Customer Reviews
Surpassed expectations - By: A. GILL, 04 Jan 2009 
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INTRODUCTION
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Having spent a lot of time playing Killzone on PS2, & being a big fan i was surprised when i got an e-mail from PSN saying i was invited to Beta Test Killzone 2. Well actually i got damn well excited - & it turned out i had good reason as well.
If your familiar with the original Killzone, your probably aware of the average reviews it got (6-7/10) with arguments over its anti-climatic ending, boring single player gameplay & its weapons not 'feeling right'. We all wanted it to be Playstation's answer to Halo, & despite it being a solid game it didnt have that unique factor Halo had, & was plagued by a lot of glitches on the PS2 system. Regardless, Killzone was a good game, it got a fanbase & left the door open for a sequel...
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THE GAME
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The destroyed & crumbling metropolis has been done beforein sci-fi games, but never has it felt so damn oppressive or unnervingly realistic. Moving aboutin this world keeps you assuredly groundedin it, as your character feels weighty, & runs & guns with every inch of his bulk & heft. He feels human, & therefore vulnerable.
K2 offers unique game modes you havent seen beforein games like Call of Duty - so dont think its just another FPS - It will definitley give something different to COD fans who are't familiar with the Killzone series.
The maps are very varied, with the beta ones demonstrating small & claustraphobic places, as well as large & sprawling maps, spreading players out across the area through a series of empty buildings & winding alleyways.
The missions on offerin the beta were generously all the ones that have made the final blu-ray cut.There's the more traditional `Body Count', essentially a straight up team deathmatch, `Search & Retrieve' of the capture the flag variety, `Capture & Hold', seize two hotspots, `Search & Destroy', let's bomb the bastards, & `Assasination', where one poor helpless fella is the target of the entire oppositions army, & it's your job to protect him.
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MULTIPLAYER
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Killzone 2's multiplayer caters to 2-32 players, & each match is separated into a game size of small (2-8), medium (9-16) or large, (17-32). You can then choose your faction, at this point either one of the Helghst (the baddies) or the ISA(the goodies), your weapons, & then step right in, ladies & gentlemen.
There are seven multiplayer weapon classes altogether, & each class can be combined with another to provide unique mishmashes, depending on your preferred style of play. You can choose from Rifleman, the weapon-heavy option, the Scout, who can cloak himself with invisibility, the Engineer, who can program & repair turrets, the Medic, the Tactician, who can toss grenades that act as spawning points, the Assault, who has extra armour, & finally the Saboteur, who can mimic the enemy & use this ability to infiltrate the opposing base. Combine any two together & voila, you've got an invisible medic.
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GAMEPLAY
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Killzone 2 feels like a classic FPS. Essentially, if you see your enemy before they see you THEY ARE DEAD, & vice versa. A few bullets to the torso is all it takes. When your down you arein last stand mode i guess, awaiting for someone to revive you. This lasts a few seconds before you respawn.
Health doesnt regenerate - it feels like the game wants you to die. Respawning is quick & easy. There are now 'powerups' or health packs, or ammo boxesin K2. Its just hardcore FPS, scavaging some ammo from a dead guy is all you get.
Bottom line is the game demands skill, & tactical thought. The maps are perfect for tactics.a mixture of large open spaces & small winding corridors, giving you the opportunity to approach the situation from a variety of ways. You won't find yourself stuckin a choke point either, as the maps aren't linear, & you'll often move back & forth through the same areas. There's also the option to remove that creepy feeling of isolation by joining a four-man squad within your larger team, where you can nut out a game plan for yourselves & communicate via headset. Once you introduce classes & different weaponryin amongst all this, the tactical possibilities go through the roof.
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FINAL WORDS
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Hopefully, Killzone 2's single player campaign will be as equally well crafted as its lean & deadly multiplayer. It will need, perhaps, a little sprinkling of charmin order to shake up Master Chief's championship, but there is certainly enough confidence on display to suggest a winning formula.
The sequel to the PS2 shooter emerges as one of the better reasons to own Sony's PS3 - By: Sqllius, 28 Nov 2008 
The campaign, which is very good, is Killzone 2's weakest point. It doesn't capture the cavalier spirit of the original Killzone, but you'll still have fun playing through it. There's no first-person shooter on PS3 that can equal Killzone 2's blend of cinematic action, adrenaline-pumping shootouts, & male- (and female)-bonding gameplay. Look beyond the gameplay & you have a rich feature set unlike anything ever deliveredin a videogame. The Forge & the replay functionality raise the bar for console shooters so high, it may never be surpassed this generation. There will be plenty of aspects for fans to nitpick, but it's hard to argue against Killzone 2 as the most complete game available on any console.
Beta Review - By: C. Maitland, 23 Nov 2008 I was lucky enough to be selected for beta testing, & already this game is looking immense, forget about your gears of war & halos this is the game to have!!
