Parents' Guide to

Killzone 3

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Thrilling sci-fi shooter with heavy doses of violence, gore.

Game PlayStation 3 2011
Killzone 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Killzone 3 Game: Screenshot #1
  • Killzone 3 Game: Screenshot #2
  • Killzone 3 Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 7 parent reviews

CakeOverLoad
CakeOverLoad Adult
February 12, 2016
age 14+

This game involves violence But not lots and lots.

The first thing to know is the game isnt as gory as alot of people say, alot of thoes people are just over sensitive to war material. The only 2 Extremely gory things i have found in this game is one one of the guns "Only in one level and you dont even have to pick up this weapon but you can if you decide to" and the melee attack that involves stabbing someone in the eye with a knife. The gun i was talking about allows you to shoot Enemies with arrows that get stuck in the enemy and take them with them. As the enemy is pulled to a wall they struggle for only a few seconds before they explode into pieces. Another way this gun is Very Gory is that if you get a headshot with this weapon it rips the enemies head right off and (continues the same as sticking to a wall and exploding "very gory") Other wise there isnt lots of other gore. Its occasional that The characters in the game will swear sometimes but its nothing really bad or anything. There is nothing sexual there is no Alcohol or drugs not anything in that area. So the only Big warning would be the gore. This game was intended to be a Gory War Game not a game to be depicted on For "Whether my 11 year old son should be allowed to play this game" (no way lol)

This title has:

Too much violence
Jackson2013
Jackson2013 Parent of 12-year-old
April 6, 2013
age 12+

A brutal, gory game.

A mature 12 year old can maybe handle it. For anybody who says it's Human on Alien, YOU'RE WRONG. The Helghast who are the enemies you fight or fight with depending on if you're playing campaign or multiplayer, are humans. You can brutally execute them by slitting their throat, stabbing their face and turning it around and around, breaking their neck, hitting them hard enough to kill them, and gouging their eyeballs out with your thumbs. There is lots and lots of blood. Not as much gore (Brains and guts splattered everywhere) or anything really just blood/limbs. The swearing (In campaign) starts of really bad in like the first 5 minutes but slows down later in the game. Only a MATURE 12 year old at minimum should play.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 7 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Picking up moments after the final scene in Killzone 2, which left the evil Emperor Visari dead at the feet of protagonists Sev and Rico, KILLZONE 3 introduces a new and more vicious Helghan uprising that takes place in the wake of Visari's death. While the story is more light-hearted than its predecessors (an intentional move, says the company), the game once again stars you as Sev, a member of the ISA (Interplanetary Strategic Alliance) who must survive on the Helghast home world while searching for a way off the planet. Using traditional and futuristic weapons, a number of vehicles, and a handful of new "brutal melee" moves, you'll take down the nasty Helghan armies in alien jungles, abandoned cities, and arctic wastelands, all from an immersive first-person perspective.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (20):

Despite some less interesting characters and a few confusing dialogue and story sequences, Killzone 3 is the best game in the series to date. With much bigger set pieces, more weapons and vehicles, and destructible environments, this sequel delivers the most intense white-knuckle action yet. The enemies are smarter, too, and for those who want to take the fight online, two out of the three modes are playable with up to 24 players. Offline co-op play on the same TV is also offered.

What's more, the game feels tight and responsive on the PS3 controller. Players who prefer motion-enabled controls can opt to use Sony's PlayStation Move controller. And as if the game's lifelike, high-definition graphics aren't enough, those with a 3DTV can play the game with an added sense of depth. Its narrative could do with a little polish, but Killzone 3 certainly won't disappoint fans of the genre.

Online interaction: Killzone 3 offers three types of head-to-head play online with support for voice communication. Players may be exposed to inappropriate topics of conversation and offensive language. Potential exists for players to share identifying information with one another.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the violence in this game, which is targeted at slightly mutated and clearly malevolent descendants of human colonists, is more acceptable than a game that takes place in contemporary times on Earth and against human soldiers. Should it make a difference?

  • Families can also discuss the dangers of open online communication. What should players do if they encounter belligerent people online? How can they protect themselves?

Game Details

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