[Official] Killzone 2

By +Audioboxer
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I don't get why developers exclude party systems these days, it's such a great feature, being able to team up with friends without having to jump through hoops. Especially in a game on the PS3, where the invite system is above and beyond horrible.

Do any PS3 games have a party feature?

Grand Master

Sethos

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So, I finally decided it was time to get through the single-player campaign, so I could get it over with.

I really have no idea where to start with this game, mainly because everything in the game is such a forgettable, bland experience, so I will have to try my best to remember the various parts. You start out the game with some basic information on this Helghast invasion and you are being dropped right into the heart of the action. At first the game seems very solid with a slow-paced tactical gameplay and a focus on duck'n'cover gameplay. So you slowly progress by using this tactic but slowly grow extremely tired of the repetitiveness. When you want to mix it up with some Rambo-styled gameplay, running and gunning you are severely punished, mainly due to the extreme recoil, a recoil only matched by military-grade simulators. So you are forced into the repetitive gameplay to stand a chance.

So when you finally get settled into this role of sitting behind chest-high ( *cough* ) concrete blocks and boxes, the AI unleashes it's secret weapon; bum-rushing. You would think the enemy would focus on staying in cover, having weapon-duels but oh no, as soon as you progress and using the cover system, they AI will the second you sit behind something, rush you with their puny knifes and various melee attacks. They can even smell when you reload, because the second you do, you have 10 Helghast soldiers cutting ventilation holes in your suit. So as you progress in the game, I decided to skip using the cover system and just ducking a meter or so behind crates, as that would give me the best advantage.

The story is definitely one of the main points in making this game a forgettable experience. You a throw into the action, you jump from environment to environment gunning down Helghast soliders while trying to complete very mundane, generic tasks like blowing up ... stuff. You pull off one-man army jobs all over the place while killing waves upon waves of guys with built-in LEDs. Game also becomes very predictable within a mission or two because as soon as you think you are at the objective, you are given a 'secondary' objective before you can proceed. Then you need to run across the map to open doors or investigate something, then you know you'll get bogged down trying to fight waves of spawned Helghast, just to prolong the game. The game pulls of this stunt EVERY. SINGLE. MAP.

The thing that makes this game such a letdown is the weird mix between the feel of a tactical, slow paced shooter and the hyper-shooter gameplay, it just doesn't work! Fast paced surroundings while you tumble around like a confused grandpa'. It's such a chore to kill enemies, there is absuloutly no enjoyment in getting a kill in this game. Every enemy is able to withstand a lot of bullets, even headshots. So when you try to kill two enemies behind cover, who are exposing parts of their lower body, you can be almost certain to waste a magazine and more to take them down or you could, alternatively, choose to rush them and that'll just end up in ass, recoil and a confusing mess of them trying to cut you up while you try to reload and melee them.

So you are finally at the end of the time, you once again kill what seems to be a million and one Helghast, you fight Radec in one of the most annoying boss-fights I have ever experienced. His constant stealth/warping action isn't really the problem, it's the horrible, slow controls because you are forced to turn around constantly, it feels like trying to move a couch each time you turn despite having high sensitivity settings. Then you are presented with a speech from Visari and nothing has changed - Wohoo! So you basically accomplished nothing, you were just sitting through a short-snippet of some bland solider action combined with some wannabe-impressive 'cinema' moments.

As for the multiplayer, it's taken from the same drawer. A horrible mix of slow-paced movement and fast-paced gameplay. I had such high expectations for the multiplayer section of the game, something along the lines of Rainbow Six: Vegas - Tactical, slow, teamwork and plenty of action. Here the movement becomes slow and clumsy because the surroundings are so fast, then you feel very restricted. You have grenades and rockets flying everywhere, six million turrets at every corner, running around with your side-arm after a single kill or two because it takes a laughable amount of ammunition to take down an opponent, with the weird sprinting action, it's also such a drag to keeping getting your aim in. In the end, I just dig down at some very closed-in junction and try to get as many CQB kills as possible. Oh and GG, hello, party system? wake up!

I saved the positive mention for last, the graphics. They are definitely very stunning and among some of the best I've seen for a console. There is a perfect use a subtle blur to hide jaggied edges and to emphasize the field of vision. You have the great lighting engine that could rival any game available today and some great cinematic effects. However, you quickly noticed that many of the effects are purely used for disguise like 2D backdrops and effects, very low-res texture, low polygon models etc. but that is acceptable to improve the areas you really notice.

So to sum up the game, the killer of this game is the extremely weird mix between the slow "tactical" movement and fast-paced gameplay, it doesn't work. It's like Chocolate Pudding on top of a nice, juicy steak. The game screams of a game where you want to run around with fast-paced and snappy controls. The overall story and experience is so bland and generic, like I said before, it's like sticking your tongue out the window expecting to be hit by a flavour-adventure and all you get is a cold tongue. To give this game a score? 6/10 - It's definitely not lack of details or technical problems dragging the game down it's just the crucial part of the game, enjoyment. The game went wrong at the moment they decided the direction of the game, there is nothing that makes you wanna fire up the PS3 and play the game.

This mini-review is based off my personal opinion. A lot of members know I'm very critical when it comes to games so this isn't getting the knife any harder than most games I voice my opinion about. ( except I don't usually write up mini-reviews ) So I know most people in here won't agree with this but that wasn't the idea of it. Oh and typos are free (Y).

EDIT: I'd like to make a visual representation of the recoil system in Killzone 2, just to emphasize the point ( May not be entirely accurate );

e1dov6.png

Edited by Sethos
Veteran

Neil

Posted
Posted

Did the single player first before going online it is ok leaves open for a Killzone 3, add me if you want to your friends list (But please but Neowin in the subject when you add me!)

Did the single player first before going online it is ok leaves open for a Killzone 3, add me if you want to your friends list (But please but Neowin in the subject when you add me!)

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I have set up a server called INS ALL MAPS 26

Just me and massiveterra in it so far. I will give it like 15 minutes and if not one joins I will just go play single player.

Community Regular

GreatStalin

Posted
Posted
I have set up a server called INS ALL MAPS 26

Just me and massiveterra in it so far. I will give it like 15 minutes and if not one joins I will just go play single player.

Hm. I couldn't find your game whatsoever, even with all the settings on the most generic e.g. Worldwide, not just my rank, etc.!

Did you shut it down already?

Community Regular

GreatStalin

Posted
Posted (edited)
No, server is now up again, I had to sort out the ranks issue, so it is up again.

Bleh, still no luck in finding it! I'll try adding you and joining your game, hopefully with better results!

Edit: Ah well, nevermind now, guess I'll have to join you guys some other time! Good luck with the game.

Edited by GreatStalin
Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

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Bleh, still no luck in finding it! I'll try adding you and joining your game, hopefully with better results!

Yeah, that might be easier in the future, send me a friend request and I will accept, then just join through my name.

So I had to sign off, going to see the Watchmen in Imax so need to head off for that. Enjoy to anyone who keeps playing, and I have a few things I have to do tomorrow, but will try again to set up a server if possible for everyone probably in the late afternoon my time, which would be around 7 ish at night for the Europe members, give or take.

Grand Master

Green_Eye

Posted
Posted
Argh, just beat it, **** Rico man. Why do they make it out to make me hate that guy so much, ugh I wish I could have killed him so many times. This is one of the first games where I'm ****ed off after I beat it. It was a good game and all but ugh, that sob.

Rico, seriously wanted to stab him in the eye with an ice pick... :hmmm:

Only character that even has a chance to compete with Baird for most unlikeable f**k wit of the century and that is saying something...

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

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  • Veteran
Posted

i might set up a MP if anyone is around????

If not, I can and will play SP, I actually want to play that, but just let me know if there is an interest for some MP and i will check back here in about 15 or 20

Grand Master

KoL Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
i might set up a MP if anyone is around????

If not, I can and will play SP, I actually want to play that, but just let me know if there is an interest for some MP and i will check back here in about 15 or 20

I'm going to play but in about two hours.

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