Video Game Review: Alien War is Hell in Sony’s Amazing ‘Killzone 2’

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Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Some games are designed to take the edge off the day, to relax you from the stress of the real world. Play the excellent downloadable game “Flower” for a good example of one those. Don’t play “Killzone 2,” a fantastic shooter, one of the best in a long time, but also a stressful, sometimes terrifying ride through an alien war zone.

When I think about “Killzone 2” and the post-traumatic stress shakes subside, I have almost nothing but positive things to say.

The first thing you’ll notice when this excellent first-person, futuristic shooter loads are the gorgeous graphics. “Killzone 2” may be the best-looking shooter ever made. From the lighting effects to the environments that often fall apart under gunfire to the smoke created in the heat of battle, “Killzone 2” looks stunning.

Killzone 2
Photo credit: Sony

I’ve reviewed CGI movies (like the recent “Resident Evil: Degeneration”) that don’t look as good as the actual gameplay in “Killzone 2,” much less the cut scenes. This is the kind of game you use to show off your new HDTV.

Killzone 2 Photo credit: Sony

But we’ve all played games that look beautiful but don’t work. After you get over the visuals of “Killzone 2,” there’s still so much to love about this difficult, riveting title. A few overly long load times and a bit of repetition in the early levels hold it back from absolute perfection, but it may be as damn close as we’re going to get all year long.

In the single-player, ten-act mission in “Killzone 2,” you play Sev, a soldier battling the Helghan on the planet Helghast. It’s actually the third chapter, following the PSP “Killzone: Liberation”. You don’t need to have played either to enjoy “Killzone 2”. Essentially, you fought off the Helghan on your own planet of Vekta in the first game and now you’re going on the offensive and bringing the fight to the enemy.

Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Sev is joined by a remarkably realistic team including Rico, Garza, and Natko. They’ll provide cover fire for you, lead the way down a dark hall, and point you in the right direction. They feel remarkably real, as if you’re playing co-op next to another player. Like all co-op multiplayer, they even get in the way sometimes.

And that’s what’s truly amazing about “Killzone 2”. It feels like multi-player even during the single-player mission. Both on your side and the enemy, the good guys and bad guys don’t move like your typical, predictable AI-driven characters. Your enemy will work together, flanking you if need be, tossing grenades to move you from your cover, blind-firing so they stay protected, and even sneak up on you if you’re dumb enough not to clear a room before charging in. “Killzone 2” features arguably the best enemy A.I. ever produced in a video game.

Killzone 2 Photo credit: Sony

The word I keep thinking of to describe “Killzone 2” is epic. It feels like you’re dropped into the middle of a war zone. This is not a stealth-based title. More often than not, you’ll be running for cover, searching the buildings above in an attempt to figure out where the hell the enemy fire is coming from. You’ll quickly learn that charging into enemy territory is not a viable strategy. You need to plan, possibly finding higher ground, or staying behind cover until you can figure out the best way through the area without an alien bullet to the head.

“Killzone 2” is one of the most adrenalin-pumping titles that I have ever played. Thousands (maybe millions) of bullets will pierce your surround sound system in 7.1 channels and you’ll smile through every minute of it. Or scream as your character’s cover is destroyed yet again.

Killzone 2 Photo credit: Sony

The multi-player is typically extensive and currently jam-packed with players looking to blow your rookie head off with their assault rifle. There are two segments to the multiplayer - Skirmish and Warzone. Skirmish is a great idea that all FPS multi-player games should copy. Call it the “danger room”. In it, you can practice offline against up to 15 bots in multiplayer matches. You can set their difficulty level and then practice all of the match types like “Body Count,” “Search and Retrieve,” and “Capture and Hold”.

When you’re prepared, open the Warzone, a very well-designed online experience that allows you to earn points and increase your rank with more than just headshots. Additional player classes can be unlocked and the game experience is constantly evolving.

What holds back “Killzone 2”? As amazing as it looks and as cool as it is to toss a grenade and force your enemy right into your team’s gunfire, I stopped caring about the story a few times. The narrative is not particularly memorable and the dialogue and voice work is weak.

There are also some unacceptable load hiccups because developer Guerilla failed to have an install, running everything off the disc. When you’re running up a staircase to get to higher ground and take down your enemy, you don’t want a hiccup that lasts long enough that you think the game might have frozen.

Killzone 2
Photo credit: Sony

Finally, there are a few black holes, shadow spots where it looks like you should be able to go down a hallway but there’s just no graphic there. Oh, and the flamethrower is pathetic - poorly designed, useless, and like a relic from a game from ten years ago.

Minor details, for sure. “Killzone 2” is a crowd-pleaser, a shooter that looks amazing, has a great learning curve (it’s hard but doesn’t get frustratingly so), and should satisfy fans well into the summer.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com