What I'm Into

Killzone 2

After years of teaser trailers and images, Killzone 2 finally becomes real! This game was, by far, one of the most hyped PS3 games and perhaps current gen games to date. But, does the hype live up to our generated expectations?

Graphics

The cinematics in Killzone 2 are simply amazing. But, the game really shines when you’re actually playing it. The atmosphere is surreal: from bullets flying left and right, dropships landing in the distance, shrouded in a smog-filled haze and buildings and walls crumbling due to heavy gun fire, to truly realistic environments, explosions and character models. There are very few games, if any, that packs this much “life” into the player’s experience and don’t show signs of graphical distortion or tearing.

- 20/20

Sound

The sounds and music in the game greatly immerse you into the epic battle that you are experiencing. The orchestral scores are stellar. The sounds on the battlefield include chatter amongst your teammates, realistic gun fire, audible sounds from a distance and the enemy shouting orders to one another. Sometimes the chatter on the battlefield can be a little too much, though.

- 19/20

Story

The ISA has launched a counter attack against the Helghast on their turf. If you are a fan of the first game, then the story will entice you a little bit. Like most FPS games, the story is not really important. Sure it can help fuel your emotion to slaughter countless hordes of enemies, but you’re playing a shooter. You’re going to be doing this anyway, or why else buy the game?

- 14/20

Gameplay

The gameplay has its strong points and weak points. First, the AI in the game is very intelligent. You have to move and shoot, hide and shoot. The Helghast will flank you, duck and cover and form other strategic maneuvers to take you and your team out. The firefights you encounter are all amazing and take intelligence on your part to survive – you can’t run and gun. The cover system is great and you really can tell that a machine gun is much heavier than a pistol. The main problem with the gameplay is the controls. (Note: this review is before any DLC or patches were released. So, these complaints could be fixed.) The aiming is very tough. There is no option for auto-aim, which this game needs badly. Your character turns very slowly, almost like he’s in a giant mech.

- 16/20

Replayability

(Note: there have been a couple of DLC packs that greatly add to your multiplayer experience since the writing of this review). The single player mode is very good with 4 difficulty levels. However, the multiplayer is what makes the game infinitely replayable. There are 5 different multiplayer games that can sometimes change into another one on the fly, keeping you on your toes and the match fresh. You can also unlock different characters and weapons for use in multiplayer by ranking up in your matches.

- 20/20

Conclusion

Killzone 2 isn’t the greatest game ever made. But, it is freaking awesome! As long as you play online, then this game will last you a very long time. The graphics and sound are superb and the controls are manageable. I don’t have much else to say, except, buy this game!

Final Score

- 89/100

Grab your copy of Killzone 2 for the PS3 NOW!