Killzone 2

Killzone 2. Where to start? in terms of technical achievement, it's unbeatable. The setup is revealed in a pretty impressive cinematic that has you pumped up and ready to take the fight to the "Helghast" - essentially intergalactic British Nazis led by fascist dictator Brian Cox and his lapdog, a smarmy git of a general who, upon speaking for the first time, will have you thinking "ooh that's thingy, what's he from again?"!

You start the game by waking up, bleary-eyed in your bunk aboard a fairly impressive spaceship at the start of yet another D-day recreation (only THIS TIME your in a spaceship and THIS time the landing craft are hovering impractical transport craft things and THIS TIME the Nazi's aren't actually Nazis, they just LOOK like future-Nazis) where the game does it's level best to impress you. As you follow your squad-mate through it's corridors, the graphics and atmosphere dazzle you immediately -the planet below looks natural and the sight of space cruisers bearing down on the hostile world below is almost breathtaking. Every detailed surface is polished and well-designed, and put through filters that make you feel like you're looking through a genuine pair of human eyeballs. This, combined with the controls and movement - which do take some getting used to - gives you an unparallelled feeling of immersion that shooters nowadays sorely lack. Your average COD fan is going to have a few problems adjusting here, as the somewhat sluggish, weighty movements of the player character and the incredibly tough, bullet-resistant Helghast mix with other game play elements to create a challenge that requires a bit more thought and skill than simple fast reflexes and an itchy trigger finger. The fights are fantastic and tactics come into play far more than in most modern-day cinematic shooters. The player can expect to be surrounded by hostile forces. Once again, a COD fan will have difficulties here, as the foes in this game will not simply run out and shoot like moving targets with guns attached, but will take cover often, distract, flank, and suppress you and your allies, making for a unique challenge. When I played through this, I was impressed as I moved through the game and eagerly did battle with any Helghast that stood in my way. But as much fun as I had with this,there is a crippling problem with this game.

As soon as you meet your squad mates (specifically Shaun Natco, voiced by Noah lee Margotts) you instantly feel like killing every last one of them for being a million times more unlikeable than any of your enemies. it doesn't stop there, either: he story has literally zero bite, giving you no reason to care. Luckily, a game can still be driven along by the atmosphere and game play itself, and this is where Killzone exceeds, so a shooter fan can have a good deal of fun with it. But how did the people behind this game end up putting so much effort into the graphics, controls and atmosphere without a single one of them thinking "oh, hang on, we forgot the coherent plot and the likable characters and the motivations behind their actions and any reason for the player to give a damn about what's going on"?

So that's Killzone 2, then. The story continues being barely a faint glimmer of motivation and reason behind the characters and events, the characters themselves, with the exception of perhaps Pertwee's Radec and Marshall's Templar, are unlikeable and 1-dimensional. I honestly became more attached to the faceless legions of generic cannon-fodder allies that were destined to die in various detailed and realistic ways, at least THOSE guys were helpful, kept their heads down and acted like real people. They, unlike the characters I was supposed to give a damn about, were mercifully freed from the idiocy of whoever wrote the story for this. Killzone 2's ambition is marred by it's failure to nail a fundamental aspect of a good game - good writing. I've heard people defend this by saying that it's "just a game" but you can look at plenty of other titles, many of them much older than this, if you want an example of a great game with great writing driving it along. Killzone 2 could have been so much more, it's intriguing premise of humanity fighting a mutated version of itself and the story of how this came to be are explained in a few brief sentences during loading screens, as well as character back stories. God, if they had this material, why didn't they actually USE it? Sure, the game play is a lot of fun, the graphics are impressive and the atmosphere immerses you, but when there's no REASON for it all, then how can the developers expect us to really get involved?

Oh, and, um, the multilayer is kinda fun. Yeah. not much to say on that.

...

When the trailer for Killzone 2 dropped in 2005, it looked so stunning that many believed it couldn't be real-time gameplay. After the truth came out that it was prerendered, fans waited patiently for about 3½ years to see what the actual game would look like. When the gameplay finally hit, I was pleasantly surprised. It may not have been as jaw-dropping as that original footage, but it still looked fantastic. So, naturally, I preordered it and dove into the action on release day. Overall, it was a good experience that really met many of the expectations built up over those years.

The story picks up two years after the Helghast's failed invasion of Vekta. Players follow Colonel Jan Templar and his team as they set out to attack Pyrrhus, the Helghast capital. Their mission? Capture Emperor Scolar Visari for war crimes. What you might think would be an easy task, of course, turns into a challenging adventure filled with intense battles.

As a first-person shooter, Killzone 2 definitely delivers on the military action. The gameplay is linear, guiding you and your squad through the hostile streets of Helghan while you face off against various enemy soldiers. The action is scripted much like the single-player campaigns seen in Call of Duty. At times, I found myself getting pumped up, feeling that adrenaline rush as I fought my way through waves of enemies. I made the rookie mistake of tackling the game on hard mode, hoping to make it last longer, but it turned into a frustrating experience with enemies constantly spamming grenades. Trust me, stick with normal difficulty for a more enjoyable experience. The levels themselves are well-designed, taking you to different environments like bridges, moving trains, and secret labs to keep things fresh.

One of the standout features of Killzone 2 is its incredible lineup of weapons. The gun designs are rugged and tough, evoking a sense of heavy industry and brute force. They may not bring anything new in terms of capabilities, but their design and sound are top-notch. Each weapon feels powerful, and I genuinely enjoyed every moment I spent using them. The graphics are impressive even by today's standards. You'll face enemies with different weapon classes who work together and can take a good number of hits. The soundtrack deserves a shout-out as well; the quality matches what you'd find in a blockbuster movie, and I still find myself humming the main theme occasionally.

Visually, the levels feature gritty industrial designs mixed with fascist architecture, propaganda posters, and statues, giving it a distinct atmosphere. The voice acting is solid throughout, especially Brian Cox as the ruthless ruler of the Helghans.

As for the story, it's serviceable but doesn't bring any major twists. I struggled to remember many character details beyond their short hair and mohawks. But that's fine because, in a game like this, the action takes precedence over character development.

Killzone 2 offers about 8-9 hours of non-stop action, and although there's also a multiplayer component, I mostly stuck to the single-player campaign since that's more my style.

In conclusion, I truly hope the Killzone franchise makes a comeback. It's always been at the cutting edge of what consoles can achieve, and Killzone 2 is a testament to that legacy. It's a gritty, thrilling experience that promises an adrenaline rush with each firefight.

I picked this up on day of release, being quite enthusiastic after thoroughly enjoying the original on the PS2. However, since playing the original I have become a devoted Xbox360 fan and have been heavily playing titles like COD4, Halo, Bioshock etc.

When I first fired up Killzone 2 on my PS3 - only the 5th game I have ever played on it - I was initially stunned by the visuals. The opening cinematic really gets your expectations up. Stunningly rendered and awesome to behold, I became increasingly agitated with the game-play. The targeting was difficult and the FPS character movement made me feel seasick. Ever the optimist (or just insanely bloody-minded) I kept at it, hoping that my persistence would pay off.

It did! In spades. The first 2 levels are nothing special in terms of game-play (notable exception - the tank is more fun than the one in Halo 3, not to mention more powerful, more weapons a a LOT faster) but after that, the game really comes into its own.

The enemies are relentless and just keep coming. Some of the coolest weapons outside the Gears Of War franchise and epic battlefields.

Also returning are the simple "spray-and-pray" levels where you and some friends, either online or on split-screen, can simply mow down wave after wave of attacking Hellghast bots. The online multi-player may just be the best one on any game available on this platform, with enough variety to keep you coming back for more.

Killzone 2 may not be the greatest FPS of all time, but with the ferociousness of Call Of Duty 4 and the visuals that out-stun Bioshock, it's a strong contender for the title!

When I first bought Killzone 2 about a week and a half ago, just after the lagging issue was fixed and started playing it, I didn't like it at first, and I felt sure I was going to end up regretting getting the game. The gameplay was bad, and the controls felt awkward. But then I changed the controls to the Alternate 2 setting, where the controls are very similar to that of Call of Duty 4, and I have had a blast ever since.

There have been many complaints about the targeting in this game, but I find it to be fine. Not as good as Call of Duty 4, but it's very good. Of course it's not going to target the enemies for you. That makes the game much too easy. You need to use your own accuracy and gun down the enemies with precision.

Another thing I think people overlook in this game is the element of strategy. All the guns are unique in their own way. For example, the standard M82 Assault Rifle is great for zooming on enemies, the STA52 Assault Rifle fires stronger than the M82 but zooming is not as good. The LS13 Shotgun can kill enemies with one well placed shot to the chest or head region, but reloading takes ages. There are also lots of other weapons to choose from including a flamethrower and the ever-fun Boltgun. So to condense it all, you have to think about what guns you are choosing, because you can't carry two primary weapons at once. Only one primary gun and one secondary gun in your pistol.

This game also has a great cover system, and it also falls into the element of strategy. You have to pick your spots when in a shootout, and you have to find the best angle to flank them from. If you take cover behind a wall on the side, the enemy will often flank you and get at close range with you, especially on the higher difficulty settings. So you have to watch out from all directions at all times.

All the characters are unique and you either love them or hate them. The loudmouthed Natko was always my favorite, but Rico was rather annoying at times. Evelyn was cool as well, and Radec and Visari were both good villains. I would have liked to see them exposed more throughout the story, though.

My biggest complain with this game is turning. When an enemy is attacking you from behind or from the side and you have to turn to shoot them down, your character turn very slowly, and this gives the enemy time to fire more while you turn around, and often times, kill you before you can even face them. When they flank you from behind, it takes a full second to turn around 180 degrees, and this is very frustrating by the time you reach the later missions.

But if you can battle through the slow turning, which isn't a HUGE issue, and you don't mind lots of foul language, you have a very enjoyable game in Killzone 2.

This is, by far, one of THE BEST fps I have EVER played full stop. The campaign is fantastic with a wide range of weapons to use and interesting maps and characters, and online is just nuts! There are a range of multiplayer modes and classes to choose from. There are also many maps to have a go at and are designed for every class. Even if you are not such a hardcore gamer, you will love this game. And considering you can get it as cheap as fifty dollars on eBay, it's just criminal if you don't go on and buy it. Honestly, this game is the Halo 3 of PS3, it gives COD:4 a good run for it's money also. Just do yourself a favour and maximize your PS3 experience of buying it. Now.