Killzone 2
by Sony Computer Entertainment
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Product Summary
Brand: SonyAudio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Published: 2009-02-27
Release Date: 2009-02-27
Platform: PlayStation 3
Model: 98116
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Product features:
- Assume the first-person perspective of special forces soldier Sev in the assault on Helghan
- Take on an inhospitable planet along with enemies backed by impressive AI
- Experience cinematic effects, smooth animations, and detailed environments full of realistic lighting
- Stay immersed with music and effects rendered in 7.1 surround sound
- Master 11 levels on your own or engage in online play with 2-32 players
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Video Game Reviews of Killzone 2
Customer Review: Shoot them right between their red eyes
Summary: 4 Stars
Unlike most of the gaming community and the press especially, I wasn't overly hyped for Killzone 2. While I admit the trailers looked graphically stunning, the idea of another shooter where I shoot at enemies with a bunch of AI helpers was starting to get a little...old. However since I have a PS3 and a significantly smaller game library compared to my Xbox 360 library, I thought I'd give it a go since practically every PS3 owner will. However the more time I spent with the game, the more that certain issues started to creep up that never seemed to go away. Keep in mind, I wanted to love this game but the things the game does, well...I just couldn't wholeheartedly.
Story: Seeing as how I never played the original, this is just going off the story found in this one. The ISA (Interplanetary Strategic Alliance) has decided to launch an offensive on the Helghast planet of Helghan and capture their leader, Scolar Visari. You play as Sev and go deep into the enemy stronghold/city of Pyrrhus to hopefully cripple the Helghast and become the victor.
From a pacing standpoint, Killzone 2's story excels as the big firefights with you and your partner Garza will be mixed in with larger firefights involving your whole squad, turret guns, tanks and the like. But the characters are rather two-dimensional and aren't really given that much time to show depth. This is a balls-to-the-wall war game so it leaves all that sissy "character development" at home.
Graphics: Right from that first trailer, everyone was floored at the visuals of the game and really showed people the power of the Playstation 3. Playing through the actual game reveals just as much attention to detail and a real sense of atmosphere. This is probably one of the more grimier and all-around colorless shooters around since it just looks so unfriendly. Enemy animations upon death are quite well-done as well (though their poking their heads out when they're in cover's funny) and character animations and designs are great as well. It also starts with a long and awesome cinematic movie meant to look like it was one shot. Kubrick would be proud...if he liked this kind of thing.
Sound/Music: Like many war shooters, Killzone 2's sound is quite phenomenal and the all-around chaos of the battlefield really immerses you and makes you paranoid that an enemy is just waiting to take you down. Explosions and gunfire have a great kick and the score is frequently cinematic and scope and fits perfectly with the level. On the voice acting side, the Helghast's frequent yelling and swearing is amusing though your buddies seem to have a large love for profanity as "s**t" and "f**k" and variations thereof are frequently blurted out. All in all, everything about the sound and music is well-done but the voice acting is just...iffy.
Gameplay: As anyone who's been in war will tell you, it helps to have a really solid team backing you up. Since you help them, they'll help you and stick together, and you win. What impressed me about the AI in Call of Duty IV is that they seemed to kill enemies a lot quicker than I could with my bullet already hitting a dead body. However, in this game the Helghast are fast and furious and your guys? Unhelpful is the word. I can't count how many times I was killed by an enemy they should've killed already. Or when we get ambushed only instead of taking cover, they just run around and stand there and occasionally do a 3-round burst while I'm doing all the legwork. Not to mention some of the level design makes it impossible to adequately take on the enemy. More often than not, I couldn't find a decent place to take cover since it left me exposed to a different group, moving only exposed me to a separate group whereas in games like Call of Duty or Gears of War the level design made it so that it was a reasonable challenge. Here it almost seems unfair. Add to that there's no visual indicator where you're shot so you can go "oh okay, the enemy's on my right" and several times I'd die and go "where the hell was the guy anyway?" I don't want to completely naysay the game on these parts but honestly I can't think of the game and not think of these issues.
The other issue people have is in regards to the controls which have a weird sense of weight to them and almost feel sluggish. To a certain extent I agree and unlike other FPS games, I never felt "comfortable" playing this character where movements were natural. The default setting is a bit strange as well such as being in cover holding L2, leaning to the left or right and pushing in the right analog to aim down the sight which would be okay but I prefer others where you aim using the LT/L2 and fire with RT/R2. Then there's the Circle button acting as your action prompt, the ladder crawls, bomb plantings and such. Whereas in other FPS games this is a dual-layered button with usually X or Square acting not only as reload but action prompts but also the "use item" button. Having melee moved to L1 is a bit different and not as natural as using the Circle or B button on 360 games. Oh yeah and firing a sniper rifle? You have to press in the analog and instead of pressing it again to zoom closer, you have to press Up on the D-pad. While you can change button layouts, it's just not a very intuitive control scheme, particularly when other FPS' seem to have perfected them.
Is there fun in the game? Of course since the gun battles are frequently intense and adrenaline-pumping but the real meat is in the multiplayer. Unlike other multiplayer games such as the Darkness and the recent Riddick game seem to have multiplayer just for the sake of having multiplayer, Killzone 2's MP and its community make it a worthy return-to along the Halo's and Call of Duty's since it's quite fun and probably get more enjoyment out of this mode than the single player. What the multiplayer in Killzone 2 boils down to is its use of badges, or essentially, classes. Want to bring people back to life so they don't respawn at the other end of the map? Be a medic. Want to set up defensive turrets or even repair the standing ones? Be an engineer. Prefer being sneaky and disguise yourself as a member of the other team? Saboteur. And personal favorite, the Scout, which can turn invisible if you don't move and comes equipped with a sniper rifle so you can snipe people halfway across the map and they'll go "who the hell shot me?"
My one complaint is the requirements to get the additional abilities. At times you might find yourself unable to meet the requirements to get the ribbons because not enough people died by a certain thing such as a flying drone or turret etc, I haven't even made a dent in the Close Quarters one which needs a certain amount of melee kills while assassination kills are usually taken by another member of your team or they survive. Also it's not like you level up one class individually, they have to be earned with the Scout being way at the end. It might make some matches not as fun since you can be up against several snipers who have better abilities/set-ups than you do.
Looking at Killzone 2 as a PS3 exclusive makes it a noteworthy game to the Playstation 3's library but as a game I just couldn't get into it as much as I want to. Despite this I'm giving it a 4 star rating since the amount of time and care the game developers took for the game as well as the multiplayer makes it good enough to play but I don't know, guess I was just expecting this to be an absolutely stellar game. Instead, it's just good to great.
Description of Killzone 2
Killzone 2 PS3Get ready to take on the full strength of the Helghast war machine from a dramatic first-person perspective with Killzone 2 for PS3. From Guerilla Games, this much anticipated follow-up to Killzone for PS2 and Killzone: Liberation for PSP drops you right into the boots of battle hardened special forces soldier Sev. Set two years after the aborted Helghast assault on Vekta, the action opens with your ISA Legion squad deployed behind enemy lines on the Helghan's unforgiving home turf.
 Motion blurs and studio-grade special effects bring battle to life. View larger. |
 First-person viewpoints and 7.1 surround sound keep you immersed. View larger. |
 Realistic lighting and detailed environments add a cinematic quality. View larger. |
 Smooth animation and improved AI give the Helghans a terrifying, realistic presence. View larger. |
Despite the smooth character animations and swift-thinking AI behind each individual Helghan, their planet itself may be the most deceptive opponent that you face. Unlike other game environments that serve as nothing more than a visual backdrop, the devastating Helghan climate takes a notable toll. And, worst of all, the Helghans know exactly how to use the planet against you.
The in-your-face perspective comes to life as you take aim with exotic new weapons and mainstays from the previous games, including the M82-G assault rifle. And you can now drive an array of rugged, sometimes strange, vehicles that expand the gruesome possibilities of war.
Guerilla Technology in a Terrifying, Realistic World
Guerrilla's unique visuals and deferred rendering technology ensure that even the ugliest situations on Helghan are beautifully lit. Ambient occlusion and accurate shadow casting from a variety of light sources combine with gritty textures, detailed environments, and studio-grade special effects to help complete the realistic, Hollywood experience of this first-person shooter.
Real-time cutscenes, full-screen anti-aliasing, motion blurs, and internal lens reflections all bring you into the fold and work to maximize the hardware capabilities of the PS3. And the audio experience is no less impressive. 7.1 surround sound capability lend a truly dynamic sound element to your experience, while audio occlusion with wave tracing means that you can hear the difference between indoor and outdoor firefights.
Chaotic Multiplayer Drama Online
While single-player mode lets you take on the unique challenges of 11 fully developed levels, online play lets you engage with up to 32 players at a time, bringing the gritty, realistic chaos of war to a whole new level.
Other multi-player friendly enhancements in Killzone 2 include in-game clan management, a match wagering system, and the ability to integrate new information and track friends and enemies with the community at Killzone.com.
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