"Post E3 '05 Reappraisal"

I thought with all the hype surrounding the Killzone 2 gameplay footage shown at E3, that it would be good to go back and review the original.

Background
First some history. The actual release of Killzone was proceed by an unprecedented amount of hype generated by the need for the PS2 to have a FPS title on a par with Halo. This hype effectively destroyed any hope of Killzone actually being assessed on it's merits. The game was not a match for Halo and some of it's flaws were picked on remorselessly until the game was considered a failure.

Killzone was released at the same time as Halo 2. To some extent Sony wanted to have their answer to Halo 2 on the shelves at the same time. Halo 1 had basically nailed the single player FPS game to perfection. The offline multiplayer modes were excellent but Microsoft needed a showcase for Xbox LIVE. Because Halo 2 focused on the online play aspect, Sony needed to emphasis the same feature. Both games suffered from compressed development periods and lack the polish that a truly good game needs. Killzone is more deficient in this aspect than Halo2. Sony's need for a decent online play mode meant that the developer was split between refining the single player game and balancing the multiplayer modes. They clearly ran out of time with both modes being a little short of polish and testing.

Weaknesses
A lot of the criticisms of Killzone can be effectively grouped as minor technical issues that a slightly longer development period would have addressed. They are not fundamental flaws, but things that the developer just did not have time to address. Here are some of the most obvious ones. There are a limited number of voice samples the Helgast use in battle, this is in the region of about 10 snippets of dialogue. Over an extend period of play, these few repeated lines begin to grate. The death animation of your avatar is particularly jarring. When killed your avatar falls into strange poses, not humanly possible and bearing no reference to how a human body would behave. The Level of Detail (LOD) system lacks finesse, with geometry and texture detail appearing a disappearing whilst the player is standing still. With some weapons you can choose to use a zoomed in view. Unfortunately the increase in texture detail produced by this view has a tendency to cause slow down in the framerate.

Strengths
The most pleasing thing to note about Killzone is that despite the curtailed development period and inherent compromises between the two game modes, that the single player game and online multiplayer modes both actually work very well. In the context of the PS2 platform, Killzone is easily the best overall FPS package available for the system. The online multiplayer mode on it's own does not quite match the dizzy 60fps heights of Timesplitters3, but coupled with a pleasing single player mode makes the comparison moot. Compared to games like Medal of Honor series, Red Faction Series and Warhammer Firewarrior, the Killzone single player game is some way ahead of these and can be considered more akin to Half Life 2 and Halo in the level of it's quality. (Interestingly I player Half Life 2 and KZ simultaneously over the Christmas period, giving me an interesting insight into the strengths of both titles.)

Killzone takes the Half Life approach to fps gameplay, with scripted events leading the player on a pretty linear path. Each level is punctuated with a handful of memorable set pieces were the route to success is very strictly prescribed. For example during one level you are asked to pick up a rocket launcher from a dead comrade and use it to take down a tank. There is a similar moment in Half Life 2 where you are given a rocket launcher and asked to take down a helicopter. At this moment in both these games there is only one way to proceed.

These set-piece scripted events are broken up with more freeform firefights with the enemy. Here you have a lot of leeway for how you want to take them down. Like Halo you are restricted to carrying a limited number of weapons, in Killzone's case this is 3 to Halo's 2. This is probably less well developed than the system in Halo, but has very similar consequences for gameplay. The game has a slow pace, your character moves in a realistic way, you might conclude that the game has a low framerate, but this is not the case, the slow pace is by design. The game is slower than even Halo. It is very much a matter of taste whether you like this approach, it is a world away from games like Timesplitters and Quake.

The overall arc of the single player story is well written, with a small team of comrades being assembled as you work your way through the game. The level design is remarkably consistent, but the later outdoor levels are a little weaker than the built up areas that make up the first half of the game. Your journey traverses across a diverse landscape taking in a bombed out cityscape, abandoned command post, shopping mall, docks, misty swamp and narrow river. The squad based aspect is handled adequately, with your comrades providing effective covering fire or responding when you provide it in return. A lot of thought has gone into how the squad dynamic works, unfortunately they can't be killed, so you can hang back and let them kill everyone if you like. What it does give you is an alternative character to replay the level with. The four man squad covers the usual attributes, stealth, brawn and all rounder.

The graphics are very good for the PS2, with some levels looking especially pretty. There is good texture work and the levels can be quite large. The game uses streaming technology to load the larger levels. A special mention most go to the reload animations, they are beautifully realised and painfully slow. They have an impact on how you play the game. The weapons are well balance and it is a real choice which weapons you carry in your 3 slots. The default ISA rifle kicks up when you fire too many shoots, but is more accurate over a distance in comparison to the Helgast rifle, which is more powerful and doesn't kick. The heavy machine gun, has no zoom, so you have to trade-off power with accuracy. There is no melee attack as such, but when close to an enemy you can press X, to grab them and smash them over the head.

Playing on Hard changes a number of things. It takes more shots to kill your opponents. Their shots do more damage to you. There are less health packs and ammo pick-ups. The AI of your opponents is improved, better shot accuracy, more use of cover, working in tandem and throwing grenades to flush you out. There are more Helghast in many areas. The AI of your team is also improved and they work better together. You will have to play the game more carefully, you can't just break from cover into the open and expect not to be torn to pieces.

Conclusion
The game lacks polish, but if you are willing to overlook the rough edges then Killzone is easily the best FPS available for the PS2. But if you have access to a PC or Xbox then Halo 2 and Half Life 2 are much better games. It is a shame there was so much hype and the game had to be released before it was really finished.

NOTE:
This is a review of the UK PAL release, which has an NTSC mode. I am playing the game from a hard drive, this may have some bearing on framerate issues and pop-up. The PAL release may have also received further tweaks not in the US release. Do not judge Killzone by the demo, the finished game is greatly improved.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/01/05