `` Killzone 3 , '' in stores this week , is one wild , rolling firefight . Set across many different terrains , it challenges players to show off their mental capabilities as well as their shooting prowess . The first-person shooter ( Sony , Guerrilla Games ) picks up where `` Killzone 2 '' left off , with the opposition leader dead and a city in ruins after a nuclear bomb goes off . The gameplay quickly becomes run-and-gun , as players race to get out of a war zone where they are vastly outnumbered . The Helghast , sort of a futuristic pseudo-Nazi/Cold War Russian looking group , are on the trail of our intrepid heroes through a nuked-out city , leafy jungle , polar mountains and outer space . Each setting presented its own challenges and really varied the tactics needed to survive . Guerrilla Games producer Kyle Shubel said the team spent the two years in production listening to fans about what they liked and did n't like from the series . He said the gaming engine -- the software system that runs the game -- remained the same as `` Killzone 2 , '' but that this time developers had the time to do more with it . `` The fans requested so many things , '' he said . `` But being given time to respond has been a strength . We really wanted to squeeze more out of the engine and we think we 've done it . '' The environments play a big role in gameplay , as buildings and roads crumble under the weight of armored vehicles in the city or darkened areas hide players from enemy eyes as they sneak through the jungle . All are well rendered and help get players immersed in the action . The jungle missions were probably the most fun and the most mentally challenging . Players are forced to get stealthy -- and when I say forced , I mean it . The bad guys are so overwhelming that when I got spotted , there was no chance of survival despite being well-armed . However , the slow , methodical movements were a nice change of pace from running from building to building for survival . The boss battle with the towering MAWLR , a mechanical walker that could only be slowed down by shooting its exhaust ports ( Death Star , anyone ? ) , was as frantic and bombastic as the jungle was slow . Attacks are needed from the ground and from the air to stop this beast and do n't let your guard down for a second . The polar mission and the outer space mission showed off some of the vehicles you 'll get to use . I thought the ice-saw cycle in the snow regions was not as much fun as it could have been . Piloting space fighters to take out battle cruisers was n't new , but it was exciting to play . Jet packs helped hopscotch around the battlefield and reach places that could n't normally be reached . The EXO walker ( think `` Aliens '' ) was bulky and hard to manage , but offered a big punch when needed . Shubel said each environment was designed to have its own style of play and its own set of missions . He explained that emerging technology allowed them to ramp up the look of `` Killzone 3 '' from its predecessors . `` We learned a lot and worked on leveraging new technology . It allows us to do a lot of cinematic tricks that Hollywood does in blockbuster movies . '' There are plenty of cut scenes to help round out the story and move it along . The Helghast leaders , voiced by Malcolm McDowell and Ray Winstone , are brutal and methodical in their destruction of the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance . The interaction between the two leaders builds to a resounding , if perhaps expected , crescendo . Single player action took about 7 hours for me , but Shubel said 8 to 10 hours was normal for completion . Split-screen co-op for two players is also available for offline play . Online , there are three game modes that can support up to 24 players for some of the missions . Five different classes are available : Marksman , Engineer , Medic , Tactician and Infiltrator . Each can earn points during the matches to improve their abilities and weapons . The Infiltrator and Marksman were the most interesting to play . The Infiltrator can disguise himself as a friendly trooper until right before he slits your throat . The Marksman is a sniper who can remain nearly invisible until an attack is made . Shubel said the development team spent a lot of time working on balancing out the power for each class so no one has an overwhelming ability to tip the scales in the fight . It does take team work from different types of players to be successful in the multiplayer modes . The game also can be viewed in 3-D. During a demonstration in Washington , I got to play using 3-D technology and a new peripheral ( a gun-shaped controller ) called the Sharp Shooter . The 3-D aspects did n't really benefit gameplay , but they did make the game graphics a little bit better . The Sharp Shooter , an attachment to the Sony Move controller , ended up being a lot more fun than I expected . Ultimately , I would prefer to play with the Sixaxis controller . However , I could easily see the game being played by a new person with the Sharp Shooter for more enjoyment than a regular controller . `` Killzone 3 '' is n't going to blow the doors off other first-person shooter games , but it does offer a variety of missions , scenarios , and skills that make run-and-gun gaming enjoyable . There were very few disappointments and the multiplayer action was just as exciting as the single-player . And , of course , there was a cliffhanger ending so be prepared for a `` Killzone 4 '' in a couple of years . `` Killzone 3 '' is a PlayStation 3 exclusive title . It is rated M for mature audiences due to blood and gore , intense violence and strong language . This review was done on the PS3 using the Sixaxis controller for single player and the Move controller for multiplayer .
The first - person perspective picks up where ` ` ' 2 '' left off . All levels are well - designed and will get players immersed in the action . Commando and Commando were the most interesting to play , reviewer says .