There are tons of first-person shooters (FPS) out there. For years there has only been one leading shooter at a time. It was “Halo” until the PS3 came along and opened up online play without having to pay to play.

Then, with the release of “Modern Warfare 2,” that all changed. Any “Call of Duty” game talked about in recent years has been talked about like it is the Mecca of multiplayer. Well; to be honest, “Call of Duty” is kind of bland. The latest attempt by Activision, which was “Black Ops,” turned out to be a stiff, laggy and unfulfilling experience. The same basic formula that sells music has entered into the game world and Activision, instead of shunning it, took it in and accepted it, producing bland shooter after bland shooter.

Then “Killzone 3” came to town-not just an FPS but a first person experience. Everything about KZ3 is immersive. The maps are like none other. You actually feel like you are on a warring planet that isn’t filled with the normal stock like exploding cars and barrels. Instead, there is a multiplayer map that tilts the camera to different angles depending on where you are because the planet had been previously hit with a nuclear/static weapon, and a map that has a giant Death Star-like laser generating and exploding throughout the duration of the map.

This just isn’t something to look at; the laser has an effect on jet packs which can be very deadly if you happen to be in mid air when one malfunctions. The story has continued from “Killzone 2,” and we find the Helghast and ISA locked in what appears to be a never ending battle. You play as Sev, who is trapped behind enemy lines with a small group of ISA soldiers.

The goal is to escape and do as much damage while doing so for the first few campaign missions. After that it is a quick ride of awesomeness. As good as the story is, this game is about multiplayer online. The controls can take a little while to get used to or you can set them to an alternative setting to feel like what you are used to. “Killzone 3” is about strategy.

The maps are designed in a way that gives you so many options to take in when facing a challenge. The first time of online play will leave any shooter fan in awe after stunning map after stunning map. The graphics are top notch-the best I have seen in almost any game. The music is amazing and the combat noises are constant and realistic.

“Killzone 3” probably won’t touch “Call of Duty” in numbers because Guerilla cares about making a great game instead of units moved. Instead of building hype, Guerilla was building an outstanding FPS that will be in my disc drive for a long time. “Killzone 3” looks great, sounds great, feels great and immerses unlike any FPS before it.

“Killzone 3” took a page from the “Bioshock” franchise and made the game as realistic and immersive as a shooter can be. I give it a 4.5/5. There can’t be a perfect game, but this one is darn close.