Killzone 2

"Death wears a Gas-Mask."

Back in 2004, Sony and Guerilla games released Killzone on the PS2, a game hyped up to be a “Halo-Killer” by gaming journalists and fans alike. Killzone turned out to be a fairly solid shooter, but the technical limitations of the PS2 held it back, and despite an above average online mode it was far from being a “Halo-Killer”. Then, at a little event called E3 back in 2005, Sony debuted Killzone 2 for the PS3 with a short video that drove everyone INSANE. Simply put, the target-rendered video got every excited about the graphical capabilities of the PS3. Four years later, Killzone 2 has finally been released and simply put it lived up to it's graphical hype. The biggest surprise though, is that it lived up pretty damn well on the gameplay side of things as well. Killzone 2 may just be one of the best FPS's I have ever played.

HELGHAN STORY

Taking place two years after Killzone and the PSP title Killzone: Liberation, The Helghast forces have failed in defeating the ISA and in turn have failed to take their home planet of Vekta. Well, now the shoes on the other foot, and the ISA have planned an all-out assault on the Helghast planet, Helghan. The protagonist of the last two games, Jan Templar, has taken a back seat here, having gotten a promotion to be the Commander of all ISA forces assaulting Helghan. In K2, you'll be playing as Sgt. Sev Sevchenko, a regular grunt sent in to defeat the Helghast forces with his four man team, who includes the only other Killzone returning character, Sgt. Rico. The ultimate goal of the invasion is to fight all the way to the Helghan capitol of Pyrrhus and capture the ruthless leader of the Helgahst, Emperor Visari. With their recent defeat, it is believed that the Helghast are totally demoralized and that completing the objective should be a piece of cake. However, the Helghast, and the planet of Helghan itself, has other plans…

Probably the only area of Killzone 2 that doesn't top it's predecessors, the story here boils down to fairly standard stuff. Sev is a good enough guy, but he never talks during actual gameplay, saving his lines for the game's cut-scenes, which makes it hard to really connect with him. All the other supporting characters are also merely adequate, with Rico being the only one you may have any emotions for…that emotion being hate as he is still a loud-mouthed jackass. Basically, it's a standard action/war story that is just enough to get you through the game, but really isn't all that memorable. There are a few cool moments though, and the ending was actually pretty good.

HELGHAN GAMEPLAY

The first thing you may notice when you go to check the game's controls is that unlike the first game, there is no custom control option available. Yeah it's lame, but luckily Guerilla games was kind enough to offer multiple control schemes, and it shouldn't be hard to find one that suits you well. However, the biggest change you may notice is when you actually get into the game and get a feel for the controls, which really are like no other FPS out there. While the game has a very fictional setting, Guerilla wanted to make movement very realistic with a weighted feel, with no type of aim assist when firing weapons. The result has a mixed reaction. On one side, there are those who are used to simplistic FPS controls (such as in the COD games) who just couldn't get used to the feel, and there are others who enjoy the more realistic approach Guerilla took. I'm not speaking for everyone, as everyone has a right to their own opinions, but I'm definitely in the former group. I love how the controls feel, especially when it comes to aiming and firing the game's weapons, which are as realistic as you'll find in a game about a space war. There are sensitivity options for those who may want to tweak their aiming, but I kept mine at default, and I'm sure that after some playtime most people will get used to the controls pretty quick (the players online seemed to have proved that).

Killzone 2 mostly goes through the FPS motion: you shoot, aim down the sights, throw grenades, crouch, sprint, and all that good stuff. K2 also uses the old health-regenerating system we all know and love and a two-weapon system. However, it's more like a one-weapon system, as Sev will always carry around an ISA revolver with infinite ammo on him at all times as one of his weapons (you can later switch it out for a Helghast pistol if you wish). You can fill that other slot with weapons ranging from assault rifles to sub-machine guns to sniper rifles to rocket launchers. There are also some more non-conventional weapons as well, such as an unique flamethrower, and gun that shoots huge bolts of metal at an enemy, and a very cool gun that shoots lighting. Chances are though, that a lot of players will stick to the all-around excellent ISA rifle, and that's OK since ammo for most weapons isn't to far behind wherever you are. Sev also carries a knife that he can quickly switch to for close quarters combat. Killzone 2 also introduces an innovative cover system that keeps you in the first-person perspective at all times, unlike say the cover system in a Rainbow Six game. By holding the crouch button next to a wall or other flat object in the environment, Sev will take cover behind it and allow you to move left or right and take potshots around corners or above the cover by pressing up. Continuing to hold the crouch button while releasing the left analogue stick will cause Sev to snap back behind the cover. The system works extremely well, with the only problem arising if you choose to hold a button to aim instead of toggling it, as this can lead you to holding two buttons at once just to take accurate potshots. I had my aiming button set to R3 with toggle on (similar to Bioshock) and had zero problems. Guerilla also implemented some clever use of SIXAXIS motion controls as well, in the form of turning wheels to open doors or gates, keeping a steady aim while sniping, and setting explosive charges.

The cover system will come in handy too, as the Helghast is controlled by some of the best enemy AI I have ever encountered, and may just one-up the AI seen in COD4. The soldiers will take cover effectively and keep you at bay with blind fire and pot shots. They will also throw grenades to flush you out of your own cover and flank you when they get a chance. The Helghast come in a variety of flavors as well, including heavily armored fools who require shots to a gas tank on their backs to take out, snipers who cloak themselves to become invisible, and even flying attack drones armed with dual machine guns. The game often mixes up these enemies when throwing you into battle, so it creates a strategic element when you need to figure out which enemies pose the biggest threat and eliminate them accordingly. K2 will also throw a boss fight or two at you, including a very tough and strenuous final encounter. Make no mistake that Killzone 2 is not an easy game, as the Helgast put up one hell of a fight and you'll be seeing yourself walk into the light dozens of times.

Killzone 2's campaign, much like it's controls, doesn't hold hands. No tutorial mission where you practice your fruit-killing skills here, K2 throws you off of a flying transport onto a Helghan beach and into the ****. Make no mistake that Guerilla Games has put you into a warzone where you'll be in constant battle with platoons of Helghast soldiers. Set-pieces such as a battle on a bridge, snipers stalking you in an Helghast slum, and the breath-taking assault on Visari's doorstep are just some of the exhilarating and intense sequences you will take part of. COD4 and Resistance 2 can eat their hearts out, as K2 outdoes them both numerous times. For most of the campaign, Sev will be joined by his squad mates, who also sport some fine AI, but then again I usually call ally AI “fine” when they actually KILL enemies. This may lead to what some may feel is a glaring omission: a co-op mode, as Killzone 2 lacks any type of split-screen play. Sure it's disappointing, but sometimes it's just not in the cards, especially when it comes to competitive modes as online play is pretty much dominating the scene right now. Finally, K2 gives you a couple of vehicular segments as well, including manning a tank and a power suit, which is kind of similar to what we saw in FEAR 2, except this power suit moves much faster and can jump. These are fun segments, but unfortunately they don't last all too long. Overall, K2's campaign is exciting, tense, varied, full of “OMG” moments, and a ton of fun for shooter fans.

However, any doubts about Killzone 2 go away when you fire up it's multiplayer mode known as “Warzone”. A combination of COD's nail-biting action and Team Fortress 2's class system, Warzone is one hell of a beast. Up to 32 players, playing as 16-man teams with either the Helghast or ISA, compete on 8 different maps in 5 game modes, sans the cover system from the single-player campaign. Modes include body count (team deathmatch), search and destroy (one team attempts to place bombs on a target while the other tries to stop them), search and retrieve (both teams fight to bring items to specified locations), capture and hold (teams fight to control certain points on the map), and assassination (a random player is chosen on either team to be eliminated to win the round and must be protected). The difference with Warzone, however, is all 5 of these modes are played in a single game round, chosen at random. So one minute the game has you playing search and destroy, while the next game could be body count, and the next assassination, and so on. Each game is usually played for 5 or 10 minutes a round or when a team is victorious in said game, and the first team to win the most games out of seven wins the entire round (assassination and search and destroy are played twice, once for each team). The changing of game types is very unique and keeps the games very intense, chaotic, and fun. Warzone features a experience system that awards you points for kills and other accomplishments you make during the game, and even gives you a bonus boost if your team wins the round. The more experience you get the more you rank up, and at each rank you'll unlock new weapons to use and, most importantly, soldier classes to play as. When you first start playing Warzone, you'll start off with the simple soldier class, the class that can use the most weapons. As you rank up you'll also unlock the medic class (they can bring dying teammates back to full health with a special gun in their possession), the Tactician ( who has the very useful ability to create extra respawn points for his team by throwing out special grenades), the saboteur class (who can disguise himself as an enemy to get in some sneak attacks), and four other classes that I'll leave for you to discover yourself. You also get the cool ability to change classes everytime you respawn if you wish. In addition to all this, you'll also earn ribbons for accomplishing certain goals during gameplay (heal 5 guys during a round, get 10 headshots, kill the assassination target, etc.) which will unlock even more abilities to use with the classes, which will eventually let you mix and match class abilities to create your own custom class! Add in full clan and friend support, leaderboards, pretty much lag-free gameplay, and the cool tie-ins with Killzone.com, and you've got an online mode that you can set your watch to! The game even has an offline skirmish mode where you can practice against bots. Score!

HELGHAN TECHNOLOGY

Well, they said it wasn't possible to replicate the graphics of that amazing 2005 video. Those who said that should be eating crow right now…Killzone 2 is the best looking game on the PS3 and easily the best looking game I have ever seen (at least, so far). Let's start with the environments and the amazing art direction, as planet Helghan is a dark, desolate place plagued with lightning and dust storms. It's cities are brooding and intimidating with their structures and the landscapes are littered with debris and the horrors of war. Guerilla has done a phenomenal job of bringing the planet to life, with excellently designed locals featuring the best lighting and particle effects on any system. It's even more impressive that most of the environment is fully destructible, as stone pillars shatter when a grenade goes off next to them and cover deteriorates at your enemies blast at you. Textures are scary good, as are the game's character models, especially the menacing Helghast in their black uniforms, gasmasks, and glowing red eyes. The game's animations are also raise the bar, as you seem to see an entirely different death animation everytime you kill an enemy, as they react to how and where they are being shot. Cut-scenes are also impressively done with the in-game engine. The graphics don't see a downgrade in the multiplayer department, especially with it's phenomenally designed maps. I could talk about the gun models, facial expressions, motion blur effects, and so on that Killzone 2 assaults your eyes with, but the game must really be seen to be believed (preferable in 720p hi-def). Barring some slight issues (1-3 second pauses as the game auto-saves or loads in campaign mode, slightly delayed death animations and enemies disappearing in a split-second when you kill them in multi-player), Killzone 2 is a true display of what the PS3 is capable of.

Sound gets the same care as is as impressive as the graphics. Being able to be outputted in up to 7.1 DTS surround sound, Killzone 2 makes you feel like your in a battlefield with bullets and explosions coming at your from all directions. Guns sound phenomenal when fired, adding to their realism. The orchestrated music score is epic and adds to the atmosphere immensely. The game even supports custom soundtracks for Warzone and Skirmish modes, so your dream of killing fools while listening to Celine Dion's greatest hits can finally come true! The only real problem here is the voice acting, as the majority of it is pretty bland and generic. Rico is especially annoying in a “doesn't ever shut-up” way. there are a couple of stand-out performances though: Brian Cox as Emperor Visari and Sean Pertwee as his right-hand man General Radec. Both are excellent in their roles. Overall, a surround system is highly recommended, as this is one of the best soundscapes in a video game yet.

TURN AROUND, BRIGHT EYES…

Killzone 2's multiplayer is more addicting than crack. That being said, the single-player mode has it's replay value as well. Most shooter vets will be able to beat it in less than 8 hours, but you get four difficulty levels including the extra hard “elite” difficulty when you beat the game ( I can't imagine how tough the AI is on that one…). You can also go through the levels and find hidden intel documents and shoot Helghast symbols on walls to unlock trophies, which the game fully supports. The campaign is simply worth experiencing more than once, as you can use different weapons and find different ways to get through it's phenomenal battles.

It's been a long time coming, but I can safely say that Killzone 2 lives up to it's immense hype and is one of the best FPS games I have ever played and is easily the best looking. It should be considered on par with the great Call Of Duty 4, but in my opinion it may just surpass it. Infinity Ward, Insomniac, and all you other shooter makers take notice: there is a new sheriff in town!

KEWL
+Phenomenal…pretty much everything

LAME
-No custom controls is a disappointment
-No co-op may disappoint some
-Slight tech issues
-Below par voice acting for the most part
-Hardcore FPS fans will find themselves 60 bucks lighter in the wallet region…or maybe even 460 bucks lighter. Don't worry, you won't miss it :P

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/09

Game Release: Killzone 2 (US, 02/27/09)