If you thought the multiplayer arsenal was deadly in Killzone 2, wait till you see what we’ve included with Killzone 3‘s online multiplayer mode!

Our philosophy when it comes to weapons in Killzone 3 is that every weapon has its own unique role in Killzone intense battlefields. A sniper rifle is a sniper rifle, a shotgun is a shotgun and a giant armored exoskeleton is a giant armored exoskeleton. Whether you prefer the close-up carnage of a LS13 shotgun blast to the face, the clean, calculated kill of a VC32 sniper rifle or the agilty and stealth of the M66 Machine Pistol, Killzone 3‘s armory has the right tool for any job.

M4 Revolver

Faction: ISA
Class: Side arms
Sights: Iron sights
The standard side arm for ISA soldiers, the M4 is a slow but powerful fallback weapon in case the primary weapon runs out of ammunition.

StA-18 Pistol

Faction: Helghast/Stahl Arms
Class: Side arms
Sights: Iron sights
The Helghast counterpart of the M4, the StA-18 sacrifices some power and accuracy for a higher rate of fire.

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Hello everyone,

Before we get started with the regular content list, let me offer you a welcoming gift in the shape of another two PSN avatars, this time to tie in with ace PSN viking ‘em up Swords & Soldiers and both free with this week’s episode of FirstPlay.

Speaking of which, episode 42 of FirstPlay will be on the Store this Wednesday, which is nearly as high as I can count without borrowing somebody else’s fingers. And it’s a cracker, with two huge sci-fi sequel reviews as we deliver verdicts on Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2, an expert guide to tuning your car in Gran Turismo 5, and – in case you hadn’t been stabbed in the face by space zombies quite enough – a review of tie-in animation Dead Space: Aftermath.

Of course that’s not all. We also sit down for a chat with Kaos Studios, the team behind upcoming shooter Homefront, check out some of the latest titles to appear on the PlayStation Store, and review PS Eye scrapper Kung-Fu Live, which goes about as well as you’d expect us doing martial arts in front of the TV to go. On top of all that we’ve got new screenshots from Resistance 3, Red Faction: Armageddon, Bodycount and more.

So that’s free stuff, two of the biggest games on PS3 this year, behind the scenes access, movie reviews and a round-up of the PSN, all for just 99p, or even less if you buy a 12 week subscription for £8.99.

We’re always very eager hear your thoughts and feedback, so if you have anything to say please get in touch: on Twitter at @firstplay_uk, via email at FirstPlay@futurenet.com, or the official EU forums. And don’t forget you can sign up for the FirstPlay newsletter at http://www.firstplay.co.uk/register to have regular news and content updates delivered directly.

See the Future of PS3. First.

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Beginning on Thursday, January 27th the American Central Plaza will be transformed into the last remaining ISA stronghold when Killzone 3 Invades PlayStation Home. Join the remaining members of the ISA as they defend Home against the relentless Helghast assault. European combatants can join the battle by visiting the ISA dropship in Home Square to be transported to the Central Plaza.

The Central Plaza Defender is a first-person shooter that pits you against wave after wave of Helghast forces. Fire at the approaching enemy forces to shoot down Helghast air units, infantry units, and dropships. Alternatively, assist gunners by collecting and delivering ammunition and first aid. Complete challenges to be granted exclusive PlayStation Home rewards. Furthermore, completing all three levels will grant you three Unlock Points, which can be redeemed for new weapons and abilities in Killzone 3 multiplayer.

The enemy is well-armed, resilient, and fuelled by Visari’s martyrdom. Your success will require both a strong sustained offensive and support from your unit. Be sure to log in to PlayStation Home this Thursday to play this exclusive game and assist in the defence of Home from the Helghast invasion forces.

Please note that all recruits must be 18 years or older.

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Hey everyone! You’d be surprised at how many of us actually do read your comments on a variety of articles and forums concerning Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Whether it’s a thread about health regen (again…) or a comment about the faint floral pattern on Adam’s trench coat, chances are we’ve seen it! Your voices are being heard! We really do appreciate your comments, and hope they never stop.

That said, I’m nearing the end of my role on the project and putting on the final touches to the game. I wanted to reflect on the past development and give you a peek at some of the challenges the level design team had to face when developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

The biggest rule for us level designers, by far, was to always keep in mind the idea of “Multi-Path, Multi-Solution” for practically every challenge we wanted to lay down for the player. Basically what that entails is for every obstacle we set, there is always a variety of ways to progress past it; with some methods being more obvious than others. This is very reminiscent of the design philosophy found in the original Deus Ex … a design which promotes emergent game play.

One of the reveals from gamescom was showing the Police Station level and how there were four different ways (Combat, Hacking, Stealth, and Social) to play through it. The truth of the matter is that there are far more than just four different ways to progress through that level. There are so many different ways to progress through that I couldn’t possibly list them all; and chances are there are even methods to progress through that we haven’t even thought of! While at first glance that seems like a nightmare for a level designer, what ends up happening is our level designs promote multiple playthroughs in order to try out many different styles of play. All we have to ensure is that we’ve provided the tools and the environment for the player to just explore, imagine, and act-out their creative solutions.

The downside to this open and emergent style game play is that there are a lot paths and features that we designed that most players will never see! We hope you all try playing through the game multiple times, using different styles of approach, and exploring every nook and cranny and possible option that we’ve made available to you. Until next time… Ciao!

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Hey there PlayStation fans,

2010 is done and dusted, with most journalists and press sites having already spouted their GOTY’s and turned their back on last year already. But alas! It’s now time for you to have your say…

The Community and Game Awards are all about celebrating the games, services, content and community members that made 2010 a brilliant year to be a gamer. The best bit? No journalists, no industry professionals, no judging panels. In these awards, the only people who have a say are you – the PlayStation gamers.

The awards are split into two categories – The Community Awards, in which we celebrate the greatest gamers and content within our community in 2010; and The Game Awards, where we praise the best games and services on the PlayStation platform in the last year.

If you want to find out more about how the Community and Game Awards work – just check out our FAQ.

Nominations are open NOW and anyone with a PlayStation Network account can take part. All you need to do is visit your local language forum (links below!), select an award and nominate a gamer, game or service for that award.

English
French
Italian
German
Spanish
Portuguese
Polish
Russian
Scandinavian languages
Dutch

Nominations close on Monday 7th February. Once nominations are complete, we will have 10 finalists for each award. Then, it’s up to you to vote for the winner!

But, before you click through to the awards page, take a moment to tell me what your gaming highlight of 2010 was in the comments section below.

Over to you,

MB

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