Despite being a massive fan of Killzone 2, I have to confess that the game’s story has always disappointed me, not least because of how much wasted potential there is. The universe of Killzone, and the tragic villainy of the Helghast, can be quite fascinating, but the best stuff is out-of-game fluff. Senior producer Steven Ter Heide, however, promises that Killzone 3 will ramp things up.
“The thing about Killzone’s storyline is that while it always takes a backseat to the action, you can learn a lot about its universe by carefully reading between the lines,” says Ter Heide. “When you listen to all the bits of Helghast dialogue in the previous game, for instance, it’s clear that they don’t consider themselves villains at all. From their perspective it’s the ISA pursuing the aggressive imperialist policy; they’re just defending Helghast interests.
“That said, we’ve considerably ramped up the pace of the story for Killzone 3. We will show more of the Helghast side, their motivations and background. With Visari out of the picture, several potential successors are vying for control of the Helghast Council. Meanwhile, the remnants of the ISA invasion force want to get off the planet before their window of opportunity closes. These story arcs converge for an explosive finale. On top of that we have secured some great talent to play pivotal roles in the game, and through their delivery they really elevate the dialogue and story.”
I must say I dig the idea of a Helghast civil war and can’t wait to see what kind of political snakes come out of the woodwork. I’m crossing my fingers for a narrative that does justice to the game’s universe. Nail the plot, and Killzone 3 will easily be superior to the already excellent Killzone 2.
