Review: Killzone 2

REVIEW

KILLZONE 2

8.7/10

In videogames mankind is always under attack from one of two things, Nazis or Aliens. The only thing I could think of that is worse than getting attacked by Nazis or Aliens is being attacked by both and Killzone takes those two videogame clichés and combines it into one Mega-Cliché that for the most part is my favourite part of the game. The Helghast, the enemy race that you oppose throughout the game, both look badass and are far more interesting that your ISA counterparts. Here is where the game suffers; Killzone 2 suffers from Gears syndrome a trend that is becoming all too common in videogames. In Killzone 2 you take the role of Sev a generic soldier given the responsibility of defending the Human race. Your squad mates are all super macho meatheads that spew out words that would make an avid church goers cry. All the characters are so flat you can’t really sympathies with them and honestly if any of them die you don’t really care. Killzone 2 is a futuristic world war 2 shooter that is short on story although there is a much larger Killzone fiction that you have the option of reading that the game directs you to read online on the Killzone 2 website, a nice touch that gives players the option of going deeper into the narrative if they want to without slowing down the action.

Where Killzone 2 excels is in its game play and presentation. The controls take a bit of getting used to for those who are used to the controls of the like of Call of Duty and Halo. In comparison to other shooters Killzone 2 is a lot heavier in terms of movement and things like turning around or rushing around corners are a calculated risks since reaction time is much slower than other FPS. Also things like reloading and throwing grenades leave you vulnerable for long periods of time which adds a layer of strategy I don’t think of while playing most other games, you will probably find yourself reloading every time you get a chance to breathe. The biggest game play mechanic that Killzone 2 adds is the inclusion of a cover system. The cover system is a welcome mechanic that lets you hide behind cover to recover damage rather than retreat out of the action like you do in many other FPS.

Saying Killzone 2 is a good-looking game is an understatement. Killzone 2 boasts great graphics and great art style. Large explosions and bullets flying everywhere make for great set pieces that really make you feel like you amidst a much larger war. My only gripe with the game is like many games lately the environments are mostly all different shades of brown and gray and although the game offers a solid variety of environments most share the gray and brown theme. The opening cinematic shows great use of colour and lighting that you don’t see very often in the actual game and really had me hoping for more.

Killzone 2 is an first person shooters that in my opinion falls short of what it could’ve been story wise but delivers on it’s mechanics and presentation and delivers a great experience that is sure to make you go wow at least once or twice. It is non-stop testosterone driven action that doesn’t fail to capitalize on its many intense action set pieces.