Killzone 2 Review

PS3 exclusive raises the FPS bar?

by AXIS of Reality

©2009 Alex Baldwin

Let me start off by saying this review is almost a curse. Over the past few weeks as the reviews of Killzone 2 flooded the internet, sites were loved or loathed based on the number at the end of their article and accusations of ‘fanboism’ were thrown thick and fast. (check out or Killzone 2 Aust Launch day)

Unfortunately this is the fate of many major exclusive releases for the 360 or PS3. Despite not actually having played the full game internet trolls declared sites that awarded an 8/10 or lower for Killzone 2 flatout wrong or biased towards the Xbox 360.

Let me make one thing clear before we dive into the nitty gritty of picking apart Killzone 2 – this is my truthful opinion of the game uncoloured by hype or mythical money handouts from Microsoft or Sony. Yes this site focuses on the Xbox 360, but here we are all true gamers and true gamers can appreciate a great game no matter what format is graces.

So, Killzone 2. Sony and Guerilla’s mega-game has been a long time coming with its fair share of controversy, but finally I sit here with the end product, and a smile on my face as I finish what is undoubtedly an AAA title.

Much has been made of the graphics and indeed they will leap out of the screen and smack you in the face as you play. While technical prowess is all well and good, this is married to some beautiful art direction and set dressing that makes every environment seem like a real place and a lot less ‘gamey’ than many other FPS’s. The battlefields really do feel like battlefields and successfully give the illusion that you’re choosing your own path with a variety of vantage points in every section.

The lighting needs special mention, from the overall ambient glow of the area to the glows and shadows being cast from swinging lightblubs and gunfire. Lightning and explosions give brief flashes allowing you to see the entirety of the area for that split second before it’s blanketed once again in dark greys and browns.

Luckily, there is variety in the colour palette throughout the game with each section tinged with a particular central colour similar to The Matrix’s use of green. The effects and use of physics such as chunks of rock being blasted out of walls or flags whipping in the wind all help to give each and every gunfight a desperate, chaotic feel in spite of the need for tactics to survive.

Make no mistake, running into a room with 3 Helghast or more will never end well, which is why you will be thankful for the new cover system. Using a similar system to Gears of War but in first-person, you can attach to any wall or low cover while pushing the left thumbstick, which will make you peek out in that direction. While many found from the demo that the Alternate 2 control scheme is by far the most natural (mirroring Resistance 2 and CoD4) it does make it awkward to hold down L2 for cover, while then peeking out and also holding L1 for ironsights aiming.

Speaking of weapons, Killzone 2 does have a decent amount but there isn’t all that much variety; you have your standard assault rifle, SMG, sniper, RPG and pistol as well as Helghast variants for most of them. The lightning gun is the only one that really stands out. Some more variety would have been welcome but the guns we do have are well-designed and feel suitably punchy, though you will find yourself picking up the regular assault rifle with every opportunity it is available.

The Helghast themselves are great adversaries as they duck, dive and flank with fantastic AI that makes battles unpredictable. Unlike most shooters you can’t hide in your game-designated ‘safe’ area and pick off targets from behind cover – they will flush you out with grenades, find ways to flank you or even sneak right around behind.

These guys are smart and often your life will be saved at the last minute by spotting those glowing orange eyes in the dark, seconds before the killing shot is fired. It adds up to ferocious gunplay and the feeling that you are never truly safe.

This is also aided by the quite tight field of view. The camera is zoomed slightly forwards compared to most other FPS resulting in a smaller view area that makes it seem a bit more claustrophobic and makes constant looking around a necessity to make sure you’re always aware of the positions of allies and enemies.

The depth-of-field blurring effects work brilliantly here too as distant objects are blurred as per usual but also objects too close to the camera such as the nearest end of your current weapon that gives that extra bit of immersion.

While the gameplay in the single player campaign is great, the same can’t be said for the characters. The other squadmates get annoying very quickly, yelling out cliche’d phrases often completely out of context. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard “Sev! Get to cover!” while strolling through an empty corridor with a squadmate.

Most of it simply seems like the voice actors were given no direction as to the conditions the lines would be used, as well as some bad scripting. Curses are thrown thick and fast to the point where it gets uncomfortable, so a quick trip to the voice volume slider in the options menu might be necessary.

The story does its job following the invasion of the Helghast’s homeworld, but really it doesn’t make much of a difference. Luckily the gameplay is good enough so you’ll be keen to keep playing even if you’re not quite sure exactly what you’re fighting for or trying to achieve. The sweeping single-shot intro movie that plays when the disc is inserted is mighty impressive however and highlights the blockbuster production values.

Apart from the voice acting, the sound is very well done. Gunshots and sound effects are spot-on, as are the ambient noise of distant explosions and fighting. The musical score by Joris de Man is especially impressive with epic John Williams-esque music and pounding battle themes that makes every fight feel like the finale to a massive Hollywood film. If the rumours of an upcoming full soundtrack album are correct, I’m definitely going to be buying it.

From a multiplayer perspective, Killzone 2 delivers. Using a similar upgrade system to Call of Duty 4, players are awarded abilities and classes as they reach certain points that assists in the objective-based nature of the Warzone mode. Up to 32 players can dive straight in or have up to 15 bots (finally an FPS with bots!) fill in for players as you wait or play alone.

The bots share their AI with the single player enemies and as such make for a great challenge,  reacting to your actions and providing a great training ground for online or for those without access to the PSN.

While this review has been mostly filled with glowing praise so far it would be remiss of me to ignore the small issues while calling myself a game critic. There are some unusual visual abnormalities that feel out of place in such a stunning game.

The flame effects for one appear very two dimensional and several times I saw allies pop into existence or somehow get ahead of me despite no way of achieving this without teleporting. Also, running into a character will actually let the camera go through the mesh as if their collision detection is a bit too tight letting me see inside them. Along with this several times an ally ran straight through me.

One other problem was the occasional difficulty spike in the campaign, most often in areas with waves of enemies attacking a position you’re holding. It can be very difficult to find an area to heal without a constant barrage of gunfire hitting you from all angles which may frustrate some players.

There has been a lot of controversy over the aiming, despite Guerilla’s claims of the lag or slow acceleration being purposeful. While I eventually got used to it I’ve never started to like it. The feel of lag is associated with the overly slow acceleration when turning, making it difficult to track an enemy in your sights or aim accurately at range. I doubt using regular aiming speeds would have impeded the weighty feeling of the game, and in the end it simply feels like a misguided design decision.

Killzone 2 also seems to enjoy teasing you as you play. Often you’ll see a massive bridge or come across a jeep with an ally yelling “Hey Sev, we’ve got a jeep!” only to find your jeep ride presented only in a custscene or the giant apparent landmark bypassed. It can be a bit disheartening to be working towards an epic structure to find it was merely set decoration and plays no real role. The few vehicle sequences also feel a bit short as if only presenting a taster and then requiring you to get out.

Finally, it seems like a crime that co-op is not featured. I find it difficult to recall a single area where I wasn’t being assisted by a squadmate, demonstrating the design of the levels could easily accommodate 2 players. Not all games require co-op, but the gameplay in Killzone 2 feels so geared towards playing with squadmates its absence is confusing and sorely missed.

In the last month reviews and critics have been mauled by rabid fans of Killzone 2 declaring them bad journalists for pointing out these flaws while the fans actually have not played the game in its entirety. To me the problem was the journalists not actually expressing how these issues impact on the game as a whole, so let me make this clear: none of these problems described actually break the game.

While there’s no denying these issues exist and could have been addressed, the gameplay is amazingly solid and in the end these are mostly simple niggles but ones it would have been remiss of me not to publish in a critical review. Rest assured Killzone 2 is an amazing experience but as with every game there is always the possibility to improve.

So in the end, I’m sure a lot of people reading this review from an Xbox-oriented website are wondering one thing: is it worth splashing out on a PS3 for this game?

If you’re a first-person shooter fan, Killzone 2 is an essential purchase. Guerilla have crafted a game able to stand high with the likes of Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 (I count Bioshock as a different genre) as the leaders of the current generation of FPS. Killzone 2 is an exceptional title with possibly the highest production values yet witnessed in a game, and an early contender for Game of the Year.

NB: While you are here, why not check out our Metal Gear Solid 4 Review.

©2009 Alex Baldwin

”9.2/10

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