Filed under: Killzone
Sony’s response to Halo. or one of them, at least. err.. Killzone is one of those games from a bygone era of those looking to take down one of the “greats” (or to simply steal the limelight). back when everyone set their sights on CoD or Halo. they all had their clones.. or variants trying to impede on each others grounds. far before the times of franchises self-sabotaging, and intentionally suicide bombing their IPs for no apparent reason. many used to have to compete to take the kings down. Halo’s full stranglehold acquisition of the zeitgeist made it completely impenetrable. and i would say that it won this battle, and every other. i don’t think anything ever even came close to toppling their reign. no.. they’d eventually succumb to defeat by way of their own hands.. Halo would eventually mark the downfall.. of Halo. truly an unpredictable fate. one we never could have surmised.. at the forefront of this war; Killzone. a game that would eventually come to find it’s own footing, for a brief time becoming a flagship title. before being sent into the backlog of abandoned franchises Sony’s been amassing. a large reason behind it’s hype? it was going to kill Halo.. entirely. growing up with a Playstation, some of us never got the chance to familiarize ourselves with Master Chief. or the Energy Sword.. some of us have had tough lives, being exclusive to Playstation. never being in the know on that half of the world. so, quite a few titles began to appear. dubbed.. “Halo Killers”.. Killzone being one of them. the Halo style had begun to be interpreted in a lot of different nodes fitting onto a graph. plus it’s relative simpleness (affectionate) made it not all that difficult to ctrl + c, ctrl + v.
thinking back on it, i’m hazy on whether or not i’m simply mistaking Killzone 2 for Resistance, or if i even played it at all. but i know for sure i never played the original Killzone. it was released before i was born, on a system i’ve never touched, the PS2 (though i think maybe the first one was remastered and re-released for the Killzone Trilogy on PS3 systems (scratch that, after further research that seems to be exactly the case, but it also got it’s own standalone release on the PS3.. an HD version. or something. which makes it a part of my generation)) still, intended for the PS2, it left a smaller and more poorly received footnote. i was mostly oblivious to Halo as a whole, let alone Killzone.. my only exposure of it stemmed from the games crossover inclusion in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, a Smash “clone” (i’d disagree..) with the Killzone franchise being front-lined by Radec. a character who isn’t even from the first Killzone. and with the foreseeable future determining it to be on an indefinite hiatus, it really feels like it’s been sidestepped. not given the proper love it deserves.. actually, it’s inclusion in the aforementioned Playstation All-Stars were awesome as hell (though i originally mistook Resistance’s crossover stages for Killzone’s.. they’re pretty cool too.. i really gotta play that soooon..) Dojo, arguably one of it’s most iconic stages features a disturbance from a Killzone 3 enemy known as the “Helghast MAWLR”. it wreaks havoc in the background, even acting as a stage hazard when it shoots rockets at the Dojo. which no longer stands intact. day turns to dusk as the sky darkens into this impeding red doom.. and a giant.. friggin’.. kaiju version of the Dojo master appears.. and destroys the MAWLR, saving the day. i’ll link the vid here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df6QIJwHoKk. i gotta write about this game too.. *my eyes widen n transform into anime-style swirls when i see how long my games-list is* 𖦹. 𖦹 anyway. the other map is a more meh amalgamation paired with Ape Escape. it’s memorable (for me at least) too. just not as moody as some other maps. probably cos of the Ape Escape crossover.. but i used to love playing as Col. Radec. of course if i wasn’t already playing as Toro or Sackboy or something.. heh. he felt well-rounded. like really beefy and punishing but still flexible enough to maneuver how i liked. i could really gush about this game for a million millenniums. i think it’s so slept on.. ahem – back to the game at hand.
like i alluded to earlier, even though it eventually found it’s own way, Killzone wasn’t the Halo killer that everyone hoped it would be. with it being especially clear why in the first game. i’d say it has a lot of amazing qualities, with a couple awkward ones. but considering it in the scope of gaming as a whole, this game is over 2 decades old. it’s a snapshot at it’s first attempts at life. in the grand scheme of things. i think it’s pointless to nag about. or even be disappointed over. especially when considering the timing it was on.. well, as long as you weren’t a Halo fan. there’s a lot i liked here, and some perceived jank and discrepancies. a heavy emphasis is placed on attempting to capture Halo’s ability to create vast, complex, and interwoven environments. without being explicitly to scale. somehow stretching the missions length, and feel. it’s not always obvious. it’s slightly copy paste in this case, but it’s severely boosted by the missions atmospheres. it’s basically slathered in it, and it’s sept into it’s creases and folds like sealant. 9/10 times, it makes up for it’s awkward shortcomings.. eheheh.. an aspect of Halo games that i liked were the rare, industrial urban cityscapes they took place in. this seems to be divisive among the fandom.. these were mostly prevalent in Halo 2, 3: ODST, and Reach. typically the man-made human locations. while these games are beautifully layered in a level of exposure and pallet that gives it a lot of life; Killzone keeps it cemented in grittiness. really.. it’s an attractive game. it has this sexy dark complexion that you never ever see anymore. it made for perfect screencaps. the games earlier missions are for sure the best ones. that Halo layout can be felt, and they progress smoothly. conveying scale even though i barely covered much ground. levels like Helghast Assault -> through Escape strike on those desolate urban war-zones. while incorporating newer facets of war that Halo never had. like trenches and camps. replicating the familiar sight-lines of WW1. courtyards, shopping malls.. there’s an approaching sense of doom in these missions. seeing the Helghast pop out of the smokey haze.. forcing us to retreat. most of the time we feel outnumbered. our recent wins are unfathomable to some. maybe.. just maybe.. we can win this after all. unfortunately, the latter half of the game transforms into your same-y tactical FPS game. like a Ghost Recon, or mission from an older CoD campaign. just with less.. flavor. simply walking to the next checkpoint. feeling a lot smaller and compact. those Halo lengths gone. it just becomes an unintuitive maze. it doesn’t even attempt to reach Halo’s “quirkiness” either. which is perplexing to me. yano, given that it was planning to kill Halo.. it just loses that feel in the second half.
just like how Halo had the Covenant and the UNSC forces, Killzone had the Helghans and the ISA. they’re basically interchangeable. some of the Helghasts (interchangeable) are even referred to as Elites. a sub-class merc. even based on the games cover art you can tell how awesome the Helghast are. these dope – yet mediocre – games always tend to ball out when it comes to the enemies.. they’re just so gratifying to face off against. even when the gameplay becomes stale. unlike some other games there is a solid variety of weapons. but sorta like the others the fun ones end up being more rare than others. TBF i don’t understand this because these games are already short as is. what’s the point in locking them behind scarcity if i only get a few chances to use them? i think it harms replay-ability.. at least they aren’t conservative with the ammo though. i vm like the abundance of reserves you can pick up. so you’ll never run out. unless you got the rare guns, of course. and paired with the controls of the DualShock it’s a return to that authentic couch gaming feeling.. it’s so unbelievably difficult to control. i mean that’s probably just a me problem.. my transition from controller to keyboard turned me into a different kind of gamer. n now i’m not used to holding one. there was a learning curve. this wasn’t an issue since the Helghast AI is a bit on the slow side. randomly blue-screening to give you an edge in combat. it probably would’ve been a harder time without their forgetfulness. though, the difficulty could also be coming from the recoil.. which there is a lot of. you just need to unlock that feel for each weapon. i’ll go into depth on them below..
1. StA-52 SLAR
the goat of this playthrough.. it’s earned early on, in like the first or second mission. and it acts as the games only sniper rifle/long-range gun. it carries a fine amount of ammo.. not too much, not too little. and it’s relatively common. except in the mid portion of the game. though, that could’ve been on me missing some caches, or something. the StA-52 SLAR is mostly standout for it’s 1-tap ability (2-tap for late game tanks), making it one of the most consistent means of arms. it’s chunky and compact, and coated in a layer of tiger-striped camouflage. but it’s standout feature.. no reticle.. you heard me.. this allowed me to get some great screencaps. since you can’t remove that little bugger.. even the ADS provides some usefulness. cos of the slight input delay that i experienced, having a full scope made for an easier time following and tracking enemies. last thing; i don’t know if this was a bug. but you can’t move while ADSing. even though i’m 99% sure i could on earlier missions. for some reason like halfway thru i noticed this. idk what it’s a result from.. but that made it slightly awkward to use. still definitely a gun i’d keep strapped on me.
2. StA-52 Assault Rifle
Killzone’s answer to Halo’s classic rifle. my source? i mean, just take a peek at it. it feels like the Assault Rifle’s exoskeleton. like a beta version. orr alternate take. it’s just as reliable. it can get a little bland to use.. but since both it and the ammo are bountiful in supply, you’ll always have it in your arsenal. a gimmick that only a few guns share is a “special” reserve of ammo. think like incendiary rounds. or in this case, a masterkey attachment. this gun comes with useful shotgun shells, helping take down tank-y enemies in one final blast after laying a whole mag into them. it’s the perfect all around reliable gun. one you find yourself starting and ending with.
3. StA-3 Light Machine Gun
just like the StA-52, this one is overly prevalent. lots of Helghast forces carry these. especially the “heavies”. i don’t know their name. just think.. heavy.. it’s suuuuper nasty at the start of the game. being one of those lucky pickups. unfortunately it petters off midway through. i still kept it with me since i was conditioned to rely on it, but at some point it began to shoot packing peanuts. makin it kinda bleh for those late game encounters.
4. BP-02 Pup, M327 Grenade Launcher, & Pnv-3 Siska
i grouped these few together.. these are all the games nade-launchers. nix a couple fixed turrets and handheld grenades. they’re similar to the sniper as they’re a gun you’d always want to keep in your back pocket. just in case yano. the BB-02 Pup is a revolver that shoots nades. neat. the M327 Launcher is the exact same, just without the audacity of being a revolver. it’s a common launcher architype; think War-Machine from CoD.. n the Pnv-3 Siska.. was waaack. it remained in my mind since it appeared vvvvvv late into the game. it packs a hell of a punch. especially in the hands of the Helghast, with their elite aimbot-y skillz..
5. M82 Assault Rifle/M66-SD Submachine Gun
to me these were basically the same guns. with the M66 acting kinda like a pocket SMG version of the assault rifle. theeese were my favorite. the guns sleek design is cast with a green hue. even adorned with a green red-dot/reticle sight.. they may have even been suppressed too. they were by far the most satisfying to use. and were fun to unlock. becoming slightly scarce in later missions. the M82 had this weird grenade attachment, in the same vein as the StA-52 Rifle. but it was completely overlooked. outside of it’s introduction i never once came across ammo for it.. i never really got a chance to use it..
6. Everything Else
okay while writing i kinda realized i don’t have a lot to say for these xD the guns i listed above were the only ones i became familiar with. there are other rifles, secondaries, and a couple case-specific launchers and support weapons. but these were rare. or tied to a specific character/faction. there’s a knife you can equip but i heavily advise avoiding this. slashing and stabbing is not a prudent form of combat for this game. like seriously. the Helghasts tendency to flinch mixed with their poor trigger-finger discipline, often cause their stray shots to hit you. and when your health begins to deplete.. it becomes chaos. these leads me to my next point (also i didn’t like the LS13 Shotgun).
there is an obvious difficulty spike around halfway in. their way of doing so seems to be upping their health and damage output. even a Helghast grunt can become a one man army of his own. especially in the cases of the Elites, and base commanders. this turns into a haphazard war in futility.. where you’re forced to fight methodically. taking cover and putting plenty of consideration into your choices. paired with the jank controls.. it became a real challenge. but one i was excited to engage with. even though there wasn’t much of a payoff once i reach that light at the end of the tunnel.. something compelled me to fight through it all. it was fun. gaining back this genuine, noobish gameplay again. i’ve missed this.. it was a terrible sight though most of my end game reports showed a really crappy bullet hit percentage. at least i’m safe from ridicule here. so yeah. at first the game is easy mode. while the Helghast were believably uniform and arrived in large numbers, they were sorta inept like i described earlier. but once that spike becomes evident, their poor AI begins to work against you. beaming you from across the map. the hit indicators don’t exactly do a good job pinpointing whom shot at you. turning the mundane eye-glazing act of shooting into a fight for your life. it’s fine in those moments where you aren’t getting one-tapped. it just wasn’t natural is all. i also believe that certain guns are more effective on different enemies. i have no proof of this.. but i theorize it. i swear rifles were more effective than LMGs, which is usually not the case.. *shrugs*. it was complicated but it wasn’t much of an issue for an elite gamer like myself..
soo.. what’s it about? well, it’s.. it’s surface level. i’ll say that.. this is one of those stilted fanfic-esque melodramas. i mean TBF the CG in the cutscenes are reaally good for it’s time.. i can find a sense of relief in this. but you’ve kinda got to suspend belief for it to make much sense. like the typical contrivances. you play as a sergeant apart of the ISA forces, Jan (/jɑːn/) Templar. who shares an uncanny appearance with Alex from Deus Ex: Invisible War.. am i the only one who sees this? moreso in their baked models rather than concept art. Jan’s your average, run-of-the-mill soldier type. he’s got his eye on the prize.. and will coordinate with his team however he can to succeed. he’s slightly dull.. and he’s got a very veryyy odd on and off type of relationship with another playable character, Luger. during the first few early missions you’re made to unlock the rest of the 4 playable characters. these 4 are the prime protags, and once you’ve collected/rescued them, they join your party in a way. this brings up a really neat detail. how does the game gauge who you play as? the playable characters are all polar opposites of each other. there’s no way their strategies and dialogue will apply to each other.. who’d direct who? well, it seems like the game’s got different dialogue for each character you choose. and different possibilities for each. Luger, for example, is capable of fitting into ventilation and “sneaking”. sneaking is actually surprisingly viable in certain parts of this game. while it’s a little lackluster and easy to fumble, it’s still something i’m weak for.. i was genuinely kind of surprised. i think you can sneak while playing as other characters; but Luger seems best fit for it. she’s like a female Splinter Cell guy (i’ve never played the games so unfortunately i’m not on first name basis with him). she’s got a night-vision toggle, and comes with a karambit and the M66-SD Submachine Gun. this arsenal makes a lot of sense for her.. she’s a “Shadow Marshal”, a sly assassin type. she’s disciplined, and sorta the “cold” one of the group. ironically though, i think this makes her the most tolerable. Jan’s wimpish interactions with Luger was always off-putting. he’s entirely written to be a steadfast soldier, who not only battles the Helghasts, but also his hung-up emotions for Luger. causing him to have this kind of anime boy charisma.. i wasn’t very subtle nor was it worked in well. it just attacks you with this every cutscene. there’s this one moment where somehow he and Luger end up on top of each other.. after like a crash, or fall or something. and he’s like; “well, this is familiar”. n it’s just like.. yeeesh.. now isn’t the time.. it’s awkward. i guess they dated in the past? and are now made to work beside each other for this mission. but they always depicted Luger as the harsh one.. while honestly, i ended up liking her demeaner, she was more focused on the war. on the fate of this planet, “Vekta”, which is being seized by the Helghans. it’s sad to think she apparently just disappears between games..
besides Jan and Luger, you’ve got Rico. he’s the LMG-wielding fomenter, letting his emotions take control of him. he acts with conviction, but it’s not always for the best. he kind of irked me. maybe i was oblivious to it, but it wasn’t totally conveyed who these people where when i encountered them. i understood the assignment when i saw the greyed out names in the character selection screen, but i guess there wasn’t much exposition to it.. but maybe i missed it. we may never know.. it was unfortunate because i think Rico had the best weaponry of the bunch. besides Luger, everyone else had standard infantry, simply a StA-52 Assault Rifle and some secondary. his LMG was neat.. but because of his annoying demeaner i wasn’t able to convince myself to play as him outside of his initial introduction. he has this internal beef with our last recruit, Hakha. believe it or not.. Hakha.. he’s a Helghan. (⊙_☉) aw hell naw.. how could we work with one of them!? yeah well.. he’s a spy. or something. we’re tasked with rescuing him from his captors as he holds key infos. in the Killzone universe, Helghans are more of a race than a faction. based on their depictions in box-art and brief moments of exposure, i simply determined them to be soldiers of a different contingency. but nope. they aren’t utterly alien, besides their green-ish hue and bald head (and that accent..), they aren’t too off from humans. but when side-by-side it’s discernable enough. it’s funny cos they end up all looking alike.. i wasn’t sure who Hakha, or the guy from the intro cinematic, or the other countless baddies. i’ll just say they look cooler with their helmets on. Rico (naturally) is untrusting of Hakha. and after some faulty info causes a mission to go haywire, his trust in him reaches deathly low levels (literally). i wouldn’t fault him on this if Hakha hadn’t already proved his devotion, by killing hundreds of his own kind once he allied with us. this should have proved his devotion. or devils advocate – he’s so undercover that he’d kill his own to ensure his faux-allegiance with us. and like i know the Helghasts are attempting to seize control of the planet, and have no problem killing our soldiers. they are the bad guys. but Rico’s just extra angry and bigoted to a really forced extent. every comment is some quip about Hakha. if he was a good soldier i think he’d put their differences aside to save the world.. or whatever we’re fighting for. at least Luger split the difference, heeding Hakha’s warnings and assisting in his attempts, showing that we can work in assistance to each other.. idk. maybe i’m being extra. he’s just got no levity. fortunately by the end of the game Rico finally ditches his ego in order to save Hakha, just seconds before he could have died. it was heartwarming.. honestly by the end, i finally felt their charm begin to shine through it’s crevices.
our newly extended roster proves useful for future engagements.. ISA forces seem to be stretched thin. pushed back at every turn. they could really use some miracles. baseline; it’s your standard war affair. capturing certain points of interest to spot the Helghan onslaught. you’re transported from one place to another, covering different terrains. in the first mission, “Helghan Assault”, you’re deep into the trenches. the Helghans are a tough opposition though. they push us further back as the land begins to terraform until we’re set up in this factory block. the style of amalgamation almost feels like a Resistance game. i don’t know if this was intentionally meant to be so bending, but the abrupt transition between scenery was so cool. a convenient light is laid on our path as we entrench ourselves deeper into the neighboring warehouses and factories. ascending their levels until we have nowhere left to go. the last bit of the mission reminded me a lot of “ONI Alpha Site” from the Halo 3: ODST campaign. fighting off waves of Helghan in this final showdown in a courtyard. with tanks and mechs making brief appearances..
from here we’re guided into these really sexy.. technozen-like offices. dimly lit.. and decrepit. these early locales feel like we’re at the site of the wars epicenter. buildings feel as though they’re about to topple over. constant sounds of warfare playing on repeat in the background. it’s hellish.. but we claw and scrape our way through. blown out floors guiding us deeper.. catching our last glimpses of the true sky. in all of it’s gloomy honor. we fight through the remaining offices, and even into the facilities reactor zone. all the while, swarms of Elite Helghans pick off the last of the nameless, expendable ISA soldiers who accompanied me. our trek leads to a train station and then out into a courtyard, adorned with cherry blossom trees. this sector was simultaneously one of the most visually gratifying parts.. as well as most confusing. for some reason i couldn’t find my way out of there. the whole yard was encased by fences. and since you can’t jump over anything (besides scripted pop-ups for mantling over pipes or fallen trees), i felt totally trapped. of course since it’s a courtyard, it’s vast with open space. getting lost wasn’t too difficult. i really wish you could jump.. it’d probably end up just as jank as everything else in the game. but it feels hollow without. it has that exact same feeling of sitting in the backseat of a car but the child locks are on on your window. and you can’t roll it down. it’s like impossibly frustrating. but also the most mundane thing ever. i’m simply noting.. here in the courtyards is where we recruit Rico. he assists us by mowing down oncoming Helghans and taking out their tanks. and it seems like he’s already got word of what we’re looking for.
rescuing Hakha (the hostage spy) is imperative, if we want to push back the Helghans. being that he’s one of them.. he can provide us with some useful infos. we trek on to recover him. passing thru a containment yard crawling with enemies, and eventually guided towards a “Waypoint Arcade”.. we’re still in this metropolitan area. ravaged by the ongoing war. there’s not a single civilian in sight. just bodies of our dead comrades. just before we’re ambushed, there’s a wounded soldier. he sputters out his last words.. guiding us in the direction Hakha was taken.. before dying in honor.. “QUICK! Describle Killed Mid-Sentence here, before something bad happe— BZZZZT!” d’aw crap.. this reminds me. i’ve totally blanked on the “villain” slash other overarching characters. since this write-up is suuuper small in scope, i don’t feel all that bad about falling out of focus. obviously we were put up to this by someone. namely being General Vaughton, an ISA officer. i read that his VA died a few months before the games release. that’s pretty crappy.. his acting credits lead all the way back to the 50’s. holy cow. his memory will live on in Killzone.. and this write-up. unfortunately, his character was too spotty. i’m not privy as to why but the story ends up being so rushed. so sporadic all around. characters will appear, without an understanding as to why. Vaughton falls victim to this. his first appearance is somewhere during the 3rd/4th mission’s cutscene cinematic (i’m pretty sure). while his appearance appearance made him look evil. his stringy hair. his pale, withered look is adorned by a scowl. i originally pegged him for a traitor.. which sadly isn’t the case. as he’s killed later on by another commander, General Adams. who’s actually the traitor i’d been expecting. alongside Hakha. for some reason he’s working with the Helghan militia, allowing their assault to succeed. he’s basically sabotaged the entirety of Vetka. you could say he’s a real bastard. i don’t know why he’d be helping them as the Helghans plans don’t seem very promising for humans. you have to remember it’s not humans against humans. the Helghasts are an entire different race. there’s a huge separation between the 2. if they’re allowed to have full dictatorship over the planet, who’s to say Adams won’t be killed too? luckily for us, our every move works against him. with each attempt of his backfiring. slowly rattling him. it ends in a (semi) climactic face off, where we launch ourselves onto his ship and put an end to his treachery. it’s interesting to consider both sides to this. as there’s both a Helghan spy, and an ISA spy. well.. eh, i guess traitors would be a more fitting word. they work to better each side, giving away key details. but like i view Hakha’s as admirable – while Adams is a total fucker. maybe.. just maybe.. i’m a hypocrite. *shrugs*.
with all the characters unlocked, i’m able to continue on. i still mained Luger. but sometimes i’d use Hakha. he’s the brains of the group. but he’s not nearly as annoying as Rico.. or even Jan. which he’s just a carbon copy of. Hakha’s basically the Falco to Jan’s Fox. except he go through laser systems meant for Helghasts. allowing him to slip through unaffected. we’re spit out into this shipping yard. across from a bridge. the vistas here.. immaculate. it’s total beach warfare out here. looking more like D-Day, than an alien assault 300 years in the future. i loved it. i had some visual inconsistences.. but that didn’t stand a chance in harming the visual spectacle presented just before me.. this here feels like Halo. where it stretches.. and stretches.. and stretches.. cranes loom into frame as you walk it’s outskirts, avoiding the main facility. the sun is peering through as the rain fills your face. it elicited that feeling of getting mist in your eyes. oh it was beautifulll.. unfortunately.. it kinda flatlines from here. so far we’ve been navigating areas that are somehow connected to one another. but from this point onward we break that flow, as now we fly and transport our way around. plus the war begins to escalate.. things start to get down to the wire. there’s no conceivable way of getting back and forth without a snap of our fingers. the end of this mission culminates in a tough firefight. and an orbital strike in the far horizon. presumably aimed at an ISA “fortress”. by now there’s been a few mentions of the “Earth fleet”. huh, finally glad to hear of a familiar face. i guess much of our solar array has been colonized at this point. at this point it’s only a matter of time before Adams attempts to destroy the incoming fleet, along with the rest of the ISA forces. but we’re far from close. while en route to the fortress, a Helghan commando is hellbent on taking us out. stationed with an RPG of sorts.. he takes fire at our commandeered vessels, sending us of course and crashed into a marsh. ugh.. yep. we’ve arrived at the dreaded swamp level T_T
i’ve made my disdain for these sorts of levels clear in past write-ups of mine. from Fallout 3’s Point Lookout add-on, to L4D2’s (somewhat bare-able) Swamp Fever campaign. hell.. even those crappy canal missions in Half-Life 2. there’s something about water that screws up a whole games trajectory for me. especially if it’s got that gloomy swamp aesthetic. and double especially if it takes place in Louisiana. i hate having to navigate through murky waters, while my vision’s obscured by fog and vegetation that’s awkward to maneuver around. there’s never any real cover found in these sorts of locations too. besides the few sunken tree trunks.. i just don’t like it. though, Luger’s infrared heat-seeking goggles finally come in use, since the Helghasts tend to blend in. by now these guys are kinda beefy too. one badly timed reload, or blindly neandering into a firefight aaaaand – bam. you’re done for. this mission was just a huge pain in the ass. not helped by the weird map layout too. for some reason halfway through the game everything just.. changed. with the map design starting with those clever Halo-like facades, to starting just outside the zone you need to reach. their clever way of blocking it off? roadblocks. actual roadblocks. which seem to tract and detract on their own will, or with a conveniently placed button. this got me thinking.. couldn’t we just go around it? the top is lined with these really small spikes, so there’s no way in hell we’re climbing over. and i mean.. sometimes there’s debris that’s like a foot high.. but i don’t know. we seriously couldn’t just walk (or in the worst case scenario), climb over it? i got lost so often, and i was confused to find that the exit was just outside the levels start. giving you the perfect chance to reminisce; “oh uh.. look. that’s where i started”. i feel silly for complaining about something like this. insert .gif of turtles emerging from incubation and beelining for the ocean. but it’s such an irking thing. back to what i said ages ago, the stages go from solid to a bit flimsy. more trudging along as the waters begin terraform into a riverine. and Helghan Elites are becoming all too common.. my bullets also seem to go from solid to flimsy, as they don’t do jack. this is kinda where i realized the LMG wasn’t carrying me like it had before. every encounter became a close call. resulting in quite a few “restart from last checkpoint” moememtnnszzzzzszszszssz.. but actually i’d be remiss not to mention the really cool 1-on-1 against a Helghan hovercraft. and then we’re placed right.. back out into.. the.. wilderness.. though this time the environment resembles Halo’s more classic hillsides. it’s gloomy.. and it’s still pretty. but there’s still that damned water. it plays more naturally but i still found myself rushing it. though the next mission “Forging Paths” (cute) brought me right back in. you’ve still got the option of choosing whichever character. if you go with Hakha you’re blessed with a BDL-23 Dohvat Laser Designator (originally i mistook other mentions of this as detonator but designator does make sense). this thing is the freakin’.. bomb.. literally.. you can target an orbital airstrike down with a press of the button. comes in handy when dealing with the many tanks and encampments the Helghasts have set up. this thing is so OP. it’s low mag capacity makes it a back-of-pocket weapon, but it’s totally reliable. that is kind of how it’s intended though as it starts and ends with this mission. you can bring it into the next mission but there’s no more ammo. it’s also something you’ve gotta be dedicated too, cos zooming in lasts a few seconds. and if the tanks catch a glimpse of you.. pray that it’s quick. it also comes with a red laser sight. but i learned a neat trick where if you sprint/animation-cancel before scoping in, it’ll bug out and remove that invasive red sight.. and you can zoom in and out more freely. so just.. uh.. remember that for when you play.. oh lastly; the gun was featured in Playstation All-Stars as an item. [1] which is nuts cos i remember picking this up a billion times. i’m surprised it was so common in that game when it’s so singular here. brief aside over.
this part gave me hope for a light at the end of the tunnel. like we were back on track. destroying their setups with the laser designator was so satisfying. especially after getting owned by them for so long. we aren’t in the clear just yet, though. as we’re funneled into the strangest section yet. the adrenaline is still running high from my last engagement as i take in my surroundings. we’re now in a.. jungle? whuh.. this didn’t sit right with me. i mean on one hand it’s still cool. i’m not complaining because i having a totally miserable time. but this just felt wrong for a game of this caliber. i’m reheating leftovers talking about this again.. but this is meant to replicate Halo. never once did Halo confine you to an environment where you could literally see the textures overlap and create a ceiling, nulling the facade they were attempting. even in it’s lowest, underdeveloped points it remained expansive. it’s also wrong for this urban warfare they’re going for. i guess maybe they’re goin for a guerrilla (heh.. whoever gets this gets a chocolate coin.. or something) warfare thing.. maybe.. i guess. i’d assume the people heading the games design envisioned limitless possibilities for the stages. i’m just surprised this made it out the incubator. like i said the “jungle” facade is wayy too obvious. i don’t care about crappy graphics.. frankly i could bask in them for days.. but this environment was not fooling me. i know the game’s already easy, but c’mon.. still, this beats the marshes by a landslide.
at least our trek has it’s worth made, as when we emerge from the brush we’re face-to-face with a bridge. a bridge that is: A) imperative to their Helghasts invasion. for some reason. politics n supply routes n whatnot. and B) fragile enough to destroy. they actually installed self-detonation button on their bridge for us, how kind! pressing that releases it’s support pylons.. disrupting their supply chain, and giving us another double-u. by now General Adams has murked the former general, while also showing his whole hand to the rest of the ISA. the jig is up.. we gotta put an end to his treachery ASAP. problem is, even though we’re undoing all his effort.. he’s still always a step ahead of us. and Jan’s still too busy acting like a chump over Luger.. not to mention the infighting between Rico and Hakha.. we just need to pull it together. but there’s hope; the next mission’s hue is no longer drowned out by greens (a bittersweet feeling), signaling a change in environment. hell yes.. the next part of the game was probably the most surreal to me. i might have difficulty putting into words. lemme try and set the scene..
taking place above (and soon below) a missile silo, the top of the base looks like a battlefield. remnants of past warcraft linger. tanks.. planes.. possibly acting as cover. the skies clear up, and we’re able to catch our first glimpses of a grey.. slate-blue atmosphere. the ground; literal slate. the concrete’s cracked.. and like, every color strikes here. for some reason.. i’m transported back. way back. it’s 2013, and i’m at my spring/summer program (Boys & Girls club) and everything’s grey. with that same slight tinge of blue. the smell of freshly wet bark-mulch infiltrates my nose. the playground’s barred temporarily, back when they still had a fire-ant problem. their exoskeletons sticking out on that bleak, sunless asphalt. it’s kinda windy.. the interior’s got that accursed (to some) early 2010s, sterile, and skeuomorphic look to it. mostly washed out, with those random pops of colors. weird seating arrangements, adorned by a lunchroom that more resembles a fro-yo shop than your typical cafetorium. and i’m in the gymnasium. crouched down on the floor, battle droid minifigure in hand. totally oblivious to what exists outside the zone of my sightlines. everything’s just kind of a breeze. and in this.. transpondence – this is how my world looked. this is where i was. this was the place. and then some kid lends me his Halo Mega Bloks figure, cementing this world forever in my index. i’d never even played Halo (as expressed before T_T”) but that’s exactly how it looked to me. that’s how i imagined it. ya know what this means..? they succeeded.. it felt like Halo. and simultaneously.. like cloud nine. this is that place i’m fated to be. everything is pulled from here. it’s gotta be this past life thing.. because it only makes sense.. maybe i’m coming off as dramatic, and this place isn’t as untoward everyone else. but i’ve been here before. and somehow this game did this. not to put it down or anything, i just couldn’t have possibly expected it.. o-oh.. “the gameplay?” i can hear you asking.. it’s.. er.. well.. just a standard static turret section. ya gotta shoot some Helghan operated combat vehicles as they pour out of the base. ultimately disrupting their supply line further. vehicles in this game follow that vehicle damage = instant fireball logic, so they’re destroyed pretty easily. erh.. so yeah.. that’s that.. hands down one of my most surviving moments. there isn’t really a reason for this to have stuck with me in the way that it did. it’s average. but it’s beautiful. this game is so beautiful, especially in it’s desolate characteristics. i stand on business when i say it looks good for its time. i mean, F.E.A.R. came out a year later. they’re both rough around the edges. no game’s perfect. and i’m not about solely judging a games merits based in graphics. but i mean, you compare the two.. maybe i’m just a sucker for its doom n gloom ヽ(。_°) who’s to say? i don’t really know anything. this place also reminded me a lot of a select few maps from CoD: Advanced Warfare. i don’t have the most familiarity with that game, but it comes from that pool of games that attempted to re-propagate that late 2000s pastiche..
i can’t reminisce for too long. the silo’s waiting. we descend down an odd number of stories, passing some mundane rooms .. so on. we don’t even stay here long as after taking out some high ranking Helghast official, we take his ride over towards the final act of the game, a be-snowed uplink among the mountains – aptly titled “Onwards and Upwards”. here, they’ve finally hit on all the environments. from haze-y and cloudy, to urban, to grassy, and finallyyyy.. snowy. wahooo.. rejoice.. i know, i know. i had to rub my eyes in order to believe it too. anyways.. onwards and upwards. fighting on the snowy mountains was a nice change of pace. it still felt like i was playing a tactics shooter from the modern day. not like 2357. i think the tech isn’t represented correctly for the time period. everything’s too standard. the inclines pretty tough. by now the default Helghan soldiers (like the ones you see on the cover) have been phased out. replaced by Elites and Commandos. this takes double the time it would’ve originally taken. the amount of deaths would take like.. at least 3 sets of hands to count. it’s challenging enough. at least they’re forgiving with the checkpoints. by the end of the game i’d turned into one of those people who found themselves cursed to reliving the same death over and over again. respawning every morning like clockwork, forced to face death.. for the foreseeable future. until i finally got their pathing under control, and i could gauge their next moves. like any game ever.. but i think they sidestepped that ultra frustrating feeling of tedium. it’s balanced.. some Helghan Elites even tote a Pnv-3 Siska, knocking you down in one go. this difficulty comes to a head when we’re made to cross this drawbridge so tight that there’s only way forward and across. most likely the game would’ve ended if i didn’t have all this plot armor. Killzone doesn’t have any “bosses” per-se, but there are pseudo ones – like one of the Helghan commanders, or a pack of ultra busted Elites. it’s clear through the stages geometry that these are some of the toughest foes we’ve yet to face.
the whole reason for making a stop at this detritus weather station was so we could hitch a ride from one of the uplink’s shuttles towards one of the orbital platforms commandeered by that traitor scum, Adams. the extreme presence and firepower from the Helghasts show just how pivotal this is for Vekta. even beelining for the button is a campaign of its own. considering how we’ve been on a trek through the wilderness for the past couple hours, returning to plain metallic quarters was a breath of fresh air. swapping off from that green haze induced by the facilities alloy grating, into a snowy trek. it’s taken awhile.. but we’ve finally reached the top. the shuttle’s on lockdown, but it can be lifted by a button at the tip of the air control tower. the pinnacle of the mountain. the route there is maze-like. teeming with soldiers. at least we’ve got the upper-hand. our teams co-ordination is finally coming together.. and mixed with the adrenaline of reaching the strike-platforms in time.. we’ve got one hell of a final mission ahead of us. entrance into the orbital platform is rather easy. instead of well-guarded barrage, we’re simply allowed in.. d’aghh we’ve made it this far. there’s no point in making a fuss over crap like this.. though we are greeted by the most peculiar looking level yet. the interior of the platform is of course space looking. replicating that feeling of cramped-ness that i get whenever i see the inside of the ISS. showing off its long verticality. the walls are numerous and hex-like. there’s (what i assume to be doors) reaching sll the way up to the ceiling. it feels like i’ve stepped foot into a beehive. ICL though, the whole time i was just thinking about the “Deadly Complex” map from Pixel Gun 3D. maybe that’s too much of a deep-cut.. not really my fault as this mission replicates that every-man-for-himself, Hunger Games feeling. i think it’s apt. thankfully it wasn’t as much of a maze as much as it was just a straight shot. the team decides to split up here. playing as Luger was probably the right pick. so far the multiple character gimmicks only barely won me over. there have been a few clues as to who does/doesn’t work best in each match. someone like Luger is often beamed down during those large firefights, while a guy like Rico can tank it with no problem. Hakha can cross Helghan laser-wire and Luger can sneak in and around through ventilation.. while Templar can.. do.. well, nothing. he’s just.. bland.. i mean geez; his skin is one of the two default NPC models. or maybe it’s the other way around. but even his loadout is done better; see Hakha. why play as him when the other characters, (even Rico) are cooler, and whose built-in mechanics already justify you picking them. shrugs. Luger’s sneaking ability shines within this mission. instead of runnin’ n gunnin’, you can sleuth through. like before, i’m still stumped at the stealthing capabilities of this game. the AI is just naïve enough where they aren’t always all-knowing. and the sneak takedown is instantaneous. making it ultra satisfying. it’s more fruitful to go in guns-a-blazing, but having the choice.. them incorporating an attempt at a spin.. it felt like a breeze rolling thru the window. it’s almost too subtle for it’s own good. i’m just hoping that it’s built upon in the next games. back to Luger; you can sidestep the firefights by sneaking through the ingenious, conveniently human-sized air ducts, which leads me straight to where i need to be. i had a bad habit of only picking Luger for missions that had no unique route for her. i guess since Hakha and Templar’s frames aren’t svelte enough for them to fit.. those vents.. sticking out.. taunting me. it became a sore sight.
nevertheless this segment finally cemented the mechanic into my databanks. i passed by so many vent grates, but due to the consequences of my actions at the start of the mission i had to give up hopes of ever entering them. when.. when will i learn? will my fantasies ever be quenched? unsure. i’ll answer this later; right now, we’re soo close to General Adams. the platform’s expansive. we’re only the bottom part. he’s most likely towards the head of the craft, near it’s control source. taking a conveyor out towards the other side, it finally clocks to me. we’re in space. as in.. outer space. it’s funny, for a Halo killer there hasn’t been much of that. better late than never i suppose. the conveyor itself is translucent. Vekta’s swirly, painting-esque expanse instantly fills your entire view. and ships glide back and forth. ships that bear a striking resemblance.. to.. the.. aw crap.. – it’s the Earth Fleet! they’ve arrived. looks like we’ve finally cut it too close. and with General Adams still at the helm of the Orbital Cannon Beam of Death™.. this won’t end well. as if on queue with my thoughts, a giant ray-beam blows into the ship at the head of the fleet. and chaos ensues. the Earth Fleet never got the notice to avert from Vekta. a remarkable divide is drawn in the sand after the betrayal of both Helghan and ISA honchos. it feels as though the conveyor couldn’t possibly go any slower. i’m lost in thought as to the extent of damages. and by the vista that appears just behind it.
the tip of the platform has the same makeup as it’s previous components. somehow the hexagonal pattern that adorns the wall’s become even more fragile and bleak. uncertainty fills the air, seemingly thick enough to cut with a knife. from both sides of the war. our crew decides to split up. of course i played as Luger.. allowing for a more elusive route to General Adams. weaving from duct to ladder. you can listen in on the conversations had between the final front of Helghan soldiers where they not-so-subtly describe how scattered their forces have become.. (little did they know..) more than just my teeth are clenched as i’m involved in a handful of fumbled stealth maneuvers. i’m lucky enough to reach the control room unscathed, where i soon realized i came underprepared. this final assault consists of a new type of enemy.. Helghan Bodyguards. set to protect those of the highest order. General Adams, with his back firmly against the wall, is accompanied by 14 of these bastards. and they seriously mean business. these are the toughest enemies by far. playing as Luger, all i’ve got is a submachine gun and pocket knife. as much as i’d like to go in slicing and dicing, my gear won’t stand a chance. i’m no match for this onslaught. doomed to die, reload, die, reload, ’til the end of eternity. attempting to find something.. anything to cheese this encounter. i try all the tools i can.. rummaging hopelessly through my bag of tricks. that’s when i realize.. the sniper, while not technically fit for this encounter, it seems to do enough damage to the Bodyguards – with the added benefit of somehow being able to strike through glass. i’d be remiss if i didn’t mention the giant soccer ball shaped dome in the center of the control room, which is translucent with glass. this could work.. the games solution to increased difficulty is to simply give the enemies aimbot. doesn’t matter if they’re turned around, or if i’m bein sneaky.. their bullets travel right through unto me. but i persist. Templar, Hakha, and Rico waltz on in just barely before it’s too late. there’s only so much space for me to be pushed back unto. unfortunately they’re not much help. they never allow for a brief lapse in recouperation. every time i think i’m safe, a Helghan slips through my grasp and manages to catch me off-guard. they stand there idly watching as i take him out. but i persist!
the uncertainty of the back ‘n forth closely resembles an arm-wrestling match. advancing on; that’s when i finally see him. General Adams. that bastard himself. off to the right in one of the last sectors left unsearched. he couldn’t even face us like a real man.. hiding behind his mothers skirt (e.g. the Bodyguards).. visually you know this is final showdown. in my experience, it’s easy to mistake the penultimate battle for the final battle. but there’s no mistaking this one. in a karmic twist of fate Adam’s is the one with no space left to maneuver. his back is *literally* against the wall. the architecture of the final room is oddly flat. the same could even be said for the entirety of the showdown. the riskiness of our arrival is conveyed well. and so is the franticness of our final offensive. we’ve hampered their efforts enough for them to resort to the big guns. but i just don’t know anything about General Adams. in fact; this games biggest blemish is just that. it feels as though we’ve been thrown into a second season of a TV show, but without the added context of the previous episodes. Adam’s betrayal didn’t make any sense to me. yeah, you know he’s a bad guy (the cinematics make that clear), but those are the only times we get to learn about him. he has no extended dialogue.. or something like a chase sequence, where motives are explained – he’s simply noted as being here. and he has a semi-monologue. but it’s anxious and nonsensical. though it was expressed very well.. through his tone/emphasis. fihgting him, he’s got a lot of health. but the true foes here are the other bodyguards in the hallway. it took me a while for me to realize he wasn’t exactly that tough of a foe. yet for some reason i still kept focus on him. guess i was motivated by my disdain for him.. hm.. maybe he kinda works afterall. i admit gunning him down was extremely satisfying. and for once there was a sense of brevity. without any other tricks, this really is the end of the line.
the game transitions from his lifeless corpse into a cutscene depicting him at 1 HP.. the entire platform is engulfed in flames. and Adams finds himself caught between it all, whimpering.. and unable to find his way out. dooming to death by the rubble that’s caved in. crushing him and muffling his scream. our heroes may have cleared the room, but they’re not free yet. while managing their escape Hakha finds himself facing down the barrel of the same fate as General Adams, as he’s caught beneath some equipment. pressured by the imminent launch of the shuttle, and lost in the sea of gunfire and explosions.. it seems as though they’re going to need to leave him behind.. that is until Rico steps up.. tossing aside his grudge for the Helghan race, and rescuing Hakha. and i’ll admit – it was endearing. the entire time Rico’s nearly screwing over the team by his refusal to get along with Hakha.. even though he’s proved himself more than worthy of joining our cause. i guess there’s the chance that he’s a deep cover operative, made to go to extreme lengths to foil Jan’s plans. if he’s got to kill his fellow kin, then so be it. but i don’t think this is the case.. (especially after playing it.) it was very unexpected.. i mean, considering how trigger happy Rico’s been. it shows how these trials and tribulations have united the group, even through their inner-conflicts with one another. they work well as a team. with Hakha around his shoulder, the group attempt to fend off the last wave of enemies before launch. caught in the crossfire Rico takes a shot to the chest. luckily.. he’s pulled into the shuttle just in the nick of time. with Adams defeated, the remainder of the Earth Fleet is able to make it by. the ending’s vague of whether or not the Helghan threat is relieved (we all know it’s not). but for now. all is still. their shuttle lingers through a debris field as we’re given one final shot of the orbital platform.. before it erupts into a fiery explosion. and this.. was Killzone (2004). woah.. it really hasn’t clocked to me just how old this game is. a lot of it’s shortcomings could easily be attributed to this. it’s just that old. but in many departments i consider it to have a strong foothold. the trickiness of the controls and a return to form made it a challenging, yet genuine. yeah.. the cast is a bit spotty. but it’s gimmick of alternating routes and abilities was a worthwhile introduction. no doubt there were map variations i missed while i was lost in the heat of a firefight. it’s perfectly bleak and detritus. using a diverse array of locales, not so dissimilar to Halo. though not nearly as eccentric. i generally think that the “Halo Killer” shtick wasn’t necessary, and was ultimately what doomed it. i think it’s beautiful for it’s own merits. it’s gritty, and in an ideal world my own perception would be coated in that pulchritudinous grainy texture. and to be frank.. it looks good for how old it is. it toed the line during the time where most games began to switch from that glued together, low-poly hell heaven (different strokes for different folks) to something far more polished. besides a few distant facades it’s make-up is surprisingly not outdated. gameplay-wise; i’m a bit iffy. it replicates Halo’s repetitive landscape that sprawls on and on.. it’s passible. it rarely stretches on too long. though i think it could have benefited from taking place strictly in urban environments. from all of the cinematics it’s made clear that we’re meant to be fighting through Vekta’s cityscapes. i like the snow, and the vegetation. but it wasn’t fitting. it felt oddly.. vacant. the gunplay too was similarly passable. i don’t really have more to say that hasn’t been said already. at times it did scratch that Halo itch. and for a franchise exclusive to the Playstation.. i believe it’s something to be commemorated. it wasn’t simply a crappy clone. the silver lining is it’s distinct persona.. and fast-forward a few years; Killzone didn’t stop there. don’t know how others feel, but the Killzone 2 was everywhere. extremely acclaimed. while the original Killzone was tied to the PS2 the rest of the series would find homes spread out through future consoles. before being totally phased out. left to rot in Sony’s backlogs.. (to be cont.. look forward to my Killzone 2 write-up U_U)