Sharp Shooter Impressions and Killzone 3 PlayStation Move Tips

The new way to blast the Helghast

Killzone 3 is finally available after all the Beta and Demo teases, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We put a ton of playtime in with the Move and Navigation set-up prior to release, and came up with a nifty Killzone 3 PlayStation Move Guide with a few protips. There was one thing in our previous guide that we couldn’t add-in at the time, and we are back again to give some insight and impressions on the new Move-specific peripheral, Sharp Shooter.

What is it?
Designed by Guerrilla Games (Killzone 3) and Zipper Interactive (SOCOM 4) Sharp Shooter is designed to be the ultimate gun peripheral for the PlayStation 3. The Move and Navigation Controller are both attached inside the gun peripheral allowing for full range of movement in 3D environments, precision aiming and the realistic feel of shooting a gun.

Hail Helghast

How much does it cost?
NA: $39.99
UK: £39.99

What’s in the box?
In the box is the Sharp Shooter, already pre-assembled. A PlayStation Move Motion Controller and Navigation Controller are both required to use the Sharp Shooter, and both are sold separately. Placing the Move controller into the top slot via a removable cover and the Navigation controller in the bottom slot is all it takes to be ready to start blasting away.

Impressions
There are gun peripherals on the market, and then there is Sharp Shooter. Every Move encasing gun peripheral we’ve experienced so far just houses the controllers for a feeling of holding a gun, but Sharp Shooter is something more. When placing the Move controller into the top slot of the Sharp Shooter, the Move controller slips into a mini USB port, and this enables button bypass. The Square and Triangle buttons are placed on the stock above the trigger for easy access while in gameplay. Both of these buttons on the Move controller aren’t accessible because they are encased into the Sharp Shooter, so this bypass allows access to these buttons via the index finger. The mini USB ensures quick response time when the buttons are pressed, with none of the lag that can be found in other peripherals on the market.

Moving up

The Move button also isn’t accessible on the Move controller, so directly under the trigger there's a remapped Move button. The Move button isn’t always used in some games, and a switch to lock the Move button is available to keep the button from being accidently pressed. A toggle switch allows for multiple firing modes, single-shot, burst fire, and fully automatic fire, and can be easily accessed by the thumb. The Select/Start buttons are built into shell of the Sharp Shooter and push in to press the buttons on the Move controller itself. This is one of the few issues we have with the peripheral, as the buttons don’t protrude from the shell, and can be difficult to find quickly when playing a game.

The actual design of the gun itself is a perfect fit for being able to control the Navigation Controller as well as use the gun itself to control the pointer on-screen. Pulling on the handle that cradles the Navigation Controller will reveal a shotgun-styled reload option, and the stock can be pulled out to multiple lengths to suit the user's preferences. Lastly, the Sharp Shooter offers vibration feedback, and when the trigger is pulled and the bullets start to fly, it's a great feeling.

The only downside to using Sharp Shooter is its wear on the arms during extended use. The peripheral with the controllers installed isn’t heavy, but holding the gun up over time still becomes tiring, just as it does if one’s own arms are held out in front for long periods of time, but the extendable stock will help to relieve the weight for extended playtime.

Overall the Sharp Shooter is an impressive peripheral that is worth its weight in gold, and in the arms. The feeling of blasting down the Helghast in Killzone 3 with the Sharp Shooter just feels right. As it was with learning to use Move in FPS games, Sharp Shooter will takes a few hours of practice to get used to, but the effort is worth it in the end. The Move powered Sharp Shooter is definably the ultimate gun peripheral that Guerrilla Games and Zipper Interactive set out to create.

Sharp Shooter Guide for Killzone 3

Set-up preferences will change to one's play style preferences, but proper calibration is vital for everyone who uses Sharp Shooter. When shooting the targets during calibration, they should be aimed-at exactly, as if shooting an onscreen enemy. If the stock is adjusted during gameplay, such as when the arms start to tire, the controller will need to be recalibrated.

In our previous guide we defined exactly what each of the set-up options mean, so check out our Killzone 3 PlayStation Move tips. Most of the options are the same with Sharp Shooter, but most will find that the actual set-up will be much different than when using the Move/Navi on their own.

Deadzone Width
The Deadzone Width will likely be preferred to be larger than when using the Move/Navi setup. When using Sharp Shooter it’s harder to make small movements accurately, and a smaller deadzone will likely find the screen turning abruptly when undesired.

Deadzone Height
The same applies here as with Deadzone Width. A small Deadzone Height will likely find unwanted turning results, so ramp this up higher than usual.

Crosshair Sensitivity
The Crosshair Sensitivity with Sharp Shooter drastically changes the effectiveness of its use. If the sensitivity is too high, the ability to control the screen movements can be near impossible, and if the sensitivity is too low, the crosshair lags behind, and many easy kills will be lost. A lower sensitivity is desired, but not too much that the crosshair lags.

Turn Speed
How quickly the screen turns with Sharp Shooter is a crucial part to getting a proper set-up. If the Turn Speed is set too high and the screen turns too fast, close combat becomes extremely tough, so you may want a lower Turn Speed to compensate.

Movemodo’s Preferred Settings

• Deadzone Width: 40%
• Deadzone Height: 50%
• Cursor Sensitivity: 10%
• Turn Speed: 60%
• Lock Assist: None
• Zoom: Hold
• Crouch: Toggle

Strategies
Playing to Sharp Shooter's strengths is the most important strategy protip we can give. Using the gun is drastically different than when using the Move/Navi set-up, and adapting a different play style is a must to stay competitive in the online world in Killzone 3. Holding the controller like an actual gun, with the correct set-up — especially in cursor sensitivity — offers a greatly enhanced amount of precision. Sniping and taking out strafing enemies is easier than ever before when at medium to long range, but in close quarters the same can’t be said. Fast, accurate screen movements with Sharp Shooter are possible with a bit of practice, but even with hours of use we still felt at a disadvantage when things got intense at close range.

Using classes such as the Tactician, Engineer or the Marksman are all great for using Sharp Shooter as they all have great weapons and skills for shooting at range. The Medic and Infiltrator classes can be used effectively, but as the classes support mostly close range combat their play styles aren’t best suited to the peripheral. Using the right classes with the right settings will see you top the leaderboards in no time.

Your Tips
Do you have any tips for using Sharp Shooter? Maybe you have found that perfect set-up up, or a play style that owns the leader boards? Let us know in our comments section below.