KILLZONE 2 (PS3)

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Genre	First Person Shooter
Platform	Playstation 3
Release Date	26/02/2009
Rated

Killzone 2 is arguable the best first person shooter on the Playstation 3.  The cut-scenes alone make this game a fantastic experience.  It is nothing short of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Add absolutely stunning graphics, realistic sound and outstanding combat and you have a truly remarkable game.  Killzone 2 should be in your collection.

KILLZONE 2 (PS3) Product Information

Following events and action from the original Killzone for PlayStation®2, Killzone 2 brings players into a highly detailed, ultra-realistic "theater of war" that truly leverages the processing power of the PS3.

Throughout the campaign, players will encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Additionally, players will be tasked with utilizing a host of new weapons and vehicles in the war to stop the Helghast. Featuring an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new game-play elements and an intense storyline that will once again drive gamers to join the ranks of the ISA and fight the Helghast - this time on the enemy's home planet.

KILLZONE 2 (PS3) Review

Killzone 2 was always designed to be a system seller. It was the title that Sony banked on way back in 2005 during that infamous 'target-render' trailer announcement, providing a tantalising glimpse of what might be, or at very least, what developer Guerrilla Games were aiming for. Years later, in the face of expectations both positive and negative, Killzone 2 has achieved its ambitious visual fidelity and immersive, yet cinematic presentation. But is it a shooter worth your time?

Yes. Definitely, yes. This is as solid a shooter as PlayStation fans and hardcore early-adopters have been hoping for, with scope, features and all-round excellent production values for a game that came from decidedly iffy PS2 roots. It does have a few concessions, but long review short – it's going to make your PS3 sweat as much as your grimy gaming palms and your moon-tan brow.
A stunningly edited opening movie sets the scene: swarms of red-eyed future-Nazis fighting against a thinly veiled American armed forces battalion on the surface of the planet Helghan in a conflict that will eventually take you through environments that range from your typical glowing industrial complexes and energy refineries through to more interesting set-piece levels like a massive locomotive thundering along and across the surface of a dust-bitten and windswept shanty village.

Killzone 2 is one of the finest, most visually unified games ever made. Period. It's a rush to just sit back and watch, almost to the point of distraction. It uses colour and lighting to evocative effect, while impressing on a technical level as much as an artistic one. The framerate is locked at 30 frames per second and we never encountered any slowdown. Incredible. While many games can claim to emulate a dystopian far-future in the traditions of something like Gears of War, Killzone 2 really tries hard to nail its own unique visual stamp and it succeeds. It has no permanent HUD – just an ammunition counter in the lower right that fades in when firing your gun and fades out when you're not.

The raw shooting mechanics also tend towards realism. The feel of the game actually approaches a title like Call of Duty 4, more than Insomniac's Resistance 2. The weapons aren't over-the-top (with the exception of a couple beefier ones that we'll discuss later), shifting to fine aiming mode by clicking R3 shifts the weapon to the centre of the screen and lines the sights up with your eyes, which is also now standard in the genre. In fact, much of Killzone 2 is just that – standard for the genre.

Killzone 2 is at its best when its blending shooter styles; switching between lone-gunman moments of corridor crawling with nary but the light of your shotgun to keep you company, through to sections of squad-based clearing all the way to full-blown conflicts that involve dozens of enemies and allies all facing off from different vantage points. One minute you're pressing back a wave of Assault Troopers up some stairs at the base of a tower and the next you're helming an anti-aircraft turret, blasting the Helghan air force to smithereens.

Closing Comments

End line, Killzone 2 is outstanding. It is consistent in every respect and is testament to the talents of the developer as well as the power of the PS3 in the hands of a team that knows how to use the hardware - and who have the full support of Sony behind them. In the same stroke, it is not the be all and end all of console shooters, or even shooters on the PS3 - but if you've read this far and you're one of the Killzone devout, you probably won't care anyway. You can rest easy knowing it was ultimately worth the wait.

Full review IGN