Killzone is a PlayStation 3 game trapped in a PlayStation 2 game's body.
In a nutshell, that's the fundamental problem with this ambitious but flawed first-person shooter that some in the gaming media had hyped as a "Halo-killer" - the PS2's answer to the juggernaut Xbox franchise.
If you're like me, you probably looked at the amazing Killzone screenshots and thought, "Well, they might be right. This thing looks awesome. How great would it be to have two utterly kick-ass shooters come out at almost the same time?"
Unfortunately, the minute you see Killzone in action, that illusion is dashed. While it's definitely one of the best-looking games on the PS2, the trade-offs for these dazzling visuals are sluggish framerates, generic action and a thuddingly average online component.
Killzone's intriguing sci-fi backstory imagines a human colony world that has splintered off from the rest of mankind to form a brutish, Nazi-like military machine that aims to bring war to the rest of Earth's citizenry.
These Helghast (they live on a world called Helghan, hence the unfortunate name) have invaded another human colony world, and as a member of the International Strategic Arms force, it's up to you and your fellow soldiers to drive them off. This, as you might have guessed, involves guns, grenades, rocket launchers, sniper rifles and plenty of corpses.
Although the backstory is interesting, the plot itself doesn't do much to set the game apart from the horde of other shooters out there. Mission objectives vary from level to level, but the Helghast minions tend to attack in the same way every time, usually without much intelligence.
Not that your fellow squadmates are a bunch of Sun Tzu disciples, either ... eventually I just looked at them as human shields, since they did little to help the cause offensively. There was never much reason to switch between playable teammates either, though you're given the option.
While Killzone fails to be a Halo-killer in its single-player campaign, its online multiplayer aspect doesn't fare much better. The PS2's processors, already maxed out by the demanding graphics engine, seem to have trouble with the additional load of keeping track of other players in the game.
There are some interesting multiplayer game types in the offing, but gamers accustomed to the frantic fragfests in SOCOM II shouldn't expect the same level of spit and polish sophistication here. And if you've been playing Halo 2 online ... well, Killzone is one giant leap backwards.
In fact, as choppy as the visuals are, they (along with the excellent audio and musical score) are really the game's strongest suit. Especially if you just set the controller down and admire the roiling fog or bombed-out buildings or detailed character models. Without trying to, you know, run around. Or shoot anything.
The PS2 is still the dominant console of this generation and by far the best choice for genres like role-playing games and action-adventure platformers. But one place it simply can't stack up against the Xbox is with first-person shooters.
Killzone could have been the game to change all that, but instead it ends up being a thoroughly average run-and-gun affair that highlights the limitations of the aging PS2 hardware. The Master Chief can sleep easy tonight, knowing he's still the top dog in the galaxy.
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BOTTOMLINE
Stunning visuals, intense audio and an interesting backstory can't quite make up for the mediocre gameplay and technological glitches.
