Killzone (series)
| Killzone | |
|---|---|
 The original Killzone logo. Subsequent titles use a similar logo. |
|
| Genres | First-person shooter Third-person shooter |
| Developers | Guerrilla Games |
| Publishers | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Platforms | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita |
| Platform of origin | PlayStation 2 |
| First release | Killzone November 2, 2004 |
| Latest release | Killzone Trilogy October 23, 2012 |
| Official website | www.killzone.com |
Killzone is a first-person and third-person shooter series of video games exclusively for Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) video game consoles. The main series and the PSP installment was developed by Guerilla Games, a subsidiary of SCE. Killlzone currently consists of four games spanning over the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation Portable, and the PlayStation 3. The series began on the PlayStation 2 in November 2004 with Killzone, and continued on the PlayStation Portable in October 2006 with Killzone: Liberation. Killzone 2 was released for the PlayStation 3 in February 2009, and Killzone 3 was released in February 2011 also for the PlayStation 3. Killzone: Mercenary is currently in development for the PlayStation Vita for a 2013 release. On February 20, 2013, Killzone: Shadow Fall was officially announced as a launch title for the PlayStation 4.
Contents |
Setting [edit]
The series is about the war between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghast. The protagonists of the series are Cpt/Col. Jan Templar (Killzone and Killzone: Liberation) and Sgt. Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko (Killzone 2 and Killzone 3), while the main antagonist is Helghast Emperor Scolar Visari, his death in Killzone 2 brought about the rise of two new antagonists and the hopeful heirs to Visari's throne, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock in Killzone 3. The Killzone series follows the continuous war between the ISA and Helghast taking place on both ISA Earth colonies and the planet Helghan, the home planet of the Helghast.
Gameplay [edit]
Killzone, Killzone 2, and Killzone 3 are first-person shooters. Killzone: Liberation is presented as a third-person shooter and is the only of that kind in the series to date. All games were developed by Guerilla Games and published by Sony. Players in the series can only carry two different weapons at any given time. Players can either obtain ammo or swap out their current weapons with any weapon dropped by a downed foe or from those scattered around the various maps. In Killzone 3, players can carry up to three weapons, with the third weapon spot reserved for heavy weapons (e.g. machine gun, rocket launcher, etc.).
Online competitive multi-player features up to 16 players in Killzone, 32 players in Killzone 2 and up to 24 players in Killzone 3. There are various modes of multi-player. There is a rotation mode, called Warzone (Killzone 2 and Killzone 3), where players play all game modes (2 rounds of Assassination, 1 round of Body Count, 1 round of Capture and Hold, 2 rounds of Search and Destroy, and 1 round of Search and Retrieve) one after the other until all modes have been played. Operations is a new mode for Killzone 3 which is a cinematic mini-campaign for the multiplayer mode. Killzone 3 also features a classic team death match mode called Guerilla Warfare. Killzone 3 is the only game in the series to feature offline split-screen co-op for two players, while the original Killzone is the only game in the series to feature offline split-screen multi-player in the Botzone mode (Botzone is a mode where players can play against AI bots and is present in each installment). Killzone: Liberation features an online co-op campaign as well as multi-player mode that supports up to 6 players in ad-hoc and up to 8 players on infrastructure.
Games [edit]
| Killzone series fictional chronology |
|---|
Main series [edit]
Killzone [edit]
Killzone was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. The game is set in an era of space colonization where the Helghast Empire has recovered from its defeat in the First Helghan War and launched a blitzkrieg against the outer Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony planet Vekta. Vekta's orbital Strategic Defense (S.D.) platforms failed during the initial assault, allowing the Helghast to land swarms of soldiers onto the surface and making it all the more difficult for the outnumbered ISA forces. Captain Jan Templar, the main protagonist, and his squad are called back to the base for reassignment, and are promptly sent to find the ISA operative Hakha and the key in his possession. During the course of the game, Templar meets other characters who assist him such as Shadow Marshal Luger (a female special operations assassin), a heavy weapons specialist Sergeant Rico Velasquez (a Helghast-hating soldier with an itchy trigger finger), and Colonel Hakha, a half-Helghast, half-Human spy.
Killzone 2 [edit]
Killzone 2 was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2009. Killzone 2 follows the events of Killzone and Killzone: Liberation, and is set entirely on the planet Helghan, the home-world of the Helghast who invaded an Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony. Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA has launched an assault on the enemy's homeworld of Helghan. The ISA goal is to capture the Helghast leader, Scolar Visari and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. The main protagonists is Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko, a battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit the "Legion" assigned to Alpha team, who go on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. Captain Jan Templar has been promoted to Colonel and is the Fleet Commander of the New Sun, a Cruiser airship set up in the clouds of Helghan over its capital city, Pyrrhus, preparing for a final attack. During the invasion of Helghan, Sev's unit is deployed behind enemy lines to assist the main invasion force. Tasked with securing the enemy capital of Pyrrhus, Helghan's first true city, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a more formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to Helghan's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed the power of the freakish lightning storms that always occur on Helghan which they can now use against the ISA. A cold, barren, unforgiving world, Helghan provides a ready defense with thick, acidic air, dust clouds, and violent surgical lightning storms. Sev discovers his squad is not just fighting enemy forces—their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.[1]
Killzone 3 [edit]
Killzone 3 was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2011 and is the only game is the series to feature a special edition, support the PlayStation Move, and utilize 3D gaming. It immediately follows the events of Killzone 2. Visari, the leader of the Helghast is gone, but the war is far from over. Helghast forces have mounted a devastating counterattack, prompting the ISA to smoke out (Interplanetary Strategic Alliance) evacuation of planet Helghan. As new Helghast battalions appear, armed with more powerful weapons, ISA forces find themselves outmanned, outgunned and surrounded. Two new antagonist appear, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock, who both want to become the new Autarch of Helghan. Sev returns as the protagonist with Rico and Narville. Admiral Orlock eventually becomes the new Autarch due to a circumstantial decision by the Helghan High Council. In a final confrontation between Stahl and Orlock, Stahl murders Orlock, however, the planet Helghan and Stahls ship is nuked by Sev and his team. However, it revealed that a ship crash landed on Helghan and is greeted by two Helghan soldiers. Theories abound as to whom this person may be, with Stahl and Visari being the most speculated.
Killzone: Shadow Fall [edit]
Killzone: Shadow Fall will be released for the PlayStation 4 in 2013. It will reportedly serve as a launch title and, according to Game Director Steven ter Heide, features "a new world, a new situation and a new hero." Gameplay and trailer footage reveals that the game is set nearly 30 years after the events of Killzone 3. Vektans now live side by side with Helghans, though their portions of the city are divided by massive walls that are heavily guarded and tensions between the two sides remain high, similar to the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.
Other games [edit]
Killzone: Liberation [edit]
Killzone: Liberation was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. In Killzone: Liberation, two months after the events of Killzone, the Helghast have been dealt a hefty blow from the last game, but the war is far from over. The enemy still controls large parts of the planet Vekta, and though the ISA armies are fighting hard, they are losing ground. The rules of war have been cast aside with the sadistic Helghast General, Armin Metrac, employed by the Helghast Emperor Scolar Visari to use brutal measures in order to seize the initiative and strengthen his position further. Jan Templar, returns as the main protagonists on a covert operation to save hostages captured by Metrac, while ISA troops continue the fight for liberty. There are 5 "chapters" with 4 levels in which players eliminate the Helghast resistance (The fifth and final chapter was made available to download).[2]
Killzone: Mercenary [edit]
Killzone: Mercenary will be released for the PlayStation Vita in 2013. The game will have players assume the role of a mercenary where they will fight alongside either the ISA or Helghast forces depending on which team hires them.[3]
Killzone Trilogy [edit]
Killzone Trilogy is a collection of Killzone, Killzone 2, and Killzone 3 for the PlayStation 3 under Sony's PlayStation Collections line. The original Killzone has been remastered in HD to support 720p resolution and Trophies. The collection also includes all DLC maps for Killzone 2 and Killzone 3. It was released on October 23, 2012 in North America and October 24, 2012 in Europe.[4]
Reception [edit]
| Game | GameRankings | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Killzone | (PS2) 74.00%[5] | (PS2) 70[6] |
| Killzone: Liberation | (PSP) 79.16%[7] | (PSP) 77/100[8] |
| Killzone 2 | (PS3) 90.44%[9] | (PS3) 91[10] |
| Killzone 3 | (PS3) 86.51%[11] | (PS3) 84[12] |
The first Killzone received mixed to positive reviews from magazines and websites. PSM stated that Killzone is "Graphically stunning and hits the mark in so many ways, it's baffling; they promised us we'd experience future war, and we have...and come away shaking." Other reviewers cited technical problems with Killzone, including inconsistent AI, occasional bugs, frame-rate issues, distracting graphical glitches, repetition of the same voices, short draw distance, and an awkward control system. Critics also complained about the gameplay, with IGN labeling it "underwhelming and mediocre" and Into Liquid Sky stating that it needs "more refinement".[13] Sarcastic Gamer's "How to Kill a Brand" (a parody of How to Save a Life) criticized Killzone, saying it didn't deserve a sequel.
Killzone 2 received critical acclaim upon release with a GameRankings score of 90.44%,[7] and a score of 91 out of 100 on Metacritic.[8] Killzone 3 received positive reviews and has a GameRankings score of 86.51%,[14] and a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic.[15] The first English review of the game was published by PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), which gave the game a 9/10. The review stated "on a visual level, as a 3D breakthrough, this feels like a watershed moment in a revolution affecting all of gaming". The review also stated on gameplay terms, "Black Ops is the only [first-person shooter] on PlayStation 3 that can match this". The voice acting, however, was criticised as not being perfect, thus lacking "emotive punch" and the reason for not receiving a perfect 10/10.[16]
References [edit]
- ^ Killzone 2 Storyline
- ^ killzone liberation
- ^ Hulst, Herman (August 14, 2012). "Watch the GamesCom Trailer for Killzone: Mercenary". PlayStation.Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment America. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
- ^ Chan, Ken (September 6, 2012). "Killzone Trilogy joins PlayStation Collection on October 23rd". PlayStation.Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment America. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
- ^ "Killzone Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Killzone Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ a b "Killzone: Liberation on GameRankings". Retrieved 2011-02-27.
- ^ a b "Killzone: Liberation on MetaCritic". Retrieved 2011-02-27.
- ^ "Killzone 2 Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Killzone 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Killzone 3 Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Killzone 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Killzone". intoliquidsky.net. Into Liquid Sky. Archived from the original on 30 August 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
- ^ "Killzone 3 Gamerankings Score". Gamerankings. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ "Killzone 3 Metacritic Score". Metacritic. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ "Killzone 3 review - OPM goes with 9/10". 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
External links [edit]
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
