My Killzone 2 review (Mostly spoiler free)

Note: This is a review I did for my fellow clan members of THE SYNDICATE. I have finished the single player, and have played all objectives of MP in all maps with bots. I will also try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. I hope you find this informative. Please let me know what you think, i'll be happy with either comments or brickbats. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I was not sure how to add a review on the KZ2 page, or to my own page, so I thought i'd put it up here. Thanks.
----------------------------------------

For the last 4 years, Killzone 2 has been the subject of great interest and intense speculation in the media. People have held widely divergent views on it (sometimes depending upon their console of choice) ever since that infamous E3 2005 reveal video. PS3 owners have assigned unimaginable hopes to it... Xbox 360 owners have reviled it as being nothing more than a pretty boy. Who is right? Have Guerrilla Games broken the bank, or have they fallen short? Read on to find out.

I have played the retail version till completion, and can unequivocally state that this game will have the majority of my playing time for the foreseeable future. I cannot speak for anyone else, and reviews are an inherently subjective vessel through which to channel our thoughts, but Killzone 2 has satisfied every craving I have felt. Killzone 2 fully satisfied my already high expectations, and then proceeded to beat them into a bloody pulp with an overwhelming deluge of quality. Everything from graphics to gameplay, from the single player set pieces to the multiplayer maps, from the character classes to the Helghan planet, is well realized and tweaked to perfection.

Presentation: 

Killzone 2 blows the competition out of the water. Nothing on the PS3, or any other console (except arguably Crysis on a high end PC) can match the graphical power of Killzone 2. It is an absolute beast in this department, chugging along at an almost perfect 30fps framerate. There is a minor loading time, generally a second at best, for new sections of the level. People can always argue that having an install would have solved the problem, but we cant be sure about that. Either way, this is the system that GG went with, and for those who arent completely nitpicky and just want to enjoy the game, this shouldnt be a problem. It wasnt for me. For those who have played the demo, I envy you, because the beauty of the environments ratchets up considerably after that. Your eyes will bleed tears of joy.

 

Two levels in particular, Suljeva Village (towards the middle) and Visari Palace (the last level), are so incredible to look at that I had to remind myself again and again to stop staring at the vistas and start shooting, or I would be Helghast fodder in no time. Nothing can prepare you for the first time you see the wind blowing through the village level in multiplayer, with the dirt in the air swirling around you. It completely blew my mind. The urban levels are rich in level design, with many set pieces having multiple paths which can be taken.

 

Also, if you do not have a surround sound system yet, you should definitely think about getting one. I use a Logitech z-5500 myself, being a poor college student and all, but it does the job admirably, and can be found cheap online. Playing Killzone 2 in surround sound actually reminded me of the brilliant 5.1 usage of MGS4. While there arent as many distinct sounds coming from various speakers, the feeling of dread which they are able to generate, or the feeling of adrenaline rushing through you as you hear the music ramping up in an indication of the coming battle, the clangs all around you which signify the beginning of the battle with the Heavy... This game is truly worth playing with a 5.1 (or if you can, a 7.1!) system in place.

Gameplay:

Dear God... How do I even begin describing the gameplay? It is one of the most fun fps experiences I have had till date. The weapons variety is great, though if you are like me, you will find yourself coming back to the default M82 assault rifle, as it is so balanced yet powerful at the same time. The grenades have a visual indicator as well as a sound to notify you of when its cooked, or when one has been thrown near you (this is again one of the places where a 5.1 system is mighty handy). From beginning till end, the action never stops, though there are subtle ebbs and flows in the game design. The checkpoint system is quite forgiving (except at the end... grrr), and you dont find yourself having to play through the same thing over and over again that often. There are 10 levels, each decently timed, and you could probably finish the game in about 7-10 hours, depending on which level of difficulty you play at. I played at the easiest, and it took me around 7 hours and 18 minutes.

 

This game takes stat tracking very seriously... You can see at a glance which level you died most in, how many helghast did you kill with each weapon, how many helghast soldier types have you meleed etc etc. Of course, as Nukewarm posted earlier, the MP is also getting its own set of stat tracking features, including Battle Replay, which should make for some extremely fun and engaging clan fights! But all this is absolutely pointless. These are just bulletpoints at the back of the game. I could talk about the checklist to be ticked all day long, and it would mean nothing if I didnt tell you about the biggest, baddest feature of the gameplay of Killzone 2. The one respect in which Killzone 2 is heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd of FPS shooters is its sheer... INTENSITY.

You will not be able to put the controller down. You will not be able to let go. You wont be able to stay in cover too long, because the AI of the Helghast is superb, and they will flush you out with grenades and shock troopers who charge directly at you, taking you completely unawares. I cannot stop raving about how incredible the fights are... each one different... each fight has something special... sometimes the helghast will do something which might shock you... During one of the fights, I was pinned down behind cover with 4 Helghast shooting at me. I was expecting them to throw a grenade at me to make me get out of my cover, but they didnt. Two Helghast kept alternately shooting at me, with one shooting till his clip was empty, then the other shooting while the first reloaded. After about 10 seconds of this, the sudden realization hit me! Holy **bleep**... they were using covering fire... but that must mean... By the time I figured it out, I was dead. Another helghast had sneaked up on me, going from cover to cover, and I was so engaged with the other two that I didnt pay him the attention I should have. As I fell down after being knifed... I could see his glowing eyes... and I heard "**bleep** you, ISA scum!"

 

I was floored. Here was a game which was actively thinking and coming up with new strategies. No two firefights ever play out the same, because the Helghast have amazing AI, not only individually, but also apparently as a group. There was another instance when I was forcefully reminded of this, of helghast with different weapons working together (two with LMG's, making it difficult to get out of cover, one with a flamethrower, making it impossible to dash to a different cover, and another taking pot shots from far away with a mother**bleep**ing rocket launcher, making it impossible to survive.) It was draining, it was incredible, it was exhilarating, it filled me with a joy that I cannot express. It made me glad to be a gamer again.

Multiplayer:

As the servers are still offline, I have only played the skirmish mode (same as regular warzone i.e. online multiplayer, only its offline and played with bots.) Its feature set is brilliantly conceived, and should provide months of replayability. There are different character classes (assault, medic, engineer, saboteur, scout etc) and they all have primary as well as secondary abilities. The more points you score, the higher your ranking, and the more classes you unlock (I believe the highest is Scout, at 2800 points). The best part is that you can mix and match the abilities. So you could be an assault class with the secondary ability of a medic, or a saboteur with the secondary ability of a scout. The possibilities really are endless.

 

The maps are a sight to behold. They are vast, with lots of nooks and crannies, yet none of them big enough to qualify as a campers paradise. Good snipers will enjoy the maps, but they should watch their back, as the maps are really well balanced and good camping spots might have 2 or even 3 ways to reach them. Almost all maps have a lot of verticality to them, which adds a lot to overall enjoyment. The changing of the objective on the fly is also a brilliant addition to this genre, as it forces you to come up with a new strategy in seconds. Good clans with well oiled squads who compliment each other will absolutely love this. Think of Killzone 2 as the perfect balance between Resistance 2 and Socom... fast, yet tactical. I cant go back to either of those games now, because Killzone 2 has spoiled me rotten.

Oh, and did I say that there is pretty much no downgrading of graphics when you go from Single Player to Multi Player? Yeah. There isnt. Same graphics quality, rock solid frame rate, 32 player mayhem going on. It will melt your face.

Negatives:

No game is perfect (unless we are talking about MGS4, hehe) and Killzone 2 has its fair share of problems. The biggest concerns might be about its control issues. There is a certain weight attached to the gun and to the player, thereby making aiming and moving a little sluggish. If you are used to COD4 controls (I was), you will certainly face some difficult and disorientation the first time you play Killzone 2. I would suggest going with the default control set up as well as the default sensitivity, as they seem best suited for the controlled burst fire and precision shooting this game will require, but if you simply cannot adjust, then the Alt 2 configuration might work for you. Those are COD4 controls. You can also toggle the hold-to-zoom option if you so prefer. But take my advice, at least try out the default setup. Having played with both setups, you will find yourself getting more and more comfortable with the default setup over a period of time, and soon it will become second nature. Aah... the joys of perfectly placing a shot and seeing a Helghast soldier get decapitated.

 

Another area in which Killzone 2 seems lacking is the lack of co-op. Now I know the developers have said time and again that they werent looking at it, but it still seems like such a no-brainer to me. Most of the campaign is played with one or more of your ISA buddies, so why not just let another player join in? I understand the concerns of rendering another screen for the new player, but how about Online only Co-op? Even that would be preferable. My mind explodes at the possibilities of playing with another player and taking on the boss fights. Its a missed opportunity in my opinion, but I certainly dont think it is big issue for me. Finally, the dialogue and storyline could have used some streamlining. The actions of a certain individual (who shall remain nameless, as I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible) will infuriate you. I would also have loved to see the Killzone 2 time line and story line on the disc. The backstory of the game is absolutely brilliant, and it will make you see the game in a new light. The ISA arent all good, and the Helghast arent all evil. The extremely rich and layered backstory for the Killzone universe would have been a welcome addition to the disc, and should have been tied in more into this game. But again, this isnt really a game breaker. I just think it would have made the experience more immersive, and its another missed opportunity by the developers. (If you havent yet read the backstory to the Killzone universe, I sincerely urge you to do so now. You will be pleasantly surprised at the depth of the conflict, how it began, the various twists and turns. It is truly some incredible writing by Iain Howe.)


Final Thoughts:

If you own a PS3, you owe it to yourself to buy Killzone 2. It is the true standard bearer for the next generation of FPS games. It raises the bar not only in terms and graphics, polish and presentation, but also in its gameplay and MP features. The negatives dont detract from the main game in any sense, and it is definitely worth paying full price. This is the best game to come out so far this year, and is doubtless going to be the main contender for shooter of the year. If this is the quality of titles which are going to come out for the PS3 in 2009, I think we are all going to have an absolutely amazing year. Killzone 2... You have completely won me over.

Note: This is a review I did for my fellow clan members of THE SYNDICATE. I have finished the single player, and have played all objectives of MP in all maps with bots. I will also try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. I hope you find this informative. Please let me know what you think, i'll be happy with either comments or brickbats. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I was not sure how to add a review on the KZ2 page, or to my own page, so I thought i'd put it up here. Thanks.
----------------------------------------

For the last 4 years, Killzone 2 has been the subject of great interest and intense speculation in the media. People have held widely divergent views on it (sometimes depending upon their console of choice) ever since that infamous E3 2005 reveal video. PS3 owners have assigned unimaginable hopes to it... Xbox 360 owners have reviled it as being nothing more than a pretty boy. Who is right? Have Guerrilla Games broken the bank, or have they fallen short? Read on to find out.

I have played the retail version till completion, and can unequivocally state that this game will have the majority of my playing time for the foreseeable future. I cannot speak for anyone else, and reviews are an inherently subjective vessel through which to channel our thoughts, but Killzone 2 has satisfied every craving I have felt. Killzone 2 fully satisfied my already high expectations, and then proceeded to beat them into a bloody pulp with an overwhelming deluge of quality. Everything from graphics to gameplay, from the single player set pieces to the multiplayer maps, from the character classes to the Helghan planet, is well realized and tweaked to perfection.

Presentation: 

Killzone 2 blows the competition out of the water. Nothing on the PS3, or any other console (except arguably Crysis on a high end PC) can match the graphical power of Killzone 2. It is an absolute beast in this department, chugging along at an almost perfect 30fps framerate. There is a minor loading time, generally a second at best, for new sections of the level. People can always argue that having an install would have solved the problem, but we cant be sure about that. Either way, this is the system that GG went with, and for those who arent completely nitpicky and just want to enjoy the game, this shouldnt be a problem. It wasnt for me. For those who have played the demo, I envy you, because the beauty of the environments ratchets up considerably after that. Your eyes will bleed tears of joy.

 

Two levels in particular, Suljeva Village (towards the middle) and Visari Palace (the last level), are so incredible to look at that I had to remind myself again and again to stop staring at the vistas and start shooting, or I would be Helghast fodder in no time. Nothing can prepare you for the first time you see the wind blowing through the village level in multiplayer, with the dirt in the air swirling around you. It completely blew my mind. The urban levels are rich in level design, with many set pieces having multiple paths which can be taken.

 

Also, if you do not have a surround sound system yet, you should definitely think about getting one. I use a Logitech z-5500 myself, being a poor college student and all, but it does the job admirably, and can be found cheap online. Playing Killzone 2 in surround sound actually reminded me of the brilliant 5.1 usage of MGS4. While there arent as many distinct sounds coming from various speakers, the feeling of dread which they are able to generate, or the feeling of adrenaline rushing through you as you hear the music ramping up in an indication of the coming battle, the clangs all around you which signify the beginning of the battle with the Heavy... This game is truly worth playing with a 5.1 (or if you can, a 7.1!) system in place.

Gameplay:

Dear God... How do I even begin describing the gameplay? It is one of the most fun fps experiences I have had till date. The weapons variety is great, though if you are like me, you will find yourself coming back to the default M82 assault rifle, as it is so balanced yet powerful at the same time. The grenades have a visual indicator as well as a sound to notify you of when its cooked, or when one has been thrown near you (this is again one of the places where a 5.1 system is mighty handy). From beginning till end, the action never stops, though there are subtle ebbs and flows in the game design. The checkpoint system is quite forgiving (except at the end... grrr), and you dont find yourself having to play through the same thing over and over again that often. There are 10 levels, each decently timed, and you could probably finish the game in about 7-10 hours, depending on which level of difficulty you play at. I played at the easiest, and it took me around 7 hours and 18 minutes.

 

This game takes stat tracking very seriously... You can see at a glance which level you died most in, how many helghast did you kill with each weapon, how many helghast soldier types have you meleed etc etc. Of course, as Nukewarm posted earlier, the MP is also getting its own set of stat tracking features, including Battle Replay, which should make for some extremely fun and engaging clan fights! But all this is absolutely pointless. These are just bulletpoints at the back of the game. I could talk about the checklist to be ticked all day long, and it would mean nothing if I didnt tell you about the biggest, baddest feature of the gameplay of Killzone 2. The one respect in which Killzone 2 is heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd of FPS shooters is its sheer... INTENSITY.

You will not be able to put the controller down. You will not be able to let go. You wont be able to stay in cover too long, because the AI of the Helghast is superb, and they will flush you out with grenades and shock troopers who charge directly at you, taking you completely unawares. I cannot stop raving about how incredible the fights are... each one different... each fight has something special... sometimes the helghast will do something which might shock you... During one of the fights, I was pinned down behind cover with 4 Helghast shooting at me. I was expecting them to throw a grenade at me to make me get out of my cover, but they didnt. Two Helghast kept alternately shooting at me, with one shooting till his clip was empty, then the other shooting while the first reloaded. After about 10 seconds of this, the sudden realization hit me! Holy **bleep**... they were using covering fire... but that must mean... By the time I figured it out, I was dead. Another helghast had sneaked up on me, going from cover to cover, and I was so engaged with the other two that I didnt pay him the attention I should have. As I fell down after being knifed... I could see his glowing eyes... and I heard "**bleep** you, ISA scum!"

 

I was floored. Here was a game which was actively thinking and coming up with new strategies. No two firefights ever play out the same, because the Helghast have amazing AI, not only individually, but also apparently as a group. There was another instance when I was forcefully reminded of this, of helghast with different weapons working together (two with LMG's, making it difficult to get out of cover, one with a flamethrower, making it impossible to dash to a different cover, and another taking pot shots from far away with a mother**bleep**ing rocket launcher, making it impossible to survive.) It was draining, it was incredible, it was exhilarating, it filled me with a joy that I cannot express. It made me glad to be a gamer again.

Multiplayer:

As the servers are still offline, I have only played the skirmish mode (same as regular warzone i.e. online multiplayer, only its offline and played with bots.) Its feature set is brilliantly conceived, and should provide months of replayability. There are different character classes (assault, medic, engineer, saboteur, scout etc) and they all have primary as well as secondary abilities. The more points you score, the higher your ranking, and the more classes you unlock (I believe the highest is Scout, at 2800 points). The best part is that you can mix and match the abilities. So you could be an assault class with the secondary ability of a medic, or a saboteur with the secondary ability of a scout. The possibilities really are endless.

 

The maps are a sight to behold. They are vast, with lots of nooks and crannies, yet none of them big enough to qualify as a campers paradise. Good snipers will enjoy the maps, but they should watch their back, as the maps are really well balanced and good camping spots might have 2 or even 3 ways to reach them. Almost all maps have a lot of verticality to them, which adds a lot to overall enjoyment. The changing of the objective on the fly is also a brilliant addition to this genre, as it forces you to come up with a new strategy in seconds. Good clans with well oiled squads who compliment each other will absolutely love this. Think of Killzone 2 as the perfect balance between Resistance 2 and Socom... fast, yet tactical. I cant go back to either of those games now, because Killzone 2 has spoiled me rotten.

Oh, and did I say that there is pretty much no downgrading of graphics when you go from Single Player to Multi Player? Yeah. There isnt. Same graphics quality, rock solid frame rate, 32 player mayhem going on. It will melt your face.

Negatives:

No game is perfect (unless we are talking about MGS4, hehe) and Killzone 2 has its fair share of problems. The biggest concerns might be about its control issues. There is a certain weight attached to the gun and to the player, thereby making aiming and moving a little sluggish. If you are used to COD4 controls (I was), you will certainly face some difficult and disorientation the first time you play Killzone 2. I would suggest going with the default control set up as well as the default sensitivity, as they seem best suited for the controlled burst fire and precision shooting this game will require, but if you simply cannot adjust, then the Alt 2 configuration might work for you. Those are COD4 controls. You can also toggle the hold-to-zoom option if you so prefer. But take my advice, at least try out the default setup. Having played with both setups, you will find yourself getting more and more comfortable with the default setup over a period of time, and soon it will become second nature. Aah... the joys of perfectly placing a shot and seeing a Helghast soldier get decapitated.

 

Another area in which Killzone 2 seems lacking is the lack of co-op. Now I know the developers have said time and again that they werent looking at it, but it still seems like such a no-brainer to me. Most of the campaign is played with one or more of your ISA buddies, so why not just let another player join in? I understand the concerns of rendering another screen for the new player, but how about Online only Co-op? Even that would be preferable. My mind explodes at the possibilities of playing with another player and taking on the boss fights. Its a missed opportunity in my opinion, but I certainly dont think it is big issue for me. Finally, the dialogue and storyline could have used some streamlining. The actions of a certain individual (who shall remain nameless, as I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible) will infuriate you. I would also have loved to see the Killzone 2 time line and story line on the disc. The backstory of the game is absolutely brilliant, and it will make you see the game in a new light. The ISA arent all good, and the Helghast arent all evil. The extremely rich and layered backstory for the Killzone universe would have been a welcome addition to the disc, and should have been tied in more into this game. But again, this isnt really a game breaker. I just think it would have made the experience more immersive, and its another missed opportunity by the developers. (If you havent yet read the backstory to the Killzone universe, I sincerely urge you to do so now. You will be pleasantly surprised at the depth of the conflict, how it began, the various twists and turns. It is truly some incredible writing by Iain Howe.)


Final Thoughts:

If you own a PS3, you owe it to yourself to buy Killzone 2. It is the true standard bearer for the next generation of FPS games. It raises the bar not only in terms and graphics, polish and presentation, but also in its gameplay and MP features. The negatives dont detract from the main game in any sense, and it is definitely worth paying full price. This is the best game to come out so far this year, and is doubtless going to be the main contender for shooter of the year. If this is the quality of titles which are going to come out for the PS3 in 2009, I think we are all going to have an absolutely amazing year. Killzone 2... You have completely won me over.