In some ways, Killzone 3 is a step forward. Set-piece battles will be drilled into your brain for some time after you experience them. There's more variety in both the environments and the action, and the game is better off for this diversity. On the other hand, the excruciating story's tendency to intrude just when the action intensifies has an adverse effect on the pacing. The competitive multiplayer isn't hampered by such infantile excess, focusing instead on what the shooter does best: delivering solid action in a visually dazzling context. Killzone 3 isn't the game it could have been, but when it comes to capturing the madness of larger-than-life planetside battles, few games do it better.