My first experience in the Killzone universe ended up being a real killer time!!
As per the usual I'll start my review at the game's main menu. This title actually has a "Start Game" menu that appears before you come to the main menu, where you have four options. The first option is "Continue", when you select it you will resume play on the most recent game save file you have going on Killzone: Liberation. The second option is "New Game" and is where you go when you either first start out on this title, or when you just want to start over fresh. Third we have the "Load Game" option, where you go to load a specific game from amongst numerous game save files. The fourth and final option is "Delete Game". If there is a particular game save file you no longer have need of, go here to get rid of it.
Once you decide on a course of action in the Start Game menu you will then come to the game's "Main Menu", where you have seven options. The first option is simply titled "Play", where you go to get straight to the action! When you select this option you will be taken to another menu, where you pick what type of game you want to play. First we have "Single Player", where there are two game modes to choose from. The first is called "Campaign" and is the main mode of the game, where the story behind Killzone: Liberation unfolds. There are four chapters in the game, each of which consists of four individual levels. Complete all 16 and you've won the game! The levels are titled as such: Chapter 1 – A New Threat (levels are Counter-Attack, Retreat, Evacuation and Sabotage), Chapter 2 – Trail Of Deception (levels are Approach, Diversion, Assault and Breakout), Chapter 3 – Revenge Of Metrac (levels are Reconnaissance, Ambush, Catastrophe and Pursuit) and Chapter 4 – Fate Of The Heroes (levels are Infiltration, Revelation, Confrontation and Liberation).
The other Single Player mode is called "Challenge Games". As you defeat each game chapter on Campaign mode a number of mini games will then become available for said chapter. There are six available mini games per chapter and they are always titled the same, as follows: "Target Practice" (hit as many wooden enemy targets as possible, missing a total of 5 targets ends your game), "Target Practice Run" (make your way through a particular environment within the given time limit, hitting as many wooden enemy targets as possible, which adds more time to your clock), "C4 Course" (make your way through a particular environment within the given time limit, using C4 to aid your progress), "Spidermine Catch" (catch three Helghast spidermines in three separate cages, as fast as you possibly can), "Object Course" (make your way through a particular environment and find the 5 hidden briefcases as fast as possible) and "Base Defend" (defend a particular object or location for as long as you possibly can against hordes of Helghast invaders). Each of these mini games has stipulations tied to them, depending on how well you perform you'll earn either a gold, silver or bronze medal and also be awarded a proportional amount of points. These points are used to unlock certain items, but more on that later.
You can also choose to play in "Multiplayer" mode, where you have two more game modes to pick from. The first is called "Combat Zone", where you can take part in battles with up to 6 other human controlled players over your wireless network. The other mode is "Campaign Co-Op". Here you play through the regular Campaign chapters/levels with just one other buddy, over your wireless network. I personally haven't got to experience these modes because, I'm sure, the servers were taken down long ago, meaning there are no online games available.
Back at the main menu the second option we come to is "Options". There are a number of things you can adjust here to alter the look, feel and sound of your experience on Killzone: Liberation. These include setting the difficulty (Easy, Normal or Hard), changing the language (pick from amongst 7 options for game audio, and from amongst 8 options for menu and subtitles), alter the sound settings (adjust music, sound fx and speech volumes, toggle the subtitles on/off, restore default settings, or sample game music using the jukebox feature) and set your character of choice for Multiplayer mode (choose from among both ISA and Helghast characters, you are able to adjust their colour scheme as well).
The third option on the main menu is called "Statistics & Rewards", here you can view how you are progressing through the game, measured in categories such as time played, percentage complete, $ found, and your kills vs. deaths ratio. You can also check out all of the bonus material you've accumulated including weapons unlocked, abilities unlocked, online rewards, and characters unlocked.
Fourth we have the "Downloads" option. Although there are four chapters in this game, there is actually a fifth playable chapter available but it doesn't come with the game, you have to select this Downloads option and pick it up from the Killzone website. There are some loose ends left at the end of the fourth chapter so I imagine this fifth chapter would just tidy them up a bit, but not having it doesn't ruin the integrity or storyline of the main game at all, so don't worry about that. I haven't been able to download it as I keep getting a warning that I don't have enough space . . . although I'm pretty sure that I should have enough space. Interesting.
Fifth we come to the "Share a Game" option, where you can send a friend a small downloadable element of the game to play. There are three to choose from, including "Warehouse Escape", "Buddy Beachhead" and "Tank Battle".
"Killzone.com" is the sixth option, choosing it simply takes you to the game's website, allowing you to explore the world of Killzone!
The seventh and final option from the main menu is "Credits". To view a list of the many, many people who developed this title, this is where you go.
And that's it for the main menu, now for the game itself. As you make your way through Killzone: Liberation there are certain things to look out for, first are the various pickups available. Ammo pickups are easily the most prevalent pickup in the game. You will come across boxes of ammo, shotgun shells, rockets, etc., but you can only pick up ammo that corresponds to the weapon you currently have equipped. You will also find health pickups. A small medi-pak replenishes your health bar by about a quarter, whereas a large medi-pak replenishes it completely. These various pickups you'll find inside of wooden crates scattered throughout your environment that you can smash open with your melee attack, or they will be dropped by your enemies after you kill them.
Another key pickup is Vektan currency, which is represented by a silver briefcase. Each of these briefcases contains $1000, there are anywhere from 3 to 8 of them per level during Campaign mode. These briefcases are always found inside of the wooden crates. Exploring the game levels and finding all the currency you can is a big key to success in this game as how much currency you accumulate directly translates to how fast you unlock the various weapons in the game. You don't actually go and spend this currency on weapons, you simply unlock each weapon in the game when you reach the pre-determined level of cash associated with said weapon. The weapons you will unlock in this game include the M-82G Assault Rifle, StA-52 LAR Assault Rifle, IvP-18 Machine Pistol, StA-52 SLAR Sniper Rifle, M13 Semi Auto Shotgun, M3 Revolver, VNS-10 Scylla and the Crossbow. After you unlock the weapons originally you will then be able to upgrade them to their V2 editions (greatly increases their rate of fire, damage and accuracy attributes) as you near the end of the game and collect all of the Vektan currency.
At this point I will divert to a slightly out of sequence topic before getting back to what else you need to watch out for during Killzone: Liberation. Relating to the Vektan currency you collect throughout this game, it not only unlocks weapons for you as I explained above but additional bonus features in the game such as characters to use in Multiplayer mode, the jukebox function, and other features you can access on the Killzone website such as icon packs, skin packs, wallpapers and concept art. The only downside to this feature is that not all of the material can be unlocked in Single Player mode, a lot of it has to be gained by playing the Multiplayer mode. But if you're like me and didn't purchase the game until 6 years after it's initial release, you're out of luck as there are no online games available to play. Anyways, at this time I'll also get back to what you unlock with the points you earn via the Challenge Games mode under Single Player, as I said I would near the start of this review. When you accumulate points in this mode you will unlock certain abilities your character can utilize throughout the rest of the game. These abilities include being able to carry more grenades or other explosives, carry more syringes, inflicting an increased amount of melee damage, increasing your health bar, cutting down the time it takes you do to certain tasks like plant C4 or disarm tripwires, among others. All of the weapons, unlockables and abilities I've discussed in these last couple paragraphs are what you can view under the Statistics & Rewards option from the main menu, which I glossed over earlier. When you start out on Campaign mode and select the level you want to play, before you get to the fighting you'll come to the weapon select screen. This is where you pick which gun you want to start the level with, from among any of the available eight I listed in the above paragraph. If you press the Square button on this screen you'll be switched over to the abilities select screen. Here you have three slots to fill, with a combination of any of the abilities you've unlocked to date. I believe one of the abilities you can unlock in the game increases how many abilities you can equip, but I haven't been able to unlock it! Once you select your weapons and abilities you're good to go and head off for some game action.
OK, now that that is dealt with let's get back to what you need to keep your eyes open for throughout the course of Killzone: Liberation!! One of the most important objects you'll come across are called supply depots. They are dark coloured rectangular objects that appear numerous times during each level. When you enter a supply depot a menu pops up with three options, including "Weapons", "Items" and "Explosives". Under the Weapons heading you'll find any number of guns (and the very odd time a jetpack) you can swap out your currently equipped weapon for. Under Items you'll find any number of medi-paks (full) and syringes (used to heal a fallen comrade). And under Explosives you'll find a cache of various types of explosive devices such as grenades, remote mines, and C4. These supply depots can be live savers, but make sure to manage your supplies carefully as these depots are not always chock full, the pickings may indeed be slim. Also important to note is that when you enter a supply depot the game action doesn't stop. It slows down a great deal, but you can still be harmed if the Helghast are in the process of attacking you at the time.
The last objects you need to look out for in this game are vehicles/technology. A couple of times during the game you'll get to pilot both a hovercraft and a tank, these vehicles make life a lot easier, so make sure you learn how to use them and protect them because once they're destroyed you go back to hoofing it. There are also the odd stationary weapon turrets that you can mount and use to mow down the enemy a lot more efficiently. These too can also be destroyed, so make them count.
There is a little bit of information you'll need to pay attention to when looking at the game screen for Killzone: Liberation. In the lower left corner of the screen are icons in the shape of needles informing you on how many syringes your character is currently carrying. Just to the right of these icons is a long white bar, indicating the current health status of your character. As you take damage the white bar drains away, when it is empty, you die. Now, in the bottom right corner of the screen are two sets of icons, the first are in the shape of C4 charges, indicating just how many of them you have left. Beside these are more icons, in the shape of whatever explosive device you are currently carrying (frag grenades, smoke grenades or remote detonation mines), indicating how many you have left at your disposal. To the left of these icons is an image of the weapon you currently have equipped, as well as a tally of how much ammo you have remaining. As you make your way through the game you will receive communiques from ISA command. You will hear these via the game's audio, but a transcript of the conversation will also be displayed, across the very top section of the screen. Similarly, when you are in the game and run in to characters you have face to face conversations with, a transcript of these conversations will appear across the bottom of the screen. When you play the Challenge Games mode the only thing that changes on the game screen is that in the very top middle a timer appears, as well as a section for other various pieces of information applicable to whichever mini game it is you're playing.
For such an involved game with so many weapons and functions, the controls are actually quite easy to get used to. The analog button is what moves you around the environment. The X button is the action button, used for a variety purposes. Pushing it at the applicable times will make your character pick up ammo and medi-paks lying on the ground, push buttons on control panels, access supply depots, plant C4, disarm tripwires, break open wooden crates, use the jetpack, initiate your melee attack when in close to an enemy, enter a vehicle . . . and maybe a few other things I might have forgotten about!! The Square button is used to fire your primary weapon, similarly when you are piloting a vehicle or have mounted a weapon turret, it is used to fire the primary weapon in those situations as well. The O button is what accesses your explosives. Press it once to bring up your throwing arc when lobbing grenades, then press it again to confirm the throw. When planting mines just press O once. When you are piloting a vehicle it is used to fire said vehicle's secondary weapon. The Triangle button is used to perform a manual reload. Also, when you are piloting a vehicle it is used to brake/reverse. The L button is used to strafe, tapping it twice in quick succession will make your character perform a combat roll. The R button is used to duck behind cover. When ducking press the Square button to pop up and fire at your enemies. The L and R buttons are also used to swivel your primary weapon when piloting a vehicle or having mounted a weapon turret. Pressing the L and R buttons at the same time will help your character lock in on a particular target. This will also center your primary weapon when piloting a vehicle or having mounted a weapon turret. As for the directional buttons, pressing the up button will access the tactical command menu, where you can order any comrades you may have at your side go to certain areas of the level or perform certain tasks. Once this menu is open just use the right and left directional buttons to cycle through your options, then press the X button to confirm your command. To simply have your comrade follow you, press the O button. To cancel the tactical command menu once it is open just press the down direction button or the Triangle button. The down directional button will also make your character exit a vehicle or weapon turret, by the way. Lastly, the Select button brings up your mission details, showing a map of the level and your mission objectives, and the Start button pauses the game.
Speaking of pausing the game, the pause menu has four options to choose from. The first is "Resume Game" and is obvious enough. The second is "Restart". If you are performing poorly or think you may have missed something along the way, select this option to start fresh from the start and give it another go. The third option is "Tutorial". As you progress through the game ISA command is capable of giving you messages containing instructions and tips on what you should be doing. This is where you toggle these tutorial messages on/off. The final option is "Quit Game" and is where you go to stop playing, your progress will not be saved.
The presentation of Killzone: Liberation was executed very well. The graphics aren't totally top drawer, but they are well above average. The characters and technology especially look really good and detailed. Most of the environments were done well, but there is a bit of blockiness to some things, a little smoothing out and extra polish on some of the environmental features would have made this game almost perfect. Because it's a war game its' not very colourful. There are a lot of white, grey and black hues going on. Sometimes this means everything can blend in and become bland, making it hard to tell where you're supposed to be going. This game doesn't suffer from that though, despite a lack of bright colouring they did a very good job at managing a high resolution, making everything crisp, clear and obvious. The fun storyline and short but sweet cutscenes help develop the plot and keep you connected with what exactly is going on. As for the soundtrack, it's quite subdued and has a very militarized theme about it. I don't think they planned on using it as a main vessel with which to sell the game, it just sounds like it's there because it has to be. But the in game sounds effects and voice overs are all very good. Finally, concerning gameplay, the control scheme is very well laid out and easy to get used to. It can take a bit of time to master the art of locking on to enemies and strafing, but the learning curve isn't too bad. This is just a very well thought out and executed game.
As for the pros and the cons to this game, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. First off, the presentation of the game is very solid. The graphics are above average like I mentioned, and the game is just laid out well, very easy to play. I also like the depth of story this title has to offer, how the story and action unfolds as you progress through the four chapters, with fun cutscenes combined with intense in game action. I mentioned that there is no real soundtrack but that's OK, it gets away without one and doesn't really need it to be quite honest. I also really love the spirit of this game. Most war games are way boring because there is so much snooping around and time wasting. But not Killzone: Liberation, this is a go straight at 'em, shoot 'em up game, but it also requires a fair bit of skill, what with managing all your health, weapons, abilities, etc. I much prefer this style of war game to the ones where all you do is sneak around, they're garbage. Moving on, there is a large amount of unlockable material available in this game, and we all know I'm a sucker for that! There's no issues on the game controls or camera angles, which can easily sink a game, so gameplay is very good as well. And of course all of these issues combined means that the fun factor is quite high! As for the cons, I really only have one. I don't like how so much of this game depends on going online. I really wish the fifth "bonus" chapter had just come with the game on the original software and wasn't available only as a download. I don't want to be clogging up my memory stick for a chapter of levels that easily could (and should) have come with the rest of the game. I also don't like how a large portion of the unlockable content can only be gained by playing online with other people over the internet. I only got this game recently, so because the game is 6 years old and isn't being played online anymore, I'll never access a lot of the unlockable items up for grabs. I thought this was all a rather foolish decision. A bit more variety in the game would have been nice too, in terms of maybe a few more vehicles here and there, or some different characters, but that's not really a huge deal. Because of the main con in this game I was forced to give it a rating of 9 instead of a 10, that whole online bit really irked me. Still pretty good nonetheless!!
I have a couple of tips and tricks to offer future players of this game. First of all, explore the levels fully. Finding all the Vektan currency on the first shot means you won't have to go back and replay the level later on, plus you'll unlock your weapons as fast as possible. Enemies don't normally regenerate in this game, so once you've killed them all off in an area of a level you're safe to explore at your leisure and not have to keep on fighting unlimited Helghast soldiers or anything like that. The other tip I have is that after you defeat a chapter on Campaign mode, instead of moving on to the next chapter right away go and play the chapter of Challenge Games you unlocked by completing the Campaign chapter. The abilities you unlock along the way will then come in handy during the next chapter on Campaign mode. And that's about it, this is a pretty obvious game for the most part!
In summary, Killzone: Liberation did just what it's title suggests . . . it killed!! This is a very fun game, action packed, and although I really don't like the whole online dependency issue, that barely takes away from the fact that this is one well executed game. I believe it's still up around the $20 mark to purchase, but this is one of those titles that is definitely worth the higher sticker price!