A beautiful and epic single player campaign is nothing when it comes to Killzone 2's awesome online experience!
Killzone 2's story is pretty good but not a redeeming factor of the whole game. The story takes place a few months after the first game after the Helghast retreated Vekta in the first game its was time for Vekta to bring its counter-attack to Helghan. It was supposed to be an easy mission but they were wrong now you will be fighting for your life in this epic battle. You play as Sev a member of Alpha squad the squad you played in the first Killzone. The story isn't bad but it isn't good either its just there.
Killzone 2's characters aren't very loveable either to say the least. Every character you meet in this game is just a big potty-mouthed whenever your in a firefight you will hear your teammates drop the F-bomb every few seconds. It gets quite annoying after awhile but then again after awhile you get used to it too you might even see yourself using the F-bomb a lot more. You will never get attached to the characters at all they will just be there to help advance the plot.
Killzone 2 gameplay is as good as its graphics which means its amazing in more ways then one. First off I'll start off with KZ2's breathtaking single player. The core mechanics of the single player is basically the same as any other first person shooter. You have your primary weapon, a pistol, and grenades. In Killzone 2 you can exchange weapons with dead allies or enemies on the battlefield so you are always ready for any kind of situation that is thrown at you. There is a cover system for single player but its nothing revolutionary but it isn't bad either its just there plain and simple. There are a few Sixaxis motion controls instances that you have to do in single player but there aren't many and they don't get in the way of the flow of the game. Even through this seems too be a futuristic game the weapons are oddly modern there are only two weapons that are futuristic although this may seem weird and stupid it actually makes the game seem a lot better and epic.
The single player campaign is one of the epic experiences you will ever come across. You will literally never come across less then 5 minutes without some type of firefight this may seem like it will get repetitive quickly but Killzone 2 changes up the firefights to make sure it will never get repetitive and you will think you're in a whole entirely new epic firefight. The campaign can really be summed up in one word epic. As I said the story isn't anything special and you would think because of that the campaign wouldn't be worth playing well let me tell you it is. The campaign is filled with explosive action and some scripted cut scenes that scream epic.
Now onto multiplayer the biggest part of any first-person shooter. What does Killzone 2 do that sets it apart from any other regular first-person shooter, well for one it captures the epic action of the campaign and puts it into one class based first-person shooter online kill fest. Killzone 2 is a class based shooter just like the Battlefield games but Killzone 2 adds there own little twist. They have a badge system where you can have a primary and secondary badge. Each class has there own primary and secondary badge but you can mix and match with your secondary badges to match your primary badge to make the gameplay very different from any other first person shooter. There are five different classes in Killzone 2 the medic which can revive your teammates, the engineer which can set up turrets for defensive and offensive reasons, the scout which is basically a sniper which can use a cloak that can make you almost completely invisible, the assault which has higher defense, the tactician which can make a spawn point for your team for offensive and defensive reasons, and last but not least the saboteur which can wear a disguise as a enemy soldier to infiltrate enemy lines. Each class has there own secondary ability such as the tactician can call on for air support and the saboteur has C4's in which they can plant. Mixing and matching up these badges can make your own very unique play style and makes the multiplayer highly immersive. The bad point is that you do not unlock all the classes from the start and you can only unlock them by playing matches to get promoted. This actually takes quite awhile to fully experience the multiplayer which means the first beginning hours are not as action packed and might get a little boring for some.
The matches actually remind me of a sport seven game series. You play seven modes in one single match and best out of seven wins the whole entire match. The modes range from Bodycount (Team Deathmatch), Search and Retrieve (Capture the Flag), Capture and Hold (Conquest), Assassination, and Search and Destroy. The modes switch quite well during the match and will never stop the flow of the action. Another big factor that makes the Killzone 2 online such a success is its balanced maps. Such as Pyrrhus Rise which is a long desert map which is fit for snipers but adds small buildings fit for close quarters combat and Corinth Crossing which adds multiple levels on a destroyed bridge. Each map is equally balanced for every class and you can never blame the map for your team losing its just you and your team. Every map is balanced which really doesn't happen very often in first-person shooters. You can also practice the maps offline with bots if you want to improve your game online in a particular map, it's great for practicing for when you go online. Killzone 2 multiplayer also offers clan support for you competitive people out there and squads for some strategic tactics against your enemy. The multiplayer looks as good as the single player campaign and really doesn't have that much lag surprisingly for its beautiful 32 player matches. Killzone 2's single player campaign and its multiplayer action really does make Killzone 2's gameplay simply incredible.
The graphics are simply remarkable and breathtaking. Do I really even have to explain how good they look? Killzone 2 uses the full power of the cell processor to make the game look like no other. Its textures on the buildings and characters look simply amazing I never thought that I would be looking at the ground and walls and think, "Man these look so real." The lighting effects really are the best that I have ever seen in a game before. It's not only city areas with no color you will also encounter a desert area with a bunch of vibrant colors. Killzone 2 really does show what the PS3 really can do and what it will continue to do in the future.
The sound in Killzone 2 is very extraordinary. The battles you will come across in Killzone 2 will make it really seem like you're in that battle thanks to the sound. You will hear the bullets coming from every direction and will hear every explosion and you will hear the battles in the distance. It really does capture the epic battles through the sound in Killzone 2.
The replayability in Killzone 2 is of course amazing. Its single player campaign stretches 8-10 hours but through several different difficulties it could last much longer. The multiplayer however will keep you playing for hundreds of hours because it has such immersive multiplayer. The trophies in Killzone 2 will take quite awhile too get all of them so for all you trophy maniacs out there it will take you awhile to get that platinum. So in short Killzone 2 is defiantly worth your hard earned money.
Killzone 2 is an achievement for its explosive and epic campaign and of course its immersive multiplayer mode. The main attraction for Killzone 2 is its multiplayer so if you're one of those gamers that just play through single player once but don't like multiplayer I say this is just a rent but if you intend on hopping on multiplayer make sure to tell your friends on Call of Duty and Halo that you are leaving them for awhile. I give Killzone 2 a 9 out of 10.