OK, OK, let’s step back for second. One of the things we always struggle with when awarding a 10 is this notion of “perfect.” So, let’s clear the air: There is no such thing as a perfect game. Any and all games come with their assortment of quirks and quibbles, slight shortcomings and trifling blemishes.
That said, Killzone 3 comes pretty gosh darn close to perfection.
We should know, because we played the heck out of it for our March cover story: a 10-page feature that includes our hard-hitting, in-depth review along with exclusive tactics straight from developer Guerrilla Games for dominating the excellent multiplayer. We even got to dig deep into the ‘Zone to uncover some of Guerrilla’s thinking behind the latest chapter in their sharp shooter.
It’s a great read, if I do say so myself, written by our very own Roger Burchill. To quote our esteemed managing editor: “Killzone 3 takes a blade, jams it into a Helghast’s eye socket, and twists it.” You’ll have to pick up the issue to find out what else Roger said, but even for those who’ve already pre-ordered the game, it’s got some great insight into why Killzone 3 is an improvement over its excellent predecessor, along with all kinds of tasty tidbits on the game that you won’t find anywhere else.
It’s a great issue overall, with lots of other incredible coverage, including a massive hands-on with MotorStorm: Apocalypse; an epic feature pitting the next wave of Marvel and DC-based games against each other; our top 10 overlooked PS3 classics; massive reviews of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and (my personal fave) Tactics Ogre; and updates on everything from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to UNCHARTED 3. The issue is on newsstands Feb. 15, and should be reaching subscriber mailboxes any day now. Enjoy!
IGN gave it an 8.5. I’ll trust their score, since they’re a bit more impartial.
I see Tactics Ogre on the bottom of the cover. I hope you have some good coverage, and not just some half page blurb where most of said space is taken up with stock pictures.
The game looks utterly amazing. I cannot wait to get the final version in my hands. However, a “Perfect 10”, seems a bit of a stretch. Reviewers from single platform magazines tend to be far too generous to platform exclusives.
Look back and you’ll find evidence to prove your point and evidence to refute your point. We have, indeed, given several first-party games 10s: God of War III; Heavy Rain; etc. But we’ve also giving other games lower scores, sometimes below metacritic.
But really, give the review a read. My feeling about reviews is that it’s not just about the score. Long-form reviews help extend the experience, and help me better understand what might be good, bad, or ugly about a game. Great reviewers have pointed out things that have enhanced my enjoyment of a game (or movie, or book, or restaurant), or helped me understand why it is that I don’t like something. I know we live in a metacritic world, and this headline helps reinforce that notion, but reviews are more than just scores — even “perfect 10s.”