Killzone 2 (multiplayer)
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By Mats Paasche
Although we already have a review for Killzone 2 up, our gloriously handsome leader Randy didn’t include the multiplayer portions of the game into his considerations. And so this review is a companion piece to his original review.
Some might argue that the multiplayer is the real focus of the game, and the true reason to buy the game. I don’t entirely agree with this, but it is a very substantial and excellent part of the package. The multiplayer is very different from the single-player portion of the game, and is substantial enough that it could easily stand on its own as a multiplayer only game like most of the Battlefield series.
You’ll find the same level of graphic and sound polish as found in the single-player version. Unless you’re intentionally looking for errors, the game looks just as good. That being said the frame rate can drop a bit during hectic cluster battles where there are 20 grenades all going off at the same time, but given how good the game looks that’s easily forgivable.
Control wise it plays almost just like the single-player game. S ome say there are slight differences in the sensitivity of the aiming; but if there are, then they’re too minor for me to notice. Even though the controls are very similar, the cover mechanic found in the single-player version of the game isn’t transferred into the multiplayer game. This is where the real big difference is made. Without the cover mechanic you are forced to improve your aiming and tactics. This changes the whole dynamic of the battles and the game becomes reminiscent of Call of Duty 4. At first it’s chaos, but as you rank up with the other players it becomes much more organized and fun.
Much like Team Fortress 2 the multiplayer game is built around classes, and these classes are obviously homage to the TF2 classes. You start off with the Rifleman class which at first can only use one of the two assault rifles of the game as well as a handgun and single grenade. As you progress you’ll earn badges through playing the game in a variety of ways. Once you have earned enough of a single badge type, you’ll be rewarded with a secondary class ability or an increased amount of ammo and grenades you spawn with. It’s always useful and welcome. Rather than go into the details of each class, I’ll just say that they’re all fun to play and have their own little semi-original quirks and abilities.
You’ll also rank up during the game. The rate of which you are promoted is calculated by how much you contribute in each match; whether it’s through kills, team play or completing objectives. This is where my first big complaint comes in. Since you only unlock new classes and weapons through ranking up the game can seem a bit shallow at first. Unless you’re constantly one of the top 3 players of the match this can take quite a while. For the average gamer, it might take 5 hours or more. It was clearly a conscious design decision made by Guerrilla, and it’s one that I’m not sure will pay off in the end. It forces players to learn the game properly, but it also scares many of them away.
The matches themselves are almost all made up of great maps with multiple levels and interesting possibilities, though some are a little generic. The different match modes are where the game really shines. They’re standard-fare capture the flag and death match modes, but the game seamlessly alternates between them during each match, creating and interesting dynamic and always keeping you on your toes. After each mode is ended—either by a team win or time limit expiration—the players are left aimless for roughly 30 seconds, free to tactically reposition themselves for the next match or go on killing sprees. The game then randomly picks one of the modes and the next objective starts.
Killzone 2 is one of the few games on PS3 with long term multiplayer legs. It has convinced me –someone who doesn’t normally play multiplayer games on consoles— to stay active in the Killzone 2 community and keep playing. Because of the PS3’s lack-of-microphone dilemma, I’d advise getting a group of friends together in a clan and play with them since they’ll mostly have gone and bought microphones for themselves. But the game is still immensely fun even if none of your teammates have microphones. I’ll echo Randy’s earlier sentiments and say BUY THIS GAME!