Killzone

Finally, a first-person shooter Sony can call its own. Sony has a lot to celebrate, too, although Killzone isn't that "Halo killer" everyone was expecting the game to be.

Dubbed the "Halo killer," Killzone doesn't quite live up to that advance billing. Still, with the amount of visual imagination and in-your-face action, Killzone can hold its own against other PS2 first-person shooters...just don't expect a ground-breaking experience.

Guerrilla Warfare

Never mind that developer Guerrilla created the disappointing Shellshock: Nam '67 game. Although there's some Shellshock flavor found in Killzone, Guerrilla has created a shooter that is a little more impressive. To start, the visuals are what immediately bring you into the game.

In a gritty, dark war-torn world, you're thrown into a battle between murderous deformed soldiers and the lonely human rebels. Guess what side you're fighting on? Your strategy is to stay alive as you maneuver through a rundown city populated by amazingly detailed dilapidated structures and crushing armored vehicles.

Enemy troops simply look scary with their glowing red eyes and tubes sticking out of their bodies, while the weapons are shown with overwhelming power, which make you grip the controller just a bit tighter as you let off a round.

Simple Is What a Simple Does

Of course, the meat of any shooter is its gameplay. In Killzone, the gameplay is straightforward aim-and-shoot tactics. You have the ability kneel, run, and lob the occasional grenade, but ultimately, it's the kill-or-be-killed strategy using lots of guns, which is the core of the game.

Unfortunately, there are setbacks for this gameplay simplicity. The levels are made up of linear paths with absolutely no room for flanking enemies. This makes the game's hop-over feature worthless, since you're not even allowed to jump over the smallest ledges so you can get a better angle on your opponents.

Controlling where you aim can also be frustrating. No matter how much you try to adjust the sensitivity, it still feels like the analog sticks are too loose to precisely target at something immediately. And for some dumb reason, the scope on the sniper rifle centers itself, which means your thumb has to be even more stable before you pull the trigger.

The game is also a trying experience online. Apparent lag, even though you're playing on broadband, is everywhere. Character animations are limited and it's difficult to target someone from long distance. And why can't you melee and use hand-to-hand combat like in the single player mode?

I Just Want to Blow Things Up

With the said impediments, Killzone may not be that ingenious shooter it was expected to be. It's a simple shooter that just so happens to be one of the prettiest shooters exclusively for the PlayStation 2. Give it a try and you might just find yourself in the zone.

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