Killzone (PS3) - 9. Hidden Paths [Luger]
5Killzone 2 and 3 might be remembered for being a stellar series of first person shooters, having some of the best looking presentation, environments and atmosphere in any seventh generation game. Even today, both of Guerilla Games' efforts on PlayStation 3 look incredibly impressive but they still play impressive too, with tacticle feeling weapons and enemy reactions that feel exactly as they should for a game of it's type.
There once was a time where Killzone, and Guerilla Games at large, did not have this legacy though.
Killzone on PlayStation 2, for the majority of it's lead-up to release, was infamously touted as the "Halo Killer" Sony's system was pining for. And, in truth, for the longest time it appeared as if it could fulfill that promise. No title pushed the system as hard as the first Killzone did. Even back in late 2004, Guerilla Games promised to bring a mood as encapturing as that of All Quiet at the Western Front in a first person shooter, and while they certainly succeeded in doing just that, it is clear this game pushed PS2 a little too hard.
Even so, alot of how Killzone 2 and 3 play is evident in the first game such as the slow, heavy, lumbering controls, including deliberately long (but well animated) weapon actions like firing and reloading. Every weapon is unique and has feedback when firing, with recoil that feels appropriate and with purpose, much unlike other shooters of the day. Enemies even have unique ragdolls which was very unusual in an era where developers were only starting to employ Havok and similar technologies in their games.
There was also an obvious attempt to make the world feel real and lived in. I like the vibe Guerilla Games went for, with the muted urban backdrops and smoke-drenched arenas envelope much of the experience. Broken buildings and dead bystanders litter the Vektan battlefields. The grittiness of Killzone's landscapes are even evident in the film grain, used as a filter in the game's presentation, and it feels raw and relentless in all.
Where Killzone falters however is in its lack of polish. While this PlayStation 3 release runs smooth as butter, Killzone on PS2 performed erratically, with frame-rates dropping well below 20 during busier sections of the campaign. Pop-in was also a massive issue, with the PS2 DVD laser not being able to keep up with Killzone's constant streaming of data. The way in which scripted sequences played out likewise were rough, and a little limited, with regular turrent sequences and enemy chokepoints employed to present the player with atleast some challenge. The Helghast threat is shown to be merciless, with their Dalek-esque calls making their unnatural appareance ever more frightening, but their AI's general stupidity negates that as they fail to react to player actions - whether being sniped or slowly dispatched loudly.
While Killzone does introduce different playable characters with their own unique playstyles (Templar - All-round, Rico - Heavy Weapons, Luger - Stealth, Hakha - Tech), the levels are largely linear in nature with only some character specific branching paths. The last boss is the same for every character too, with the fight being little more than a battle of attrition as you wear down his reinforcements while rationing your own ammo and health pickups for the big fight. Because of this, Killzone becomes boring in a way Halo never could, not having enough variety to keep everything feeling fresh.
Guerilla Games would eventually reconcile these issues with Killzone 2, hoping to get those who doubted them back on-board, especially following an infamous pre-rendered sequence of the sequel at E3 2005. It is some miracle they did since, as previously established, Killzone 2 and 3 are known better as some of the best exclusives on Playstation 3. Full stop.
Alas, it is fortunate the HD remaster of Killzone does, at the very least, exist since the game deserves some recognition for Guerilla Games', and their ambitions, as they went on to realise what was possible from that in their later games. Since Killzone, Guerilla Games have gone on to be one of Sony's most reliable studios building the highly coveted Decima engine for games like Death Stranding, while continuing to create their own classics such as with the Horizon series.
It is a legacy well deserved.
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A LEGAL NOTICE:
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Any copyrighted footage I use is covered under fair use laws, or more specifically those listed under Section 30(1) of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1989 and under section 107 of US Copyright Act 1976. This video exists purely for the purpose of research and criticism. I do not make a profit from any uploaded content, nor do I intend to. Thank you for watching.
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