posted on 28. 02. 2009 by Lori in PlayStation 3, Review, Sony

Review: Killzone 2

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After years of anticipation, promises and hopes kept high, Guerrilla Games’ Killzone 2 is finally hitting the shelves, kicking all kinds of ass and taking names. Just how good is this PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive?
Read the review, and find out if a ticket to Helghan is worth the price of admission.

You take the role of Sev. He is the quiet type. Also, very handsome.

The atmosphere is thick with smoke, lead and desperation, things are blowing up all around you and the Helghast, the game’s iconic red-eyed enemies are hunting for you relentlessly. It is probably the closest you will get to waging war on an alien planet.
It has to be said, first and foremost, that the audiovisual presentation displayed in Killzone 2 is not only competent, but inarguably the best on any console so far. It is scary to see that only 2 years into the life of the PS3, this game is readily available.

Our journey takes us through about 6 locales that are sufficiently different to make all the claims of “too grey/brown” absolutely unfounded and downright stupid. Each and every scenery is meticulously crafted, be it the deserts, the towns or the ISA battle-cruisers.

The gunplay is refined and rewarding, even-though the controls might be off-putting at first. You will have to put some effort into acclimatizing yourself to the controls to fully enjoy pumping lead into Helghast. However, after it ‘clicks’, you will not want to miss the feeling of weight and the ingenious first-person cover system.

These guys are out to get you — and they will get you.

The enemies are both smart and deadly, however they lack any kind of variety. Granted, there is only so much you can do with the Helghast uniforms, but it does not hurt the game in any way – you will be too busy dodging bullets and shrapnel to really care.

The story is concise and to the point, yet without any real stand-out moments. There are scenes, that will definitely make you ponder a little about the meaning of war and camaraderie, but while they are masterfully done, they are few and far between. The most memorable scene, a scene of desperation and resignation, comes towards the very end, but it would be unfair to those of you who have yet to experience this epic to spoil it here.

Unfortunately, the singleplayer can only be described as adequate. While it is a fun 6 hour romp with a interesting enough story-line, there is no real reason to replay it for those, who are not in it for the trophies. The lack of co-op really hurts the game. While the campaign is a total blast and a slight tad better than that of Gears of War 2 or Resistance 2, ultimately the lack of co-op makes those two and only those two, have a slight advantage over Killzone 2.

This Hig just scored a point for his team. He is also probably going to run back and tea-bag you.

Now, Killzone 2 has it’s flaws, but there is one part about this game, that deserves incredible amount of praise and is probably the best on either system: A fully featured, class based, 32 player multiplayer experience.
The main mode in the game is titled very aptly: Warzone. There are 5 gametypes that will rotate dynamically during the missions, each lasting 5 minutes or until you complete them. While they are pretty standard fare, such as team deathmatch, one-flag ctf and search and destroy, the ever changing objectives will keep everyone on their toes.
Players start out with next to nothing, the soldier class and 2 guns. Other classes, called badges here, have to be unlocked by completing mission objectives and blowing your friends and total strangers to smithereens. This is easier said then done — you will need 2800 points to unlock the last class, which amounts to either 900 completed objectives or around 2000 kills, depending on your game-type (completing an objective grants you 3 points, killing someone can range from 3 to 1 depending on the circumstances).
Unlike other exclusives to the system, the multiplayer works flawlessly: there are plenty of servers, the interface is hassle-free, it provides easy ways to join up with friends and the voice communication is implemented very well.
It is hard to put into words, just how much fun Warzone is, but if you have ever played Call of Duty 4 and add in everything that Killzone 2 brings to the table, changing objectives, satisfying gunplay and ridiculously beautiful presentation, you can imagine just how good it really is.

The verdict:
Before leaving for Helghan, Sev takes 2 steps back to the mirror he was just looking at, points at it and winks. He is winking at you. This is Guerrilla’s way to tell you that they know you have high expectations, but they will take you for quite the ride. If you are a singleplayer aficionado, Killzone 2 is a must-play, yet it is only a must-buy for those, who will sink their teeth deep into the rewarding multi-player experience.

Review copy provided by Sony Computer Entertainment Austria. Our sincere thanks.