Killzone 2. (Killzone 2 (PS3))

Member Name: butters

Product:	Killzone 2 (PS3)
Date:	18/03/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Graphics, multi-player.

Disadvantages: Generic story.

Name: Killzone 2
Genre: FPS
Platform: PS3
Age: 18
Release: February 27 2009
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony
Price: £35 (Amazon and Play)

It's hard to have not heard of Killzone 2, a Playstation 3 exclusive game released not long ago. The original, released in 2004 was dubbed the "Halo Killer", so the expectations of the game were phenomenal. Halo, an Xbox exclusive title was the First Person Shooter to beat at the time. Ever since the announcement of Killzone 2 at the E3 gaming convention in 2005 the game has been hyped again. Is it doomed to repeat the same mistakes of the original, or has it lived up to expectations?

Following the events of the original, you play as Sev, an army member who is taking part on the assault of the human-like creatures-the Helghast. It's really a very generic story, as you and your unit storm the planet Helghan. First Person Shooters in general are not exactly famed for their story mode, and it's really the same here. The story is nothing special and is merely strong enough to keep you playing. The characters in the story are all very stereotypical though the humour will keep you watching the cutscenes. As wit most other FPS games, it is the action that is the most important-and this is where the game excels.

Firstly it is said this is not a normal First Person Shooter. As soon as you start, chances are you'll want to change the control scheme to get away from the awkward default controls though there are enough control schemes to keep you happy. Weight has been added to your character so when you move you really feel like you are controlling an actual person, not just a floating gun. As your character runs you can feel the weight of the character, and this is the same when you both fire and jump. Call of Duty 4 on consoles has a very subtle auto-aim that many will not have noticed. Killzone 2 says no to this and the aiming is purely manual, and it takes getting used to. It makes shooting enemies a little harder, and that much more rewarding. The weight of the character really does change the game, and it is because of this it feels like no other console FPS. Although no game can make you feel like you are actually in a war, this does a very good job of making your character seem human.
The enemy AI is brilliant and will always try to outdo you-making sure that you can't just charge out and spray your ammo everywhere. Every time you move, the enemies will try to out manoeuvre you-trying to flank you or grenade you out of your area in an attempt to shoot you. If they are in danger they will move, and it all seems very realistic. The best thing though, is that they're fair. The enemies are relentless in trying to gun you down and corner you, but never will they constantly respawn, or respawn all around you. It's not often a game will deliver an enemy so fair, but so relentless and they make sure you can't beat a level too fast. Working in teams, you'll have to push forward yourself, or the enemies will push you back. To advance you can't just shoot enemies, because other enemies will rush forwards-you always have to push forward and it's a brilliant feeling, and it is extremely rewarding when you advance.
Thankfully there is a decent cover system to keep you out of trouble where you can hide behind objects and pop out to shoot. Enemies will still be trying to get that headshot in and will always be trying to find a way to catch you out, but the cover system works well and you can hide behind most objects. The environments at the start of the game are dark, and just when you get bored of the darkness you will be released into some missions full of colour. The graphics are astounding and the bets you will see on any console game yet.

The missions themselves are great to play out as you will be constantly fighting to advance, though the objectives themselves are sometimes generic such as rendezvousing with your team mates or blowing up certain points. Just like the story mode, the objectives aren't the games strong point but because of the brilliant environments and the amazing enemy AI the levels still remain good.
The weapons are generally quite realistic, very similar to real life assault rifles and though there aren't many types of weapons, the weapons are very good. There is one electric weapon that feels a little out of place because of its power though it isn't found that much so won't spoil the gameplay.

The story itself will last around 8 hours, give or take an hour or 2 depending on how good you are, though there is replay value for those wanting to collect trophies. There are certainly some levels you will want to play again and again though the main reason to keep playing this game is the online mode. There is also an offline skirmish mode to keep people occupied though nothing will keep you occupied like a good online game.

The online aspect of this game is not merely a small add-on to the single player mode, but something the developers expect you to put a decent amount of time into. To get the most out of the online, it requires dedication. Just like the offline mode, the online is quite tactical and just running in all guns blazing will get you nowhere. To get the best out of the game it is best to go around in groups-made easy by a "squad" feature allowing 4 players to group together. Though this is obviously helpful in normal online matches, it makes tactics for Clan Wars a little easier to do.
The environments are brilliant and most of them are the perfect size for 32 players (16 v 16). Although there are larger maps it just adds to the variety of the online gameplay, which is always a good thing. Matches are generally very active with people rushing about doing different things because of "Rolling Objectives", a huge highlight on the online mode. Instead of having only one objective per match, you will have up to 5, all one at a time, which means the gameplay always keeps at a decent pace. For 5 minutes you may be hunting down an enemy, trying to assassinate them, and the next 5 minutes you will have to either plant or disarm a bomb. There are 5 objectives, with the other 3 being "Body Count" (getting the most kills), "Search and Retrieve" (trying to bring something back to your base) and "Capture and Hold", where each team fights for zones. The Rolling Objective always keeps you active, and stops the game from becoming too stale. It also means than matches can last for half an hour, which gives you time to really get into it.
The next part of the online mode is the class system. As you kill, and complete objectives you get a score, allowing you to rank up. When you first play you will merely be a soldier, but as you level up you will get options to become a medic and revive people, plant turrets, or disguise yourself as your enemy until you shoot or are shot at. The in depth class system means to get the most out of the game you need to play a fair amount, though you can easily have fun just playing as a soldier. Allowing people to revive others who have fallen adds a great team spirit to the game, with every person relying on others around them. Again, it's a brilliant thing for clan wars also. The Saboteur Perk, allowing you to disguise yourself as the enemy is a little worrying however. Although it is not currently a problem and just means you have to keep an eye out for enemies, this could get a little annoying as more people unlock the perk.

The Single Player experience of the game is worthy of an 8/10. Although it takes getting used to, and the story is extremely generic, the brilliant environments and the strong enemy AI keep it enjoyable. The online mode of this game stands out and will hopefully keep buyers occupied for quite some time. Although the online is not perfect and requires a lot of dedication, if you can put in the time it becomes a brilliant and very competitive game. Although the cover system is not in the online mode, it remains fantastic and will hopefully keep players playing Killzone 2 for a while yet.
With all of the hype surrounding the game it was unlikely that it lived up to it. Thankfully it has though, and it's great news for FPS fans who own a PS3.

92%

Summary: The PS3 must have FPS.