KILLZONE 2: The Review

KILLZONE 2 is a first person shooter developed by Guerrilla exclusively for the PlayStation 3. It puts players in the shoes of Sev, a Sergeant in the Vektan army on its way to invade the dismal Helghan home world. The game does a great deal towards pushing the idea of current gen gaming to its full potential.

Although not without its faults, KILLZONE 2 breaks new ground with its beautiful graphics, immersive game play and use of the PlayStation 3’s powerful cell processor. It has a powerful, cinematic story that grips players from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until the game is over. In a nutshell, KILLZONE 2 is a must buy for PlayStation 3 owners.

No doubt the first thing that stuck me about KILLZONE 2 was its beautiful graphics and presentation. While playing I couldn’t help but marvel at the level of detail contained in every scene. The shear scope of what plays out from level to level, and the amount of action that is captured as you take in the bleak scenery on Helghan is enough to take any videophile’s breath away.

It was shocking, at first, when I found out that the game runs natively at 720p. I was sure that a game as beautiful as KILLZONE 2 would have to be running in 1080p, but apparently it was a sacrifice the developers chose to make in order to maintain the game’s frame rate. No matter, though. I can’t imagine anybody being disappointed with the visual fidelity in this game.

Along with KILLZONE 2’s graphics, I was extremely impressed with the character A.I. and the context sensitive interactions within the environment. These are two of the aspects that made the game feel so much like a real current gen game. The enemy A.I. was phenomenal. Normally in a first person shooter, bad guys behave much like the gopher games in the arcade. That is to say, they take cover and then stick their heads out to shoot you giving you the perfect opportunity to, instead, shot them. Not in KILLZONE 2. These enemies feel more like living, thinking individuals than I’ve ever seen in a game. They drop, they role, they take cover and they never seem to show their faces in the same place twice. They truly seem to interact with their environment as a real soldier would.

Unfortunately, the advanced A.I. of KILLZONE 2 brings me to my biggest major gripe with the game. The controls are just plain sluggish. When I am playing a game with some of the best enemy A.I. that I have ever seen, the last thing I want to do is waste time with a fickle and slow aiming system. In short, KILLZONE 2’s enemy characters are better than the controller allows you to be. This is a rather frustrating problem, because it causes you to die a lot – and I mean a lot. The controls, while only a part of the game play experience, were the cause of so much anxiety and un-necessary deaths that they cannot simply be over looked.

One of the truly great things about the game was the arsenal of unique weaponry presented throughout. KILLZONE 2 provides you with very little ammo in each section. This, of course, makes it a necessity to constantly swap guns with downed enemies and fallen friends. The game developers reward you for your efforts with a magnificent range of firepower allowing players to hone in on their favorites and use them to tackle levels within their comfort zone.

All in all, KILLZONE 2 is an excellent game. Players who have followed the KILLZONE franchise since the PlayStation 2 days will be very happy with the continuation of the storyline. It was really great to see the new roles that veteran characters like Templar and Rico take on in this new segment of the war with the Helghast. In true KILLZONE style, this new entry draws you in using a wonderful cinematic presentation and takes you on a hellish ride through the ugly side of war. Though control issues will take the wind out of many players’ sails, I believe that those who stick with the game until the end will be extremely satisfied.

Order KILLZONE 2 for PS3 on Amazon.com.

[HTML1]