PS3 - Killzone 2

Haiku Review:

Where are we? Helghan. 
What do we do? Kill Helghast.
Is that it? Uh...yeah.

Additional Comments/Flame War Rant:

I actually beat this game some time ago, but I thought it would be a good idea to put it on here since it's still fresh in my mind, for one, and also to show that I don't only play Xbox 360 games. Here at Beat All Games, we're really system agnostic. We really don't care about the flame wars over which system is better or not, because there's no point in arguing since every system is awesome in its own way. I may have a personal preference if I have to decide between having a game on the 360 or PS3, but it's only preference on petty creature comforts that I may like a little more with one system than another (e.g., controller ergonomics, friends, achievements/trophies, etc.). Rant over.

Now, I like shooters. And this was one of the most hyped-up shooters in recent years that I can think of. Did it live up to the hype? Well, yes. Mostly. First, let me say that this game looks INCREDIBLE. This is probably the best-looking game that I think I've ever played thus-far. And this game came out a few years ago! The setting and presentation of this shooter is also jaw-dropping--something dark, moody, and unique in its own right. It completely nails the setting of a bleak warzone. Really, it kind of felt like a futuristic WW2 game in some ways. The first mission is a landing on a beach front, the side you're on seems much like the Allies, the weapons even have a certain throwback to that era (even your standard default assault rifle is a lot like an American M4), and the enemies even look kind of like Nazis. But it's in the future. I think. At least...it's on another planet. So, even if it may seem like a ripoff, they completely pull it off.

The story...eh...don't buy it for the story. Buy it for the killing of Helghans. The story isn't anything new or interesting, really. It just takes you from point A to point B. And the squad that you're with are pretty unlikable guys. My friend quit playing this game for that reason alone. (Pretty strange reason, I must admit.)

The controls are a major point of contention in this game. Supposedly, the developers wanted to have a feel of weight to your character, so the controls are a little sluggish and the guy doesn't really run fast at all--kind of like he's weighed down with thirty pounds of gear. There was a pretty big outcry about this, so the developers made a patch that apparently fixed the problem, allowing you to turn the sluggishness on or off via a menu function. I tried it both ways and I honestly can't tell a difference. But I left it off just in case. Yeah, it's still pretty sluggish--not nearly as fluid as, say, Halo--but I didn't really mind. I adapted fairly quickly.

The multiplayer is decent, but I didn't fall in love with it. It had sparks of genius here and there with their class system, but you had to unlock everything and it meant that you just have to grind to get to the point where you can actually play what you want. By then you're sick of playing and don't give a crap.

But the biggest thing that I hated about this game is that most of the trophies are only attainable through multiplayer. GRRRRR. And since the multiplayer didn't blow me away, I only got about a quarter of the available trophies. And since I'm a trophy/achievement whore, I cried. Then I got ANGRY!

Rating:  3.5 Nazi helmets out of 5  (great presentation and the action is great, but the multiplayer was lacking for me, personally)

Nano-rant:

Only 25% of the effin' trophies!!!!!!!!