Review: Killzone 2

Game: Killzone 2
Format: PS3
Developer: Guerilla Games
Publisher: SCEE

I know this game has been out for a while, but with all the new DLC and the news that it will be soon released as a Platinum edition, we might just see a few new owners popping up. Also, I think its important to look at games a while into their life-span. How are they holding up after the initial release-day excitement?

The basic premise of the game is that the red-eyed Helghast are malicious space-Nazis that have been wreaking inter-stellar havoc for some time now. The ISA are the nice, shiny good guys that have had enough and take the fight to the Helghast on their home planet of Helghan. The plan is to capture their leader – Visari and give him a ruddy good telling off.

Single Player campaign

You star as Sev – a bloody good soldier who forms part of Alpha squad. You run through the rest of the game accompanied by AI controlled squad-mates killing anyone with the aforementioned red-eye and blowing up lots of things. Job done. What? You want more? Fine!

The graphics are amazing, particularly the environmental effects. Personally, I felt that at times things were a little too dark, but this is easily rectified through the games visual settings. I suggest that you play this game either at night, or at least with the curtains drawn. The game boasts destructible environments, but nothing on the scale of a game like Red Faction: Guerrilla. Concrete will fall off columns and walls, but the core will remain intact – you can’t blow a hole in anything really. One way that this dynamic does affect game play is with random, incidental objects that litter the levels. Yes, there are the typical “I’m painted red, so that must mean I explode” barrels but there are smaller, less obvious items that can be used. You can explode petrol canisters, there are extinguishers and compressed gas tanks laying around that you can shoot and turn into a wild rocket. Shooting the valve off a canister is particularly enjoyable as it will then fly around aimlessly as the gas escapes before exploding and causing havoc.

The sound in the game works really well. It’s very atmospheric and utilizes surround sound very nicely. Listen out for audio cues to tell where your opponents are. Sometimes the dialog gets a little annoying – either through repetitive “Oh, that’s nasty” exclamations as you shoot a Helghast grunt in the face, or the constant – “get to cover Sev!” when you start to take fire.

The weapons in the game are varied and particularly satisfying. Your have a primary weapons have the most variety. The standard issue ISA rifle is extremely versatile and arguably the best all-round weapon in the game with excellent accuracy over range as well as great, close-quarters stopping power. Throughout the game there is plenty of opportunity to pick up extra weapons of standard fare (Heavy machine guns, shotguns etc) but there are also some superbly fantastic firearms on offer. The Boltgun is absolutely my favourite. Think of it as an exploding nail-gun. If you hit a Helghan soldier with this baby they will fly across the screen and find themselves bolted to the nearest wall. If that wasn’t enough, after a couple of seconds, the bolt pinning them there will explode with enough force so as to take out anyone in the immediate vicinity. You also carry a pistol, which, rather fortuitously, you have an endless supply of ammo for. Additionally you carry standard grenades (you can pick up the Helghan’s electro-shock grenades later in the game) and knife that Crocodile Dundee would be proud of. Using the knife is particularly satisfying as it is accompanied by some rather visceral and convincing sound effects.

The environments are varied and interesting and you get a real, tangible sense of warfare. The character movement is realistically heavy, but for my money, where the single player really shines is with the opposition AI. The Helghast really don’t want to die. You can tell that they are doing everything they can to kill you whilst preserving their own lives. They dive for cover whenever you draw a line on them. They will try and pop out from cover to take a shot, but if you start firing back they will fire blindly holding their weapon above their head. They will run from you if it looks like you’re getting the upper hand. They will run for their lives if you lob a grenade. I have heard many that cite KZ2’s story as a weakness, but I honestly don’t see it. Sure, it’s not going to win an Oscar, but the story was decent and moved along nicely. The AI controlled Rico can get a little annoying at times, but overall it’s a gritty, war torn environment and the story reflects this. In particular, the ending of the game was great and honestly made me think twice about everything I knew of the whole Killzone franchise. The final showdown is very tough and will definitely need a little patience to get through but it is really worth it.

Multiplayer – Warzone.

The Multiplayer version of the game is clearly where Killzone 2 stands out from the rest. You start as a lowly private and gradually move through the ranks, on a points based system, unlocking new weapons, abilities and benefits as you go. Points are earned, at the most basic level, by killing enemies, however to really rake in the points you should really pay attention to the current missions objectives. Fulfilling these objectives will grant the player extra points over those who just run around killing everyone. You do not tie yourself in to a particular class though, as every time you die, you can chose to re-spawn as a different class.

Bodycount: It’s the ISA against the Helghast in a full out war. The team that reaches the pre-determined kill-count first is the winner. This one is fairly straight forward and you receive extra points for filling body bags.

Assassination: One player in the game is designated an assassination target and the team-mates must do everything they can to protect him for a given amount of time. There is a designated area within which the target must stay. If he wanders outside the area, then the survival clock is paused and the objective will not be achieved. The opposition (obviously) has to kill the target before the time limit is reached. This is then flipped, so the defending team will then become the hunters as roles are reversed.

Search and Destroy: This is my favourite mission type by far. Each team takes it in turn to place C4 explosives on an objective in the enemies half of the map. Easy huh? Not quite. There is a clock ticking and the objective must be destroyed within that time limit. To destroy the objective, you must place two C4 charges, but each charge takes several seconds to set, during which time you’re particularly vulnerable. Once the explosives are placed, a countdown begins. If the defending team can diffuse one or both C4 charges, the clock is stopped.

Capture and Hold: In this mission you have to take strategic positions on the map. There are three on each map which are captured by being within the vicinity for a period of time. The more of you there are, the quicker each position is captured. You then have to defend the position for as long as possible.

Search and Retrieve: One at a time, Propaganda Speakers spawn across the map. It is then a race for your team to get to the spawn point and return the speaker to a delivery point – normally inside the opposing half of the map.

Each of these missions actually occur seamlessly within one game, with no need to come out and go back in again. If you set up to host a game, there are so many customizable options. You can pick and chose which missions you want to include (you don’t have to have them all) as well as time limits etc. You can also elect to ban certain classes or weapons, limit the player count or create password protected game rooms so you can enjoy a game with friends without worrying about random people coming in and spoiling your fun.

The class system is, in my opinion, excellent. There are ranks in between each class which unlock bonuses like extra weapons and increased ammo, but the real fun comes when you unlock class badges. Each class has a primary ability, with a secondary ability that can be unlocked by using the primary abilities to certain levels. The first main class is the medic who has the ability to revive fallen allies. Following on from there, you have the Engineer, Tactician, Assault, Saboteur and Scout, with the latter wielding a sniper rifle and being able to cloak. If you achieve a certain level with each classes secondary ability, you can then mix and match to create super-soldiers. Personally I enjoy walking around as a cloaked scout using the Saboteurs ability to place proximity mines in the midst of the opposition.

The maps in the game are, in almost every case, amazing. There is a fantastic choice of map size, with each being incredibly well balanced. Each map has strategically strong positions, without being outright broken – everywhere is accessible to both Helghast and ISA alike. One thing I have come across in random online Bodycount matches is that there seems to be an element of Spawn Camping – where the opponents will sit directly outside of your spawn point and try to kill you as soon as you come back to life. This really shouldn’t be an issue though as each “home base” has several routes out. Also once you unlock the Tactician class you can drop Spawn Grenades anywhere on the map which gives your team an alternative spawn opportunity. The basic game gives you eight maps, which offer more than enough variety, but Guerrilla have release another six maps in downloadable content, each map easily worth the money.

It’s not all roses for Killzone 2 though as there are some notable downsides. In the campaign mode, there is no co-op at all, which given the nature of the story (you’re constantly playing with a squad mate), seems a little strange. The final boss battle is frustrating, as the difficulty takes a massive leap off the curve. Finally, the one drawback of the multiplayer game is that you cannot utilize the cover mechanic that is so vital during the campaign mode. I honestly don’t understand its omission. Other than that, the game is superb and is an essential purchase for any PS3 owner – especially as it’s about to be released in a Platinum edition.

Review Round Up

Graphics: 5/5 – Superb, some of the best I’ve ever seen.
Sound: 4/5 – Awesome music and effects, although Rico’s banter gets annoying.
Gameplay: 4/5 – The inclusion of cover in multiplayer would make it perfect.
Longevity: 5/5 – Superb online support and top quality DLC

Overall: 4 Headshots out of 5 – This is one of the PS3’s best titles and an essential purchase for all.

[starreview tpl=16]

Price guide (prices correct as of 08-Sep-09)

• Zavvi: £14.95 – Platinum Edition
• The Hut: £15.73 – Platinum Edition
• Sendit: £15.89 – Platinum Edition
• Play: £17.99 – Platinum Edition
• Amazon: £19.99 – Platinum Edition
• Game: £29.99 – Platinum not available at time of writing

Tags: kamiza, Killzone 2, Playstation, PS3, Review, scee

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