Review: Killzone: Shadow Fall

The Killzone saga has been spread across three generations of Sony gaming consoles, and two handheld systems, beginning with the original game on the PS2, which was released in 2004. The sequel, Killzone 2 in 2009, followed this, becoming the holy grail to show off the power of what the PS3 had under its hood, taking a major leap in every way from its predecessor. Killzone 3, then hit shelves in 2011, wrapping up the trilogy for the PS3’s life cycle. Two other games, Killzone: Liberation was released for the PSP, and Killzone: Mercenary for the PS Vita, but these only offered side stories based on events of the main games and were limited to mobile gameplay. Now nearly ten years since its debut, developer Guerilla Games is ready to take the series further into the future, harnessing the power of Sony’s brand-spanking new super powerful PlayStation 4 console with the release of Killzone: Shadow Fall.

GAMEPLAY

Killzone: Shadow Fall takes place 30 years after the story ended in Killzone 3, displaying how the Helghast home planet has been destroyed by war, and refugees of that world have been sent to a planet called Vekta. The Helghast and the Vektans must share the central city of Vetka divided by a mammoth security wall that keeps the two sides calm by not allowing them to interact with one another. The wall can’t limit the tensions, causing a civil war to break loose between the Helghast and the Vektans as the Interactive Strategic Alliance (ISA) attempts to bring peace to a planet that is falling to pieces.

The first question many of you will have is how much better does a Killzone game look on the PS4, because the last two games on the PS3 did look quite amazing? Honestly, the look of the game is not the gigantic leap Killzone was on the PS2 compared to Killzone 2 on the PS3, but if you really look there are many subtle differences, and a few that are very obvious. For instance you can get plenty more enemies on the screen coming at you from all sides with near perfect consistency. The previous games enemy AI was very good, but on the PS4 the bad guys have better tactics and know when to get out of the way, then come at you hard when you’re behind cover and reloading.

The world of the Vetkan planet is where you will really see the eye candy that the PS4 has can offer. The environments are huge and extremely detailed, whether you’re in the Vetkan jungle running for cover as explosions are going off around you, or deep in the underground bunkers, displaying all the steel panels as sporadic hints of light shine across them perfectly. The developers have given this new chapter of the game a brighter look with more colors, rather than the dark gloomy look that the other games have had. In those moments when you’re not in a shootout, take some time to check of the scenery, which is very impressive.

The FPS gameplay in Shadow Fall is just like the previous games, but that’s not a bad thing at all. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. One of the best elements is that the player does not always have to follow the linear flow of the game. Some missions will give the player the option of either taking out the enemy with a hardcore gunfight, or you may be able to use your stealth wits and just limit yourself to specific kills when you need to get from point A to Z. You are also given a mechanical sidekick known as OWL, a floating drone that you can use to hack security checkpoints, and when all hell breaks loose it can even assist you in a gun battle and provide a temporary energy shield to give you time to come up with an exit strategy.

The main single player campaign can be completed in about eight to ten hours, but like all Killzone games, there is plenty of action to keep your adrenaline going. The new DualShock 4 controller feels good in your hands, though it’s a bit larger than the previous playstation controllers, thanks to the added touch pad, you can use it to control the OWL drone’s functions with the swipe of a finger, and this feature works very well.

GRAPHICS

Yes, no doubt, this game looks spectacular using the power of the PS4, showing the world of Vetka with amazing detail. The game runs at full 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, but at times there were some hiccups minor noticed in the frame rate. It looks better than any of the previous Killzone games in the series, and Guerilla Games put a lot into making a cinematic experience on the level of a big budget sci-fi movie. Obviously, this is a launch title to show off the new bells and whistles, but when developers understand more about the hardware of the PS4, just imagine what visual wonders the next Killzone game will offer a few years from now.

SOUND

The audio backdrop of this Killzone adventure is top-notch with different sound designs for every weapon used (just listen to the mags reload on each gun – Nice!) and explosive action sound quality that is on the same level of a motion picture. The actual voice work seems stale in places, and some of the dialogue is too “videogame-like,” but you’re not playing this type of game for the snappy dialogue.

REPLAY VALUE

After the campaign, Shadow Fall offers 10 multiplayer maps at launch, with more DLC said to be on the way. Using the “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality, Killzone’s multiplayer stays in line with Call of Duty and Halo, offering the same styles of gameplay with a few different signature features such as Warzones. You have the obvious deathmatch and capture modes, and players will go ballistic with the selection of weapons and attachments that can be accessed, as well as the option of creating their own specific Warzones. Guerrilla Games wants to ensure that this game will constantly be a PS4 favorite and plans to constantly not only add new maps, but various new content to keep the multiplayer fresh.

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Review: Killzone: Shadow Fall