Killzone is back in a much improved sequel that continues to stumble in some areas.
The story this time around has you playing as an ISA soldier named Sev. He and his squad are part of the invading force that is attacking the Helghast's own planet. That's basically the extent of the story as it's just a generic "Go here, do this, Oh No! They blew up that" kind of story which is fine for a FPS such as this, but it's not really worth mentioning. The characters are bland and the Helghast are once again the most interesting part of the story seeing as their leader causes them to resemble the Nazis even more.
Overall, it's a generic FPS that takes place on a different planet and it has you fighting space Nazis that all look like Darth Vader while you continue to question whether or not you are the real villains. It keeps you pushing forward, but it's hardly the story that's doing it. There could be something interesting here, but it's buried under military stereotypes and it has you fighting as the least interesting side.
The gameplay is where any shooter really has to leave it's mark these days, lest it be washed away by the next Call of Duty game and Killzone 2 leaves a decent dent. It still functions as your average FPS but it has a very functional first-person cover system. Cover systems aren't anything new, but first-person ones are usually never used. The controls are pretty strange and foreign at first, but you have the option to change them to a superior style meaning that they should never get in the way.
The most noticeable thing about the gameplay is the overall feel of the game. Your character moves slower than most other first-person shooters and feels as if they have weight. This will either make or break the game for you and I personally found it a great inclusion and it makes it stand out among other shooters. The overall gunplay on the other hand lacks punch though it functions well. The Helghast AI is also not that stupid either, taking cover when needed and knowing when to lob grenades, but that's hardly revolutionary. The levels are designed in a very linear way, always funneling you along to the next big battle or set-piece but it works and it is pretty fun to play and experience.
Overall, it's your average shooter, but the unique feel pushes it just a little further head in the gameplay department. That's not to mention the multiplayer, which is played mostly in a mode called Warzone. Warzone cycles through different objectives ranging from deathmatch to capture the flag and after each segment, the leading team is given a point towards an overall victory. It's a pretty entertaining mode, but it lacks the main things that make Call of Duty's multiplayer so addicting, such as killstreaks. It's still a great addition to the PS3 mulitplayer scene.
The audio is pretty standard for a war game but with a few stand-out performances. The voice work is decent, but the show is still stolen by the Helghast as they have great voices and their leader is by far the best of them all. The sound effects are pretty bland and the gunfire sounds pretty weak at times, but it's still alright on the ears.
The visuals are where this game was truly hyped beyond belief and it mostly delivers. The environments look fantastic and the character models are extremely detailed. All the guns are modeled to perfection and even the basic Helghast's models look fantastic. The only real issue I have noticed about the visuals are the colors, or lack of color to be exact. Helghan is mostly brown and black, there is no real color to be found. This isn't a huge problem due to the planet's climate, which ties in with the story, but it's still a disappointment. The only things that affect anything much are the loading screens, they are epic in length and are far too frequent, those and the existence of hanging load times can really scuff up the game's presentation.
Despite those two gripes, the dusty, blood-stained and dead world of Helghan is a looker, even if it has no color. It's definitely one of the best looking PS3 games.
PROs
- Fantastic visuals
- Helghast are interesting
- Weighty combat makes the game feel unique
- Fun multiplayer
- Great cover system
- Gunplay is enjoyable
CONs
- Lack of color or life
- Bland story and ISA
- Multiplayer lacks longevity
- Hanging load times are combined with lengthy loading times
- Controls can be finicky
Overall, Killzone 2 is miles better than the original game, which I personally dislike greatly. It doesn't live up to it's hype, but it's visuals do for sure. If you like shooters and are willing to get weighed down, give Killzone 2 a try. It's weighty feel make it unlike anything out there and the cover system adds a lot to the basic gameplay even if it has a bland and meaningless story.
Story: 5.0/10
Gameplay: 7.0/10
Audio: 6.5/10
Presentation: 9.0/10