Exhaustive FPS that tests your patience as much as your trigger.
Killzone 2 delivers an adrenaline-fueled, photorealistic sci-fi battlefield with a sizeable single-player campaign and deep multiplayer offering. It easily sits atop the PS3 shooter lineup alongside CoD 4 and MW2.
But my word is this game exhausting.
I can appreciate a challenging, balls-to-the-wall FPS slugfest. Killzone 2 certainly doesn't pull any punches. This is a meathead space marine shooter that will punish you if you're not patient and methodical. Your only way to stay alive is by working your way around cover and quickly taking out wave upon wave of smartly-designed opponents from all angles. And even then you'll still die a lot.
But it's tough to play KZ2 during any lengthy stretches of time. There's just no letting up. Nearly every firefight is an extended pitfight with entrenched enemies in debris-covered warehouse spaces or fortified bunkers and scaffolding. A decent variety of weaponry keeps the carnage interesting, and several turret-style sequences help break up the pace. But for the most part, you're consistently fighting tooth and nail on-foot in a wide swath of urban destruction with no cheap wins or easy victories.
It's unfortunate a PC version of KZ2 isn't possible, because much of the fatigue would be lessened simply with the fluid accuracy of K / M controls. The sheer volume of shooting is relentless, and constantly fudging the aim or toggling your iron-sights on the DualShock analog sticks drains you in an already demanding FPS.
KZ2 certainly won't win any points for character or story, serving up a boilerplate space marine adventure that consists entirely of defending a checkpoint, attacking enemy position, and navigating through hostile territory. It's not a huge detraction simply because the action and environment is so overwhelmingly immersive, there's barely any room for a story. The combat is the story. The open-ended pitched battles are the story. The extensive multiplayer is the story. A few squadmates accompany you throughout the game, but the personalities are extremely generic and forgettable. Their aim isn't much better, as you'll routinely need to resolve battles yourself. It can be frustrating to feel like you're doing everything yourself while in the middle of a tough firefight, but ultimately the gameplay is better for it by forcing you to finish the combat rather than watching AI squadmates play the game for you.
All in all, Killzone 2 is a remarkable achievement in level design, environmental graphics, close-quarters combat and visceral thrills. It can be a tough game to play with a controller, which is the game's biggest (and unfortunate) drawback. If you have a gaming PC, you'll be pining for the simplicity of K / M controls, but otherwise in awe of the game's notable achievements.
But my word is this game exhausting.
I can appreciate a challenging, balls-to-the-wall FPS slugfest. Killzone 2 certainly doesn't pull any punches. This is a meathead space marine shooter that will punish you if you're not patient and methodical. Your only way to stay alive is by working your way around cover and quickly taking out wave upon wave of smartly-designed opponents from all angles. And even then you'll still die a lot.
But it's tough to play KZ2 during any lengthy stretches of time. There's just no letting up. Nearly every firefight is an extended pitfight with entrenched enemies in debris-covered warehouse spaces or fortified bunkers and scaffolding. A decent variety of weaponry keeps the carnage interesting, and several turret-style sequences help break up the pace. But for the most part, you're consistently fighting tooth and nail on-foot in a wide swath of urban destruction with no cheap wins or easy victories.
It's unfortunate a PC version of KZ2 isn't possible, because much of the fatigue would be lessened simply with the fluid accuracy of K / M controls. The sheer volume of shooting is relentless, and constantly fudging the aim or toggling your iron-sights on the DualShock analog sticks drains you in an already demanding FPS.
KZ2 certainly won't win any points for character or story, serving up a boilerplate space marine adventure that consists entirely of defending a checkpoint, attacking enemy position, and navigating through hostile territory. It's not a huge detraction simply because the action and environment is so overwhelmingly immersive, there's barely any room for a story. The combat is the story. The open-ended pitched battles are the story. The extensive multiplayer is the story. A few squadmates accompany you throughout the game, but the personalities are extremely generic and forgettable. Their aim isn't much better, as you'll routinely need to resolve battles yourself. It can be frustrating to feel like you're doing everything yourself while in the middle of a tough firefight, but ultimately the gameplay is better for it by forcing you to finish the combat rather than watching AI squadmates play the game for you.
All in all, Killzone 2 is a remarkable achievement in level design, environmental graphics, close-quarters combat and visceral thrills. It can be a tough game to play with a controller, which is the game's biggest (and unfortunate) drawback. If you have a gaming PC, you'll be pining for the simplicity of K / M controls, but otherwise in awe of the game's notable achievements.
