FunkyPajamas: said:
Please don't take this the wrong way: would you say the firefights are similar to Halo where each time you play there's different stuff going on? Or is it a bit more scripted (say... COD), or somewhere in-between?
Thanks!
I'd say somewhere in-between. Some of the levels themselves are massive, but you are still relatively funneled to some degree. Where the differences come in to play are orders and ways in which you take on enemies, since in KZ3 there is a lot of vertical and horizontal shooting going on at any given time. How you take them on will change depending on the player.
Playing co-op for example. My friend plays a very different style to me. I prefer to mow down ground troops first with heavy machine/turret gun artillery (unless there are rocketeers around who need to be killed first) staying behind cover, picking off the roofers last. Whereas my flat mate would snipe off the people above (balcony's, bridges, buildings etc) first, and then use grenades, machine guns or rocket launchers to dispose of groups on the ground.
But I would say all three of my plays through the campaign have been different. Mainly because there are actually more weapons than you have time to use. For example, I've still used very little of the rocket launcher, shotgun (used the shotgun pistol more) and flame thrower. I'm also meleeing less now that I've upped the difficulty (they dispose of you in seconds), so firefights are definitely more tactical and drawn out.
I think the most impressive thing for me with the game now though, on top of the tactile gunplay, is the AI. It's just sublime, possibly the best in a shooter yet. It was great in KZ2 as well, but now reaction times from enemy and ally AI just seems more natural and snappy. Not sure what else you could expect from them to be honest within the confines of fair gaming.
On the harder difficulties they do some hilariously awesome stuff, and react so fast I'm constantly giggling. One shot misses their head, forget about seeing him again for a while. They will cower, blind fire, shift around behind whatever cover they have slyly to throw you off of their position, lob a grenade and wait for it to blow and just as it does pop up to shoot whilst you are still dazed or covered in smoke. Other times when they sense serious danger (you charging at them with a massive turret), they will leg it in hilarious fashion. Then there's the team work employed, they are lethal.
Friendly AI is also vastly improved.
Rico is a bad ass at times. Definitely more intelligent in veteran. I've died, seen him shout, I'm comin for you Sev! Watched him cap a Helghan in the head metres in-front of me, run and slide behind cover, pop up and head shot another, and then run to revive me and rush back in to cover. Pretty awesome stuff.