Killzone

"Killzone Review: It sure isn’t the best of its generation, but Killzone might be the only decent FPS for the PS2."

First person shooters (FPS) are hard to find for the Playstation 2 (PS2), mainly because the PS2 was never intended to have that many. Killzone however took its chances. Is Killzone a good FPS? It sure isn't the best of its generation, but Killzone might be the only decent FPS for the PS2.

Killzone has a story just like any other FPS games do. Two different races battling each other. The story is not any interesting, so story wise, its same old. There are some twists that could surprise you, but other then that, the story is nothing to be worth mentioned. It is, above average. But the story being above average does not mean that the gameplay is bad as well. The story is the weakest point of this game. So, if your one of those people that love stories for FPS, this may not be the place to look for it.

Killzones graphics are also great, but the PS2 could offer more. One of the reasons why the graphics are so great is its cut scenes. The cut scenes are actually very good. Very life like. Almost like a movie. Another reason why the graphics are great is because the environment is so good; I think it is the best one in any game. You're in a war, and it really does look like it. Some places are ruined and are still getting killed by bombs from out of nowhere. Some inside buildings have vending machines destroyed, lamps destroyed and much more. The graphics have a lot to offer, but there are parts where graphics aren't the best, as you would expect it to be

The graphics of actually playing inside the game are good. Not great, but good. Sometimes, when your ally is talking to you, his mouth doesn't move. Also, sometimes there faces look a bit ugly. These things make Killzones graphics flawed. Sometimes, Killzone has horrible textures that just come out of nowhere. Again, this makes Kill zone's graphics flawed, which is why the PS2 has more to offer. Overall though, the graphics are great. These flaws though, prevent it from achieving perfection.

Sound is also good. The gunshots sound like gunshots. The missiles sound like missiles. A shot from a sniper sounds like a shot from a sniper. Overall, there is nothing wrong with the sounds of Killzone. They work perfect and I've never seen any glitch or anything. The music background is a small portion of the sound. Mainly, because there isn't a lot. But when there is, the music is okay. It fits your environment but not the best music you will be hearing that's for sure.

What makes Killzone not the best of the FPS games is its flawed aspects. If the people that made Killzone had the time to polish up these flaws, the gameplay would've went a whole lot better. Not to say that the gameplay is bad, but the flaws do sometimes irritate you when you are playing. With this said, the gameplay is actually fun. The flaws sometimes make the gameplay a little bit slower. But, you have what an FPS has. The guns in the game are very interesting because of the variety. There aren't a lot of the same guns, which is what makes Killzone more enjoyable. Killzone has 11 missions for the campaign. They are about 20 minutes long if focused, they aren't very hard. They aren't confusing which means you'll usually know where to go.

While playing campaign, you can choose what player you want to be. At first though, you can only choose one but later on, you discover the other ones. This also adds a whole lot of value to Killzone. Kill zone's Value for replaying is pretty high. After beating the campaign missions, going through the story with the other characters is not a bad idea. If your board of that, then next step is multiplayer which is very enjoyable. Unlike other multiplayer FPS, you can make AI teammates and AI enemies meaning you can play even with one controller. Playing with a friend makes it more enjoyable. The AI enemies are actually smart. But again, depending on which difficulty you pick, the AI will either be easy or hard on you.

The maps in Killzone are also very good. They are not too big, but you may get confused with some of them. The multiplayer also features some games to play. Deathmatch will probably your first pick, as it is the most famous one of them. The others are more strategy - based such as defend your base and destroy the others. Overall, the games are fun. This is what the offline version of the game has to offer. If you have broadband, you can play Killzones online aspect of the game. The online version allows you to play 16 players with the same options as offline. The online version of Killzone is much more enjoyable then the offline version meaning buying a network adapter for this game wouldn't be a bad idea. In short, the value of Killzone is pretty high and its fun.

In conclusion, Killzone is a good FPS shooter. It certainly isn't the best of its generation but you won't be finding any other good FPS game out there for the PS2.

Stats:

Pros:
- awesome multiplayer
- campaign is good
- guns are varied
- graphics are good

Cons:
- story is above average
- graphics sometimes look ugly
- glitches and flaws make gameplay slow
- sniper rifle is very annoying

Story: 6/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 7/10
Gameplay 8/10
Value 9/10

Difficulty: Medium - Hard
Final Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/06/05