My Killzone 2 review (Mostly spoiler free)
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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.
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.
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!"
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.
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.
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.