Killzone

PlayStation exclusive

Killzone is a sci-fi-themed first-person shooter. The game's stand-out feature is the ability to control any of the four different protagonists, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Up to sixteen players could compete in the online multiplayer portion, which includes eight maps and six modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Assault, Defend and Destroy, Supply Drop, and Domination. The online servers of the game have now been closed down.

Released: 2 November 2004
Platforms: PlayStation 2
Genres: Shooter
Developers: Guerrilla Games
Publishers: Sony Computer Entertainment
Modes: Co-op Local multiplayer Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: First person
Themes: Action Science fiction Warfare

About

Killzone is a series of first-person shooter video games for Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) video game consoles. The main series and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) installment were developed by Guerrilla Games, a subsidiary of SIE, and the PlayStation Vita installment was developed by Guerrilla Cambridge. Killzone consists of six games, beginning on the PlayStation 2 in November 2004 with Killzone, and continued on the PlayStation Portable in October 2006 with Killzone: Liberation. Killzone 2 was released for the PlayStation 3 in February 2009, and Killzone 3 was released in February 2011, also for the PlayStation 3. Killzone: Mercenary was released for the PlayStation Vita in September 2013, followed by Killzone: Shadow Fall, a launch title for the PlayStation 4, in November 2013.

›Story

During the era of space exploration, a faction of humans colonized the planet Helghan. In order to survive in the harsh environment, these people mutated to the point of no longer remaining human. They developed a passionate hatred for mankind, and eventually formed the Helghast Empire, attacking the planet Vekta controlled by the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA). As Helghast soldiers invade the planet's perimeter, the ISA forces are trying to hold the ground and find a way to stop them.

Keywords

modern warfare
death
military
war
multiple protagonists
artificial intelligence
tank
silent protagonist
good vs evil
playstation network
no jumping
split-screen multiplayer

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Killzone, Killzone 2, Killzone 3, Killzone: Mercenary, and Killzone: Shadow Fall are first-person shooters. Killzone: Liberation is presented as an isometric twin sticks shooter. The games were developed by Guerrilla Games, except for Killzone: Mercenary, which was developed by Guerrilla Games' sister studio, Guerrilla Cambridge, and published by Sony. Players can carry two different weapons at any given time.

Players can either obtain ammo or swap out their current weapons with any weapon dropped by a downed foe or from those scattered around the various maps. g. ).

Story

The series is set in the 24th century, showing the galactic war between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghan Empire. The Killzone series follows the continuous war between the ISA and Helghast taking place on both ISA Earth colonies and the planet Helghan, the home planet of the Helghast. The series has featured four main protagonists: Cpt/Col. Jan Templar (Killzone and Killzone: Liberation), Sgt. Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko (Killzone 2 and Killzone 3), mercenary Arran Danner (Killzone: Mercenary), and Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan (Killzone: Shadow Fall).

The main antagonist was originally Helghast Autarch Scolar Visari; his death in Killzone 2 brought about the rise of two new antagonists and the hopeful heirs to Visari's throne in Killzone 3: Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock. After Orlock's death and the unknown details of Stahl's death and the destruction of Helghan, now covered in petrusite, the Helghast now live on Vekta with a giant wall dividing them from the Vektans. "The Black Hand", a Helghast paramilitary terrorist group, was formed under Vladko Tyran, who became an antagonist, along with Lady Hera Visari (Scolar Visari's daughter) who has inherited her father's throne. By the end of Killzone: Shadow Fall, it is revealed that the main antagonist is Stahl, who managed to survive the events of Killzone 3, but is dispatched by Vektan Security Agency director Thomas Sinclair.

Reception

The first Killzone received mixed to positive reviews from magazines and websites. PSM stated that Killzone is "Graphically stunning and hits the mark in so many ways, it's baffling; they promised us we'd experience future war, and we have... and come away shaking." Other reviewers cited technical problems with Killzone, including inconsistent AI, occasional bugs, frame-rate issues, distracting graphical glitches, repetition of the same voices, short draw distance, and an awkward control system.

Critics also complained about the gameplay, with IGN labeling it "underwhelming and mediocre" and Into Liquid Sky stating that it needs "more refinement". Sarcastic Gamer's "How to Kill a Brand" (a parody of How to Save a Life) criticized Killzone, saying it didn't deserve a sequel.