This shooter might not do much new, but it nearly perfects the shooter formula!
The story behind Killzone 2 is that the ISA is invading the planet of Helghan. You play as Sev, a soldier sent into try and capture Visari. You are joined by three other soldiers, one of them being Rico. The story isn't really that interesting and is really straight forward, but it does enough to get the job done.
Killzone 2 is a FPS, and as a FPS you will be doing a lot of shooting. The game plays out like most other shooters, with one little twist. Most games don't have weighted weapons. The guns in Killzone 2 have weight and so you won't be able to react as fast as you could in a game like Call of Duty. But it adds a sense of realism to it, and it actually fits the game quite well. One of the big features in Killzone 2 is the cover system. You can take cover and pop up from behind cover and take some shoots and then hide again, all while being in first person. This adds a new feel to the game, which kind of separates it from other shooters.
Shooter need cool guns, and Killzone 2 has some cool guns. There is your standard assault rifle, pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, etc. But then there are guns like the lighting gun which allow you to shock tons of enemies all at once. Weapons like the lighting gun add for a cool effect while playing this game, they kind of change up the action. One of my small problems with the weapons is that some of the guns like the assault rifles don't have a lot of kick to them. The Helghast tend to be bullet sponges, and sometimes the standard weapons don't feel really that powerful. But it is a small problem and the game is a lot of fun to play even with the standard weapons.
The six axis does play a small role in the game. When ever you turn a wheel, you have to use the shoulders buttons to grip it and then turn the controller. These are actually pretty cool and break up the game play a little bit.
Helghast come in a couple of different forms. There are the normal foot soldiers. Then there are these guys that have sub machine guns and try to charge you with swords. Then there are the big Helghast with giant chain guns. There isn't a whole variety of them, but there is enough that the game doesn't get old. The Helghast are not idiots and the game's A.I. does a good job at not letting you think that. They will flank you, move from cover to cover. Cover each other as some run in to push back. They are really smart and won't let you win so easily.
There are a few vehicle segments in Killzone 2. Some have you take charge of a turret and gun down ships. Other have you take control of tanks. The rest have you take control of these mechs. The mech parts are especially cool, and it is a lot of fun to run around blowing things up.
One thing Killzone 2 will be remembered for are its graphics. This is one of the best looking games out there. The character models and weapons models almost look life like. The environments look really gray and brown, but have a lot of little and big details in them that make them look awesome. The explosions look awesome and all the weather effects look amazing.
Sound wise Killzone 2 sounds good. The sounds of battle are the most important and they sound the best. Things like explosions and the sounds of guns firing sounds awesome. The voice acting is another thing. Most of the lines that the actors say are kind of cheesy and they actors aren't the best, but they get the job done.
Killzone 2 does have a multiplayer component, and this is where you will probably be spending most of your time. Dedicated servers mean lag free battles with up to 32 people. The thing that people will be talking most about is the warzone mode. It takes and combines all the modes from Killzone 2 into one mode. You may being playing a round of Body Count (Team Deathmatch), and then after that is done immediately switch to either search and destroy, or capture and hold, or etc. Or you can just play the modes separately if that is what you want to do, but most people just play warzone or bodycount.
There is a ranking system, and even though it only has 15 ranks, it will take you a while to achieve them. You can customize you load out a bit, but there are not a tone of weapons to choose from, and there are a few different classes, each with their own special abilities. The multiplayer is a lot of fun and extremely well balanced, and will keep you entertained for a long time.
Overall, Killzone 2 is an awesome shooter that does not do much new, but perfects the standard formula. It is one of the best looking out there and one of the best shooters out there. If you are a fan of FPS's then you need to give Killzone 2 a try!