Killzone 2 proves that a sequel doesn't need a pedigree to be awesome.
The game opens with a booming speech by the leader of Helghan, Emperor Visari, that then segues into an ill fated attack on the homeworld he rules. After a quick section that allows you to get used to the game's controls, the player character, Sev, and his squad are launched down to the Helghan surface to join the fray.
Once on the battlefield players will find that the control scheme may need adjusting, as the default control scheme may prove clunky and poorly laid out to those used to the slick controls of games like Call of Duty and even Halo. Thankfully, Guerrilla shipped the game with excellent customization as far as controls go, allowing you adjust sensitivity and button layout. With a bit of tweaking, Call of Duty vets should find a layout that they feel right at home with.
One thing that may a bit more difficult for PS veterans to get used to is the weighty feeling the developers implemented into the design. This is no floaty twitch shooter, when you are moving throughout the war torn home turf of the Helghast you actually feel as if you are trudging through the battlefield carrying heavy weapons and armor. While again, this may be adjusted in the menu, it is ill advised to do so. As I said, this game is not a twitch shooter, and if you play it as one you may find yourself getting downed quite often once you step online.
A first person shooter game fits into the genre primarily due to one factor: you shoot things in them. In order to get the job done, it is preferable that a developer provides you with a vast arsenal that lets you rip through your enemies in satisfying ways. For the most part, Killzone 2 again delivers on expectations. Yes, the guns are pretty standard, but the weight and sound empowers you with the feeling that you are actually shooting a real gun. The guns feel so satisfying to shoot and when the bullets tear through the armor and flesh of your enemies, it raises that satisfaction to a level very few games in the genre manage to reach.
Unfortunately, the characters behind the guns seem to have been given a lot less care than the weapons they carry. Your squadmates are either annoying or just lifeless, constantly spouting stupid lines (including a funny one about a ham sandwich) and not providing a single reason as to why you should care about them. The same goes for Sev, the player character. When a team makes the design choice to give the player character a voice and personality, they are automatically crossing into waters that require them to make the player actually care about who they are controlling. Failure to do this can make sentimental moments feel weak and boring, only serving to take players out of the action that they now desperately want to return to. Games that are trying to tell a story should never make cutscenes and emotional moments feel like a cheap chore, Killzone 2 manages both in strides.
The story is very, very standard as far as first person shooters go. In fact, the whole thing sort of feels like World War II in space, complete with space Nazis and British accents. This is very unfortunate, as the actual lore Guerrilla has crafted for the series is pretty interesting and it would be nice to see more of that implemented into the next game. Until then though, what little story is available to you in this second entry does a serviceable job of accomplishing what it means to do: ferreting your from skirmish to skirmish.
This is where Killzone 2 really excels. The heavy feeling weapons and surprisingly good AI make even the tiniest skirmish feel epic in proportions. Enemies are constantly using cover fire to move from cover to cover in an attempt to flank you and halt your advancement to each objective. Like Gears of War, keeping your head down and behind cover and only shooting when solid opportunities present themselves, is an absolute must in this game. If you are playing on any other difficult besides recruit, you will find your Rambo charges almost constantly resulting in your untimely death. Your enemy is somewhat smart, capable of flanking, and deadly as hell...use cover!
This frantic gameplay style carries over to the multiplayer section of the game beautifully. The feature allows up to the 32 to players in team only matches that actually feel like grand battles. Even though the game features a robust leveling system that rewards skill much like Call of Duty, by far my favorite feature is the way the actual matches play out. Unlike most games, which take you to a lobby screen between match types, the transition in Killzone 2 happens completely in game. No more impatiently waiting for a timer to count down so that you can jump back into battle, the game moves right into the next mode immediately after the one before ends via an announcement by an omniscient commander. This excellent feature keeps the games fast paced and exciting, which should set a standard if any game in the future hopes to match the one of kind feeling Killzone 2's multiplayer mode is able to instill.
The leveling system in the game awards points for kills, accomplishing objectives, and being on the winning team. These points are cashed in automatically and work towards opening up new classes and weapons. The weapons are just as satisfying in multiplayer as they are in the campaign and the classes all feel perfectly balanced, reducing the chance of one or more being labeled as cheap. This system rewards teamwork, which is excellent and makes the game a lot more fun to play.
Despite the weak story and annoying characters, Killzone 2 manages to pass with all A's in the area that really and truly matters: gameplay. Unlike it's predecessor, it is an extremely polished experience that makes it very clear it is a labor of love from the developers. The end result being a game that offers a satisfying campaign and robust multiplayer loaded with features. Everyone thought it was over after the disastrous first battle, but thankfully...it was only the beginning of a much grander war...one that all with a PS3 should enlist to fight in.