Rating

A

Specific Ratings

GameplayA+
GraphicsA+
Learning CurveA-
Replay ValueA+
SoundA

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Fantastic visual presentation and graphics.
  • Excellent sound design and orchestral score.
  • Revolutionary online multiplayer. Wow.
  • A solid single player campaign.
  • Tight, realistic controls...
Cons
  • ...That can be unforgiving and stiff.
  • Characters and story are somewhat forgettable.

Killzone 2 (PlayStation 3)

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Summary

Aside from the masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2 is the defining title on the PS3 and a sure contender for Game of the Year. Quite possibly THE best FPS on any console.

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Description

"In and out within a month, they said. Their weapons no match for our military might. Predicted moderate to low resistance. Enemy morale at an all-time low. They couldn't have been more wrong... Welcome to Helghan." - Sev

A sequel to the 2004 FPS for PS2, Killzone 2 follows the original (which was a hit-and-miss among many gamers alike) and makes right everything that was wrong. Although the story is still a tad uninteresting and the characters are at times bland, it has a very Star Wars-like feel to it that many will recognize and probably enjoy.

The gameplay is fantastically composed. At times it may feel clunky, and saying it's "realistic" may be a pathetic excuse, but all-in-all it really makes you feel like you're right there in the action; heavy battle armor and all. Guns feel powerful and the accuracy is slick once you figure things out. These include an M8 Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Submachine, Grenade Launcher, Pistol, and my personal favorite, the Lighting Canon. Computer Ai is quite good and I found myself regularly relying on my team to cover me when my health got low; However, I believe this was a great opportunity for awesome co-op play that was sadly missed. Enemy Ai is very good as well. They put up a very good fight, but I found that you can actually run through the majority of the game by running up to enemies and using your knife. Kind of simple.

Graphics are... wow. Spectacular. Animations are fluent. Textures are very vibrant. It's too bad the color palate is so brown, but it definitely allows you to realize how dark and desolate Helghan is.

Sound is very good. Effects are brutal (the Helghast screams as you slice them open with your combat knife is my personal favorite). The orchestral score is amazing. I wish there were more songs, but the ones that are there are intense and memorable. Get surround sound for this one!

Multiplayer is where most of the games re-playability will last. It consists of a ranking system where you level your character up through scoring points (getting kills) and winning matches. However, the best part about it that makes it different from most other online shooters is the way matches take place. There are five different match types: Kill, Assassination, Capture, Destroy, and Propaganda Capture. Rather than having each match do just one, matches will do all five, but switch up after each win or loss. It's an amazing technique and it keeps loading minimal and fun, shooting action at an all time high.

Overall, an amazing game and a fantastic package. The single player has good replayability (although co-op would have been nice), the multiplayer is amazing (you have to experience it for yourself), and the production values are through the roof. If you are an FPS fan or just want to experience an amazing game, you need to pick this one up.

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