Before we publish our hands-on preview of Killzone 3, we thought we’d fill you in on our 3D experience of Guerilla Games' pulsating first person shooter. At the recent PS3 Beta Event in Birmingham, we played Killzone 3 on a Sony Bravia TV; the 40” KDL-HX803 to be precise, which sports a 1080p, 200Hz screen and costs around £1,400. We wore a pair of £100 3D Active Shutter Glasses (TDG-BR100B,) which were very comfortable to wear, sporting adjustable settings to fit faces of all shapes and sizes. They were so comfortable in fact that within 10 minutes of playing we’d forgotten we’d even got them on and, contrary to what we thought might be the case, didn't feel silly one bit.

Killzone 3 is still being optimized for 3D, we’re told, so during our hands-on time with the three demo levels we were apparently not getting the "finished experience." We’re happy about that, because though 3D undoubtedly added some depth of field to the action, allowing us to spot enemies a bit quicker at a distance, things weren’t literally popping out of the screen as they were when we saw GT5 and Motorstorm Apocalypse in 3D. At the event, Killzone 3D showcased what seemed to be a more subtle 3D experience and chat at the event from other reporters pretty much echoed those thoughts.



The Helghast did appear to be slightly more detailed and vivid on screen, and as a result the experience was marginally more immersive than without the 3D glasses, but certainly nothing to jump up and down about. There was one particular moment in 3D that did really stand out, which we're sure we'll be doing a lot more off when the game is released. Executing a Helghast at close quarters by stabbing him in the eye and watching him writhe in all his full 3D glory was very impressive…so much so that we do admit to letting out a little squeal of delight. Killzone 3 in 3D hasn't left us feeling totally inspired by the technology and whether it warrants such a huge investment of money, but there's still plenty of time to see how it evolves.

Check back for our hands-on preview of Killzone 3 shortly.