Killzone 2
by Sony Computer Entertainment
|
List Price: Our Price: $49.99 You Save: $10.00 (17%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $24.00 (click here) Category: Video Games See more product details |
|---|
Video Game Reviews of Killzone 2
Customer Review: Horrible Multiplayer
Summary: 1 Stars
Have played this game now for a couple of weeks and overall was impressed with the campaign mode. The field of vision is very narrow as opposed to say gears of war.This doesnt really bring the game down too much though.It does get repetitive but than again most games do. When this happens nowadays you simply play the multiplayer. As most PS3 games I didnt have any lag and the menu was quite good.
Whats so horrible than? Well for starters the cover system has been removed from the multiplay component of the game. Think this is no big deal? It really is,the entire game is built around it yet taken out of the multiplay.
So now you just enter games grab weapons and respawn constanly in a field of a dozen of so players hitting you from all sides with guns and grenades.No strategy ,no cover ,very little teamwork and you simply die contsantly respawn charge out and shoot hopefully take down a player or two and than your dead again than nyou respaw.
Frantic action with no thought or startegy,unike gears of war or even call of duty games... Horrible.. Maybe the teams should be less players,put the cover system back in and have smaller maps and it could work but now its just horrible .
Why people can even say the multiplay is fun is beyond me.. Brainless shooting is fun? Wheres the startegy of tracking down your opponents,ducking under cover and working in teams??
Customer Review: Don't shoot till you see the red of their eyes.
Summary: 4 Stars
I was not a fan of the original, but I heard alot of good things about this game and I rented it. Wow was I suprised by how good the campaign was. The graphics are really good, they are dark but that is the feel they were going for. I didn't know alot of the story from the first one but I was able to jump into the action, and the story made alot of sense. This game should have definatly been mentioned for Game of the Year. I don't think it should have won it, but it deserved to be mentioned.
Presentation- The menus are pretty unique. You can move the angle of the menu with the sixaxis. There is some great music as well, along with some pretty good cutscenes, and voice acting. Some of the repetitive phrases while your playing could have been done better, but overall good voice overs. 4.5/5
Graphics- The graphics are amazing, and show just how good a game can look on the PS3 even though it is now nearly a year old. The facial features could have been done a little better, but overall it is stunning to look at. 5/5
Game play- The aiming is a little hard to get used to. It's a little slow to turn, but you get used to it. There is a cover system, but it could be done alittle better. You have to hold the R2 button to stay in cover and it gets annoying having to hold it. In order to aim you have to tap the R3 button. I wish it would have been L1 like Call of Duty. Also there is no grenade indicator. Sometimes it is hard to figure out where you're being hit from, and the enemies sneak up on you, killing you with one punch. None of these issues distract greatly from a fun campaign. On a positive note you are not the center of attention. The AI will actually target your teamates as well, and they will actually fire back and kill the Helghast. There are also alot of weapons to choose from, eventhough you have to keep the pistol at all times which is annoying. You use the sixaxis for setting bombs and opening passageways. I'm glad the motion control is still used on this console. 4/5
Story/Campaign- The story is easy to follow, but that doesn't mean it's any less epic. It has a well developed plot and leaves you wanting more as you wait for Killzone 3. The campaign has alot of different locales that keep it from getting boring. The variety lets you see just how good the graphics engine is with it's various environments. There is never a spot that the action stops. The campaign keeps you sucked in from start to finish. There are a few levels with vehicles which is a nice change of pace. It is somewhat short though and will only take about six hours to beat. It does conclude with an epic boss battle that is the most difficult part of the game. Which it should be. 4.5/5
Fun Factor- This game was a blast all the way through. I could not put it down, and had fun shooting those helghast. 5/5
Lasting Appeal- This game begs to be completed again before the sequal is released. It does only last for six hours at most though. Online gaming is not my cup of tea so that will not keep me playing it. 3/5
The Verdict- This game was well done. How it was not nominated for Game of the Year boggles my mind. One of the best FPSs I've played this year. It did have some control problems, but played well and kept you on the edge of your seat the enitre time. I was never a fan of this series, but I am now.
Overall 4.3
Customer Review: An impressive tech-demo ruined by awful controls
Summary: 3 Stars
Go ahead. Mark my review as "unhelpful" because I'm not giving the PS3's so-called killer app 5-stars. Write comments about how stupid I am or how I just don't get it or how I'm a Microsoft fanboy (never mind the fact that I was scathing in my reviews of both Halo 2 and Halo 3). I really don't care because anyone with a brain will read what I actually have to say, and as someone who has been playing FPS games for almost 15 years now, I think I know a thing or two.
Killzone 2 puts the complex technologies inside the PS3 to amazing use, and the end result is brilliant lighting, detailed textures, and impressive sound. There isn't a lot to criticize when it comes to this game's audio and visual arsenal, as the graphics are killer and the music and sound effects are equally effective if their effect is a bit more subtle. I found myself having to crank the brightness on my TV a bit just because parts of the campaign get so very dark, but that's part of the game's intended feel, so I don't consider that a weakness. The frame-rate is solid, and seems to hover around 30-fps, which isn't fast, but given the visual detail, adequate. I noticed some slow down during larger firefights, but nothing that compromised the ability to play the game. Overall, the game's atmosphere is top-notch.
The campaign itself is also good. The characters are pretty much cardboard, but the real point is shooting stuff. The overall mechanics are a blend of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Gears of War 2, with a cover system coupled with an aim-down-sight system. The cover is essential as the enemy AI is smart enough to use cover, as well as throw frag grenades at you when you try to hide too long, so firefights can get pretty intense. Like Gears or COD4, there's no health bar, so you can take a certain amount of damage before you have to duck out and recover. The missions aren't anything shatteringly new, but they're implemented well enough and their is enough variety that it never drags out like Halo 3.
So what's my major issue with this game? The controls. They are ASTOUNDINGLY bad. Your character controls like a drunken monkey. Like Halo 3, Killzone 2 does that annoying variable sensitivity crap, where when you initially push the right stick to look around, it moves very slowly. Then after a second to being held, it suddenly speeds up. The end result half of the time you see a target, move the stick to look at them, and then right as your crosshair is lining up, the sensitivity suddenly jumps and you end up overshooting your target and missing. The end result is you can neither aim carefully (as it will eventually speed up) or snap around to respond to incoming fire (because it's always initially slow). It's beyond infuriating, and regardless how you mess with the sensitivity or control settings, it's not something you can disable. Coupled with the fact that the game goes a little overboard with the head swaying as you run or jump, and you basically have a recipe for consistent disorientation and difficulty hitting targets. Eventually, given enough time, you'll probably get used to it and learn to adapt to its stupidity. But it's just mind-blowing to me that so much time and effort can be spent on the game's graphics, sounds, and design (which are all great), and then no one had the common sense to raise their hand and say, "Wow, maybe we should do something about these awful controls."
It may seem like I'm being too harsh, but the fact is the controls are essential to playing the game, and good controls are essential to any FPS. Killzone 2's garbage handling genuinely makes it difficult for me to enjoy the rest of the game which is clearly the result of a lot of time, effort, and money. The campaign is good, the multiplayer is fun if a bit generic, and in high-definition with quality speakers it's a genuine assault on your living room (in the best way possible). Is it better than Halo 3? Frankly, I think that's a wrong question because Halo isn't available on PS3 so in that sense doesn't even really compete except on a stupid fanboy level, and because in my opinion Halo isn't even really that good anymore.
The question then is whether or not Killzone 2 is the premier action experience on the PS3, and I'd say no. Modern Warfare 2 may not have quite as much pizazz in its visuals as Killzone 2, but the game's campaign, mechanics, and most importantly, controls, are just so far ahead that they make Killzone look like a kid on crutches trying to race an Olympic athlete through hurdles. And for a single-player experience, Uncharted 2's Tomb Raider/Dirk Pitt mix is such a terrific blast of fun that it's far more memorable and entertaining. Thus, Killzone 2 isn't a bad game by any means and it can be fun if you can adjust to its idiotic controls. But Modern Warfare 2 is a better action shooter than Halo or Killzone, and luckily enough for everyone, it's available on both systems.
Customer Review: The word 'Epic' comes to mind.
Summary: 5 Stars
Playing this game reminds me of the few great FPS moments in the past, such as the original Halo game, the first Half-life, and the first COD (and COD2 Modern Warfare).
The sum it up, the game will leave you breathless -- especially if you play the veteran level+.
The game is gritty, hard and well-paced. If you have played other winning FPS titles, you will see Killzone 2 has combined the best elements from its brethren and cranked up the dials to boil. The chaos you will experience in some of the tight fighting levels will remind you of the beachhead landing level in COD. I have died countless times trying to push back the enemy line while they hold the high ground advantage. The AI and the share fire power on the opposing side will test your resolve, and just when you think the game is about to end, there's another goal to accomplish.
Some areas of improvements (perhaps for next Killzone).
- Unlike Halo and Gears of War, there is no particular memorable characters. I think Killzone can benefit more if there are some characters more memorable like in GOW, Halo.
- The weapons are great, except I have not seen any alternative fire mode. It's hard to imagine advanced weaponries in a story like Killzone don't have any alt-fire mode -- such as launching a grenade from their assault rifles.
- The solder's landing vehicle is laughable and outrageous. The vehicle is basically a floating platform from hell with no strapping harness to speak off. The solders are expected to hold onto the railing with their hands and hope they don't fall off.
- In-game loading time is quite disruptive, especially transitioning from one level to another.
I'm surprised that this game has not been given too much publicity (maybe it's just me), because I can see where their four years of effort went.
- A way to turn off the F-bombs and adjust the gore level. I personally have no problem with the way it is now, but I can see this game can potentially gain a wider audience if there's way to adjust the gore/language settings.
Customer Review: Great game, crappy controls
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros
The game is great. Graphics are stunning; game play pacing is spot on; difficulty is perfect - not too hard, not too easy. One of the best looking and best presented games on the PS3.
Cons
I've read before that the controls were similar to being under water - delayed and unresponsive - and I would have to say that's exactly how the controls are. I spent most of the time trying to correct my aim than actually aiming. Don't fool yourselves with ideas of grandeur about skill or experience with the controls. Go play Call of Duty and then play this game. The aiming delay in this game is horrible.
All in all, the single player campaign was a lot of fun despite the controls.
Should you play it? Definitely.
Is it worth your $50 - $60? No, get it used, or on sale.