Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

I really hate fanboys. When someone begins talking about how Halo beats the PS3 or how Nintendo is the best of the best, I start to get annoyed. I don't get why people think it is such a big deal that one console has better games than the other. As long as you know which console has the right games for you, that should be enough. For those of you who think otherwise, congratulations. You are probably a fan boy.

So Killzone began a few years a go with a pretty mediocre game that boasted some unusual mechanics. The turning/movement was as easy as in other shooters and weapons had pretty nasty recoil, meaning you couldnt pick off an enemy from 200 yards with any weapon except the sniper rifle. However, most people pushed it aside. Now, it's sequel had a new hook to keep people interested. It has what are probably the best graphics of any game ever made.

But before I talk about the gorgeous scenery, let's talk quickly about the story. There isn't one. It has a story that I relate to the first Gears of War. Meaning, that it's nothing more than an excuse to go and shoot things. It has to do with a war against these dudes called Helghast, but thats all you need to know.

Now let's talk about the mechanics. This is what is going to throw some old-school shooter fans off, because it doesnt handle like Halo or Resistance. Every weapon feels "heavy" because turning and movement feel weighed down, just like in real life. If you are carrying around a big assault rifle, you arent going to be handling it like a feather. All the guns have to some heft to them. Furthermore, shooting without using the iron sights, or scope will usually lead to missing. Holding down the fire button leads to some pretty intense recoil, you are going to learn how to burst fire, or you are going to die alot.

Now let's talk about the visuals. As I said before, this is one of the best looking games ever made (if not THE best). The details, tectures, character models, and weapons all look incredible, and there is a good deal of variety to both the levels and weapons. You will find that not all weapons work the same way, and you will probably end up going with your favorite most of the time. Enemies also are pretty intelligent, using cover, blind firing and hopping on open MG's to take you out. They also have this nasty habbit of flanking, and calling out locations to their squadmates. This can lead to some pretty intense shoot outs.

But of all the mechanics that will throw off shooter fans, none is as confusing as the online component. The idea is still the same, go and shoot the other guys, but here is the twist. Unlike other shooters, where you are playing one mode for an entire round, and then you can choose to change up game types, one round of KZ2 will end up including several of the game modes. As the round progresses, your objective will change, via a voice command. So, it may go from the standard TDM, to Assassination, or even Search and Destroy. You never know whats going to come next, which will keep you on your toes.

So do I recommend this game? In short, hell yes. This game has a great single player mode (as long as you aren't overly preoccupied with a deep narrative), a great multiplayer component with some deep advancement (leveling up to gain new weapons), and the best graphics I have ever seen. If you like FPS games, then KZ2 is probably for you.