It has been just over 2 years since we last delved into the Killzone universe (on a console) and boy have things changed. Killzone 3, literally, ended with a big bang when the Helghan home world was destroyed by Sev and co. I said back then the ending felt a bit rushed and I was unsure how they could really make a successful sequel without rebooting the series. Their answer was Killzone: Shadow Fall and honestly I would have preferred a full reboot than this half-assed mess. The problem is, Killzone: Shadow Fall is highly unrealistic.
You may say that criticising Killzone: Shadow Fall for being unrealistic is a bit harsh considering it is a sci-fi shooter, with inter planetary travel and a race of human offspring who have a hard on for the Nazi wardrobe, but the set up still needs to make sense. After the events of Killzone 3, the ISA and Helghast organise a deal where the ISA would give part of their world (Vekta) to the Helghast survivors. After several years a wall is built to divide the two nations who live on the brink of war (Cold War parallel here). This causes a major gameplay problem that the developers tried, admirably, to solve. With this setting you can’t have an all-out run and gun type of game because it doesn’t reflect the setting. The set up feels like a list of random “cool” suggestions with little thinking of how this would impact gameplay.
Stories have evolved in recent years; to the point where the story is as much a part of the gameplay as the controls/level design. So when I was mowing down waves of Helghast in Shadow Fall, I often thought that my actions should start a war of some kind. I was clearly ISA (evident by what the Helghast say) and I wasn’t unequipped (so it would be quite hard to deny ISA backing). What I was doing didn’t relate to the setting I was in. At one point some Helghast invade the ISA part of Vekta. The game justifies this action by saying they are terrorists and not the Helghan government but this is quite hard to accept this when they look exactly the same. There is no identifying marker saying these were the Black Hand (the Helghan terrorist group). This all just makes the game extremely hard to follow. I often found myself clueless on where I was and why I was there. The voice acting didn’t exactly help sell the story. Overall the voice acting was pretty weak with cut scenes falling flat and the dialogue feeling it was best suited for a Syfy channel film.
What is odd is, despite the plot being stupid and the voice acting being less than stellar, I really enjoyed myself when I played this game. The level design is pretty damn good. It isn’t as open ended as I would like but you do feel like the environment you explore belongs to a much larger ecosystem. It is something that is lacking from most first person shooters. It feels like the world doesn’t end past the invisible wall which is the problem with a lot of games. This is helped by the phenomenal draw distance. Not everything is fine and dandy with the level design as I did come across an instance of just pure laziness. In one level mid-way through the game I managed to enter a room that was an enemy respawn point. I shouldn’t be able to get to these points in a next generation game. This was something that was barely acceptable at the start of the 7th generation.
Killzone: Shadow Fall does get the graphics and the performance right. This is one good looking/preforming game. The developers have finally gotten rid of the brown smudge effect, which has plagued first person shooters since Call of Duty 4 was released, by adding colour (even the Helghast side of the fence has colour). The character models and environments are extremely detailed (there are some, graphical, stand out moments that will make your jaw drop) and there is little to no performance drop.
Killzone: Shadow Fall offers a new gameplay mechanic which is actually quite useful. You may think the game is playing itself but the automated robot is very useful and quite comforting to have with you on those lonely solo missions. I found two of its abilities useless except for the zip line (which is a necessity at some point during the game) and the attack mode. The attack mode is really useful and creates opportunities for you to out flank entrenched enemies. Speaking of the enemies, the AI isn’t spectacular but nor is it crap. They duck behind cover and sometimes slowly move towards you (depending of the level) but they don’t think as a unit which is a big shame. They attack as individuals which is something I was hoping that would disappear in a new generation.
Being set in a different era to Killzone 3, the weapons in Killzone: Shadow Fall have (not just changed but) evolved which keeps this game feeling fresh (a big bonus since the weapons haven’t really changed since Killzone 2). The weapons also feel varied with the same base weapon appearing but with differing attachment each time. It is a nice touch. The weapons pack a punch as well. They sound and feel extremely lethal
The multiplayer has also evolved. Like the single player mode (and past Killzone games) your character has weight to him (something I am pleased to see return) but at the same time the multiplayer feels like a totally different beast. It is everything Killzone 2 was but better. The maps are varied in size and intensity and the performance is solid. The big change is the custom mode option which means you can go all retro and have a pistol only map. It is an underrated feature that I do miss in competitive online multiplayer. Also the XP system has gone and a new challenge system takes its place which is less about getting to a certain level to unlock stuff but a more personal touch to the online experience (unlocking things by class). There are three basic types of classes to choice from (Scout, Support and Assault) which may seem limited but each class has a significant role to the warzone. I am actually having a lot of fun with the multiplayer (something I haven’t said in a long time when it comes to a FPS)
Overall this game falls short because of its story/storytelling and honestly I am not surprised. The problem is Killzone: Shadow Fall is being affect by the abysmal ending that was Killzone 3. Whipping out the Helghast home world was a monumentally bad idea. It flung this game into a situation that the developers clearly tried to fix (sadly they failed). This is a big shame as this is a visually stunning game that preforms very well both online and offline. It is still an extremely fun game to play but I must give this game a 7 out of 10 as the story/storytelling is awful and forgettable.
GB: "Say what you will about the state of the industry, but even as games evolve, their graphics remain a key aspect. Even some of the biggest flops this year sport some gorgeous visuals, as publishers and developers push the boundaries of what’s possible, pouring years of time and money into their work."
Quantum Break and Ryse are two that I was really surprised did not get an FPS boost option when played on the Series X|S. when i started playing both on the XBO, I thought they are both good, but after playing them also on my steam deck (in 60fps) I just cant go back and play the base games on XB. They really benefit from that faster frame rate.
Driveclub is another i wished had a HFR mode on PS5.
Most games this gen are the exact same except now we get faster loading through SSD and a res and fps bump. Graphically not much has improved, hell most last gen games are being relabeled and resold as “remastered” with the aforementioned updates.
I haven’t seen or played anything on either platform that couldn’t be run on last gen. Guess the law of diminishing returns is really showing itself these days.
Most games from 20 years ago are basically the same as today, with resolution and fps upgrades. The AI is still just as braindead as it always has been, worlds are full of static, boring characters that do the same thing over and over.
Smh another reason why graphics haven't improved that much is because most devs too caught up on cross gen. Ps4 was/still a dope console but time has moved on we're halfway close to a ps6 reveal and devs still will be making games on last gen in 2025. Then theres Microsoft purposely got the Xbox series s that causes more devs to try to pull strings as much as they can smh. It's a mixed bag of stuff, the only ones I see pushing hardware is sonys studios and even some indie games look better
Hugely disappointingly, it seems that Guerrilla Games, developers of the Killzone and Horizon series, may be done with Killzone for good.
1 was fine, overhyped as a " halo" killer
2 was a graphical beast at the time, and felt heavy
3 was good a refinement of 2 but not much else. weird audio issues environment were to quiet
shadow fall was pretty but bland
Shadowfall had great Multiplayer though. Too bad the campaign was meh at best. It did have the occasional great moment sprinkled in.
I played through 2/3 multiple times. I played through the original once, but it felt pretty lukewarm for me. I couldn't be bothered to beat Shadow Fall. I got a couple hours in and just went "I'm done". Never touched it again. It was awesome on the tech side, being a launch title, but it didn't even match up to the first game when it came to actually having fun playing it.
3 in 3d was an amazing experience to be had.
Although not many experienced it as intended for good reasons.
You forgot the ai advancements on the playstation 2 killzone one you could have a full team of bots doing everything even playing the objective that was a big thing.
In killzone 2 they always flanked you and when available used the high ground.
Playing killzone 2 no hud 5.1 audio was/is awesome
I dont mind if someone else takes up the mantle for the KZ franchise. We are several years removed from the first game. It certainly could use a remake to gauge interest in the rest of the series. I know it has its fans... Im thinking of how a proper reboot can rekindle that old dormant flame and bring in a new generation of fans in the process.
You forgot killzone mercenaries on the ps vita but it was the worst selling sony game for awhile there.
Would like a new IP before Horizon 3. Just because games take so long to make these days.
It's been 10 years since Killzone: Shadow Fall arrived for PlayStation 4 early adopters, and there's no sign of another sequel.
Sadly it was dumped by Guerrilla to focus on Horizon games only. Mainline, VR and Multiplayer.
lmao sadly? Are you pretending to have actually played the series lol Sorry bud, no Killzone on Xbox.
They brought out 4 main games and 2 spin offs: one on PSP and one on Vita. That's a decent run for any series. I also understand that Shadow Fall wasn't a success commercially despite it coming out at PS4 launch, and as a big Killzone fan even I couldn't get into it, so I think Sony/Guerrilla could see it was time to move on.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love another Killzone game in the vein of KZ2 but it's just not happening. Hell, I'd even take a remake or remaster of the first 3 games.
I'd hardly say it was "dumped" though, it spanned 3 console generations and 2 handheld generations.
@obscured:”Sadly it was dumped by Guerrilla to focus on Horizon games only. Mainline, VR and Multiplayer”
Happily it was dumped by Guerrilla to focus on Horizon games only. Mainline, VR and Multiplayer( edited to reflect the writer true feelings and allegiance)
Kill zone was a FPS far ahead of its glitched competitors with nauseating bad camera angles, 10 years old screaming curses like a drunk sailor and bot aiming assist.
“Sadly”?
The Horizon games were among the best games of all time. Killzone Shadowfail wasn’t.
True, but damn the memories of KZ2 multiplayer. Still no MP as fun as that to this date.
And Sony as a whole dumped the FPS genre so they wouldn't have products competing with COD and (until purchase) Destiny.
I loved the KZ2+3 campaigns and MP in 2. There could be so much more done with the franchise. Horizon although good, I wish they'd go back to this wonderful IP. Take a break from Horizon please.
Agreed dude, I would absolutely love a reboot of the series, one can only hope that either resistance or killzone makes a return.
Have nothing but great memories, especially of the first 3 games, but all 4 were show stoppers graphically.
To making it a successful reboot they have to change that buttons layout! Make it playable like the cod button layout. Otherwise I’ll skipping it again.
And that's the reason why many fps games failed. Instead of being original and catering to it's fans, they tried to make it like cod. No, kz doesn't need cod button layout. It needs to be like it was on kz2 or balanced liked kz3.
I think Kill Zone would do great in Sony's LS push. As well as MAG reboot and bring back Resistance into LS.
Killzone games were so polished. The gameplay was just simple joy. MP was one of the best experiences.
I remember KZ3, just staring at how awesome they animated the water and then getting wasted because of it.
I think this is a good review, but I really disagree with the final score and the gameplay score.
I mean, the gameplay of KZSF is pretty nice and there are some cool ideas.
The story is weak in your eyes? I don't think it relates to the gameplay.
Also, you review suffers from the same problems of a lot of other reviews out there. Killzone is not (only) about the campaign, the MP component play a strong and important role in the franchise and in ShadowFall the MP is really, really good. So, even if you think the campaign sucks, the multiplayer is so good you can't really score this game under the 8 (well, let me say I hate the "score" concept, but it's a very fast way to express an opinion!).
Also, you score the Online and fun factor with a nine, so the overall scores doesn't reflect at all the previous scores.
It's like: Hey Jeff, this game is very fun, with an awesome online, but ... meh.
You mention too many times that the story is a mess, but this game is not Bioshock, HalfLife, etc. so to give a "decent" score to a fun and enjoyable game because of the story, it's not so "fair" (for this kind of game).
Killzone, it's about spectacular action sequences, with challenging moments, an awesome MP with great maps.
So, I don't know why but it looks like a lot of gamers give too much importance to the story, for games that are not story-centered.
In the end, to score an FPS "low" because of the story/storytelling sounds pretty "strange" to me, but I must admit your review is pretty nice, better than a lot you can read "out there", so I hope you don't take my message as a "personal attack" :)
Good review, without spoiling anything for anyone here, I agree with your story complaint. The last good killzone story was 2. And that was good not great.
I think you may have been a little to harsh because of the story.. The game is a launch title, and shows off the early capabilities, beautifully. (Yes the story was horrible, but I knew I was not buying it for the story, I wanted to see the tech. which it delivered on, that's just me.)
I own, and play each.
BF4 9 -Graphics, gameplay.
Killzone 8.5 -Graphics, and gameplay.
Ghosts 7.75 -party system, and gameplay
Killzone had the most rewarding style, of single player.
Ghosts had the most Cinematic & Arcady feel to single player.
Battlefield, haven't played past the 2nd chapter yet, so I can't say.
good review but how can fun factor be a 9 while gameplay a 6
flawed gameplay make fun factor worse
I see your point there but I also agree that a game such as Killzone isn't primarily created or bought for the story.
I mean, when I want a good story with awesome characters I play Uncharted (I also read the books and they have the same tune and feeling).
What KZ needs to do, for me, is blowing me off and it does.
Personally I think such a game should be rated separately for the online and SP campaign. It really depends on he person though on what's important for you.
Me, I'm going to play a hundred hours online (prolly) so it certainly weights much more than the 15hours (rough number) of the campaign.
I cannot agree with the 6 on gameplay though and your other scores don't agree with it as well.
I do think an overall 7 is too low for the good things you point out.
Let's be fair and 8 would fit better, something like KZ with a very good story would be a 9-9.5, just as Uncharted, don't you think?
p.s. I don't think KZ story to have been so bad so far (not having played this last chapter yet), there isn't many shooters around that have actually built a saga spanning so many games and I think that's something pretty cool of KZ.