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Killzone

Is Sony's opus likely to snipe Halo? We find out...

Right, you're a huge gaming superpower and you've just placed a new-ish Dutch company in charge of what you're hoping will be one of the killer apps on your platform. There are two things you can do in this situation. The first is keep things under wraps, hope that your chosen developer pulls a real corker out of the bag and then unleash it upon an unprepared world. The second is to announce that the title in question is set to be better than anything else yet seen in the genre, a "Halo-beater" for want of a better term, even if it's only been in development for a very short time. The latter option could either be seen as a tremendous vote of confidence or instead a massively huge pressure that could force the whole development team to buckle.

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In early previews of Killzone it started to seem more and more unlikely that what we had in our hands wasn't anywhere near a Halo beater. Further previews served only to reinforce this view. Word gets out, forums are set alight with manic fanboy banter. Suddenly people no longer want a game that's better than Halo, they want a failure. They want dross; they want Driv3r all over again. And from what I've read of the reviews so far, that's what many people have received. By the time I received my review copy I was expecting a rancid turd of a game, a game I would distinctly dislike. You can imagine what a surprise it was then when I discovered that Killzone is actually really good.

Or is it? You see, that's a question I've asked myself throughout my time with Killzone. Any sort of extended play forces the quite obvious faults of the game into full view. But then I could say the same about Halo. Bungie's masterpiece is certainly not without faults itself. The identikit corridors, the dreary levels toward the end of the game, the lack of enemy variety. Hell, I can even criticise Pro Evolution Soccer at length if you so desire, but that's not to say I would deny its majesty. Killzone has a lot of problems, but the thing is that despite them I've really enjoyed it. Again, just like Halo.

I won't kid you though - I'm not suggesting for one minute that Killzone is better than Halo or Halo 2. It's not. However, whilst it may not be as good as Halo what you also need to realise is that it's also very different. The Chronicles of Riddick and Serious Sam are both first person shooters but despite this fundamental similarity they're different in nearly every other respect. Halo is about superb AI, quality set pieces and fantastic multiplayer fun. Killzone is about stunning urban environments, industrial decay and chunky weapons. Halo is better in several key areas, but there are things about Killzone that I prefer. It sets out to do a completely different job to Halo and whilst it may not pull it off quite as well, where Halo succeeds in one respect, Killzone does in another.

Despite what you may have heard, if Killzone does one thing right it's the way it represents urban warfare in a decaying future world. Graphically it is really excellent. There is a price to pay (remember, as much as the PS2 continues to impress it is getting old, bless it) and that comes in the form of a stuttering framerate and some shocking draw distances. The framerate you can deal with in much the same as you do in Star Wars Battlefront. Nonetheless, it does struggle along and on those rare occasions it does actually maintain a steady 30fps you can't help but stop to admire how nice it could be. The draw distance is something you'll notice less, especially as much of the combat takes place in tight interiors, but when it does crop up it is a problem. Frustrating would be an accurate way to describe what it's like to try and snipe an enemy whilst having to aim for his gunfire because the character himself is fogged out.

Yet no matter the sometimes quite severe technical restrictions you have to put up with, there's no denying that the world of Killzone is a carefully and lovingly constructed one. There's something about the levels and visuals that just screams "solid". Every panel has been carefully sculpted, each pillar or holding support gently polished. You never get the feeling that Killzone's world has been pieced together from a set pool of textures and polygons. Every part of it feels individually considered. Get up close to a ladder and you can see the individual patches of rust, it emits a satisfying creak as you slide down it and the sway of your head as you climb reminds you that climbing ladder in the midst of a violent urban firefight is bloody hard work. Granted, there are times when you can almost see the PS2 reel in pain at the effort needed to pump all this out. The tiny white dots that sometimes flicker along the lines where polygons connect almost suggest that the world is ready to tear in two. Luckily, the old girl manages to just about hold things together.

Good thing too, because there are joys to be had. The weapons are so chunky, their loading animations so robust and mechanic that you can almost feel them in your hands. People have commentated on the comparatively long time that it takes to reload and whilst this may be true they are really missing the point. People got annoyed that Doom 3 didn't allow the use of a pistol and a torch simultaneously and whilst this of course is annoying to the player who is accustomed to a predetermined and formulaic control scheme, the fact is that it was a design decision. Doom 3 isn't about team management, fully interactive worlds or sophisticated AI; it's about tension and slaughter. Alternating between torch and gun builds tension, in the same way that clunky controls add to the terror in Resident Evil.

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1. killzone lluks ace! as does call of duty. go on gameplay (.co.uk) and go on movie clips on call of duty. d 1st one luks ace! betta dan medal of honour by far, n i luvd MOH

   jimmy C Friday, 3 December 2004, 14:05:12

2. the best game i have ever played infact i just this second completed it the only bad point i would say is that you cant drive the tanks or jump on those flying bikes also people say the levels are colourless but if you were in for example that snowy mountine level what other colours would you expect to see i think it is really realistick

   sam daw Friday, 3 December 2004, 15:41:8

3. I was unsure about Killzone until I played the demo which got me hooked. Then I bought the full game and the extra layer of polish just added to the whole experience. There aren't many games where I look up and 3 hours of passed (especially on the PS2). This isn't the best looking FPS in the world, you need a PC for that, but gameplay wise it has all the hooks, big weapons, realistic environments and well thought out level design. Put the XBox pad down for a bit and try this little gem. It's tough but every time you die you find yourself pressing the Retry button again.

   emdee Sunday, 5 December 2004, 14:48:33

4. A lot of reviews for the game have been reasonably negative, so I'm glad you guys agree with me.

   Ben P Sunday, 5 December 2004, 16:57:5

5. Great review.

   Read so much negative press about this game and was quite certain it was hypebacklash. You convinved me it's true and that I should follow my gutreaction and get this game :)

   Muliboy Monday, 6 December 2004, 15:39:55

6. Good man. I hope you're not disappointed.

   Ben P Tuesday, 7 December 2004, 04:10:13

7. killzone rocks its so realistic and better than halo 2 . halo 2 is almot just like the first 1

   jopk Wednesday, 15 December 2004, 11:51:20

8. im lookin to but the game and reviews are tellin me it aint soo good should i give it a try ?

   big opossum Thursday, 16 December 2004, 14:09:26

9. Killzone is the best game ever. Killzone is well better than Halo 2. does that even have a story?

   CyaNidE Friday, 17 December 2004, 09:46:40

10. i luv killzone

    tom Monday, 20 December 2004, 21:10:22

11. everyone buy killzone because it is so awesome everyone get it and make it platinum!

    frederic Monday, 20 December 2004, 21:15:37

12. Killzone online is the best ever

    zmurph Wednesday, 22 December 2004, 20:06:25

13. Killzone dilemma:

    i can't kill that tank on the beach (first beach where Helgast attack)

    any hints?????

    megatonpower Thursday, 23 December 2004, 02:39:0

14. you complain way to much on how bottles and sh!t dont move on the ground after you shoot them soo what i really dont care if somthing on the ground moves or not as long as the graphics are good and the game play is good, then the game is good! and as for halo its way to short and i was really dissapointed in the 2nd one.

    kev Saturday, 25 December 2004, 01:52:5

16. As for ur question about the tank on the beach ^^^

    if you look against the wall behind the gun turret on the right, you will find a rocket launcher and some ammo for it! pick it up as soon as you come onto the beach house patio and once u see the tank rolling up, switch to the launcher and wait for the tank to stop, then unload three shots on it! let ur comrades take the gun turrets whilst you use the machine gun of ur choice to help kill the soldiers, while you wait for the tank.

    How can you guys keep saying this game got bad reviews??? dont any of you read PSM magazine? the game got a 9/10 and is a "Buy or Die" recommendation! my ONLY complaint about this game is the lack of a "peek" ability, which means you must constantly strafe back and forth behind stuff while attacking the Helghast. aside from that, the realism is amazing, the A.I. is astounding and the fact that you can play thru the game with different characters adds excellent replayability! Hell, i've had this game for a week now and am still playing solo player campaign! I'm waiting until my "Killzone skills" are unrivaled on Hard difficultly solo before i even attempt to play it online! Wise choice for Christmas this year... KILLZONE TAKES THE CAKE BOYS!

    Loganys Saturday, 25 December 2004, 07:03:20

17. Wow, i should have read all of that BS of a review before i made my first comment. This pansy must be playing the game on easy or something, or playing an entirely different game all together!

    1st - you say that the Helgast simply "respawn" ?? I've played thru the game once on Normal and am 3/4 the way thru on Hard and have NEVER seen the enemies simply "spawn".

    2nd - Imagine if the Helgast was a REAL army, all of them identically bred to be a soldier, and they are told to patrol a certain area, they do that perfectly, and when they seem to "follow their preset patrol routes and cover patters religiously, sometimes even if you're taking pot shots at them over some nearby railings" what they are doing is trying to find cover, and they do that extremly well too, like when they are in hiding for 2 minutes, notice that they are still looking around for you, or are reloading their weapon.

    3rd - The so called "Lack of Jump" that you complain about is meaningless anyhow, the game does a perfect job of allowing you to jump when need be! You would have been much better off complaing about a "Lack of Peek around corners", as i did in my previous comment

    4th (and final) - You complained that the accuracy problem was a fault of the PS2's analog sticks when in reality, the game makes perfect use of weapon recoil and detriment of aim. I'll tell you what, you go and get urself a large machine gun such as those found in the game and then tell me how easy it is to fire that thing accuratly! Also, if you seem to be sitting there waiting for the end of level event, you probably missed the fact that one of your "posse of fellow slaughterers" as you called them was killing the last Helgast soldier to trigger it.

    Wow, ok im done ranting... unfortunetly to say that I probably will never return to this website to read a game review ever again. They should warn people that these reviews are done by 12 year olds who only play when their homework is done...

    FINAL ANALYSIS: KILLZONE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS GREATER THAN THAT OF THIS MINDLESS BOOB WHO WROTE THIS REVIEW...

    THIS GAME DESERVED AT LEAST A 95%, SIMPLY FOR LACK OF A "PEEK AROUND CORNERS" ABILITY

    thanks ; ) I'm done now

    Loganys Saturday, 25 December 2004, 07:24:44

18. Killzone was a great game, and the graphicks were awsome. it makes halo look like sh!t in a tolet because i hate dumb @ss halo nurds

    radognayr Thursday, 30 December 2004, 00:06:57

19. Loganys,

    thanks for the help.

    it seems there was a slight glitch in my game and the grenades weren't affecting th tank for some reason.

    (i'm in China and for what i pay i can't complain)

    I'm past it now.

    my only complaint with the game compared to the Medal of Honor series is the repetition in the scenarios...i.e. coming around the same cornersor staircases again and again is something that never happened in Medal of Honour. the action and graphics make up for it though.

    megatonpower Monday, 3 January 2005, 02:43:28

20. killzone is good but its no Halo 2

    ldr Monday, 10 January 2005, 21:38:54

21. Although it is not a "Halo killer", it does add that gritty feel as stated in the review. Sure it does have the occasional glitch, but what game doesnt? I really loved the Helghast in the game, they help to add to that feeling of an imposing army that will not stop at anything in their Blitzkrieg of the ISA forces that have suppressed their kind. Yes, the reloading time does add tension in those close-quarters firefights, which im sure was on purpose. I think that overall, this game is great on the basis of being realistic in the subject of warfare, as it is not as "polished" and clean as portrayed in the Halo series.

    Anubis Friday, 21 January 2005, 11:35:9

22. No im not talkin about you anubis im talkin about the reviewer ben parfitt :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :): ) :_:(alien)

    some dude Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 11:34:14

23. the game was awsome at first when i got it but then i got bored with it. i really like mx v.s. atv unleashed. c ya when is ps3 coming ou ti wan it so bad

    bh310 Tuesday, 12 April 2005, 17:37:42

24. Kilzone is the best game ever made in the world of gaming . Lets not make it platinum but game of the year visit play . com and get it for $13.00 Me out

    Gamer XT Wednesday, 13 April 2005, 15:03:4

25. killzone is fully sick. it is toatlybetter then halo2. halo2 is the same as number halo.they have made it well but i hope killzone2 is better.

    amos and page Saturday, 2 July 2005, 06:20:57

26. How do I play online ? Must I do an account with it ? Please help.

    Vicke Thursday, 17 November 2005, 17:24:11

27. How do I play online ? Must I do an account with it ? Please help ! I am a Killerzone fan. But it doesn´t work online ! So please help me with this and write an ANSWER to me as soon as possible !!! // Vicke :-D

    Vicke Friday, 18 November 2005, 14:33:43

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