Future War

Game: Killzone
System: Playstation 2
Release date: 11/3/2004
Developed by: Guerrilla Games
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

Video game critics will never confess that their opinions are sometimes influenced by pre-launch hype or, more accurately, the disappointment and surprise that accompanies a game which fails to "live up" to the hype; but critics, like all of us, are victims of their own expectations. Take Killzone, a 2004 PS2 first-person shooter which was touted in the months before its release as a "Halo-killer." When it failed to match critics' lofty expectations, it was summarily panned, even though it represents one of the best shooters on the PS2. Today, Killzone stands as one of the most underrated and underappreciated games ever made.

Killzone is set in the future, when humanity is colonizing outer space. In an opening cut-scene, players meet the Helghast empire, a group of human colonists who have undergone mutation and now view Earth and its loyal colonies as the enemy. The game begins as Helghast troops launch a full-scale attack on the planet Vekta, a colony loyal to Earth and the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA). Players then take control of ISA Captain Jan Templar, pinned down under enemy fire and surrounded by Helghast shocktroopers.


Killzone unfolds across several environments on Vekta: urban slums, steamy swamps, snowy mountain summits, etc. All have been drawn masterfully by the designers at Guerrilla Games, who have built in Killzone a bleak vision of humanity's future, painted with gritty grays. The villains of the game, the Helghast, are another feat of imaginative thinking; most appear dressed in black fatigues, wearing rebreathers and goggles which glow orange. One could easily draw parallels between the Helghast army and the Nazi war machine.

Players begin the game as Captain Templar, but as he is joined by other heroes, players can begin chapters as one of four soldiers. Each is equipped with his or her own weapons and skills. The relationships between and among the four-person team are explored in cut-scenes sprinkled throughout the game. Cut-scenes also propel the plot, which becomes more involving and suspensful as the game progresses.

Although its not the "Halo-killer" some had anticipated, Killzone is an excellent game with an engaging storyline, some great combat and an unmatched visual style. Killzone also features offline and online multiplayer matches, supporting up to 16 players on a local server.

Score: 94/100