Killzone 2 – Reviewed – PS3

Killzone 2 employs the standard first-person control scheme: movement on the Left Stick and aiming on the Right Stick. The shoulder buttons take care of the usual offensive options, you know, firing, melee attacks, and all that. The D-pad handles weapon selection, and the face buttons handle various miscellaneous actions like item interaction, reloading, and so on. Nothing out of the ordinary here, right? Right. The only interesting control choice from Guerrilla is that, in a few instances, you are required to use the Sixaxis motion sensor functionality to perform various tasks like turning valve handles and planting satchel charges. They could have easily made these tasks accessible via a button, or on a timer system like the bomb disposal in Counterstrike. However, the reason for the inclusion of the motions becomes apparent when you’re required to perform these tasks in the heat of battle, relying on your teammates for protection as you frantically try to complete the motion as quickly as possible before you cop one. It’s also cool that you actually have to mimic the motion of Sev’s hands with the controller, making it feel ever so slightly more realistic.

One other very important control choice is the inclusion of a snap-to-cover system, something which is rising in popularity among shooter developers, and for good reason too. I personally can’t see any reason why all shooters shouldn’t include this mechanic from now on, and thankfully Killzone 2 uses it well. At any time you’ve got something solid to put between you and your enemies, holding down the L1 button will make Sev “snap” into position behind it, whether it’s a wall, a crate, an overturned car, or even an explosive barrel, if you want. As long as you hold the L1 button, Sev will remain behind cover, and if you want to make Sev pop-out to fire at his enemies, all you have to do is move the Left Stick in the direction you wish to pop-out and hold it there while aiming with the Right Stick and firing. Letting go of the Left Stick allows Sev to duck back behind cover. In this way, Killzone 2’s snap-to-cover system feels very, very similar to the one used in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, albeit a lot faster, smoother, and more enjoyable. Oh yeah, and your enemies can also do this, and they do it well too.

Unlike the previous games, which used a combination of regenerating health and health packs to keep your character in fighting condition, Killzone 2 relies solely on the now-commonplace regenerating health system. As you begin to take hits, your view will quickly become ringed by splattered blood, and the colour will slowly fade. If you take even more damage, things will start to look blurry, and this is a sign that you’re about to keel over and die, so you’d better find a safe spot and wait for your health to stabilize.

There are a wide variety of weapons on offer in Killzone 2, including most of the popular weapons from the previous games. As always, the Vetkan weapons are generally more precise, but only mid-ranged in power, whereas the Helghast weapons are generally more powerful with large ammo clips, but are noticeably less accurate. Still, a player with good aim and firm grasp of how to fire properly in short bursts will be able to make good use of weapons from both sides. Just like in the previous games, you can only carry two weapons at a time. However, a nice touch is that Sev’s sidearm now has unlimited ammo, and it’s powerful too. The only drawback is that it’s almost useless at a distance and it kicks hard when fired, meaning that its refire rate is low. Still, it’s a lot better to have that in a pinch than the knife.

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Last Updated: February 5, 2009