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8.0

Empire: Killzone 2 Review

Empire writes: "For a four-star game, there's a lot broken in Killzone 2. The acting is appalling for starters, with a shitstorm of two-bit actors hamming their way through the story and rotting any sense of immersion. The lack of a co-operative mode – something the developers promise will be corrected with a download post-launch – is also criminal as fighting alongside companions is one of the solo game's main draws, and there's a nagging sense of déjà vu throughout as the interplanetary plot feels like every other futuristic blaster you've played in recent months."

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empireonline.com
Huh6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

wow another great review for killzone 2 thank you so much sony for another high quality ps3 game

sahar2436317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

sorry but i dont believe this review

TheTwelve6317d ago

This is hardly a great review. But it will probably get the most hits...the bastards.

12

hay6317d ago

It's a bit too negative for a review if you ask me. And 2 paragraphs? I can write more about any game without playing it...

Endorphin6317d ago

This game is as good as F.E.A.R. 2 thank goodness!
/casm

GWAVE6317d ago

I'll say it:

WHO is Empire? No, seriously. This no-name website does a 2-paragraph review complaining about acting (Gears 1 and 2, Halo 3, CoD4, Army of Two, and pretty much any other shooter out there suffer from bad acting) and a lack of co-op (apparently games like Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 4, and GTA4 don't need co-op to garner their high scores) and I'm supposed to take them seriously?

Oh well. We all knew it was going to happen: bitter video game journalists are mad that Sony not only met expectations, but exceeded them. Boo hoo, fanboys.

UnwanteDreamz6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

I would be happy with this "review" too if the author had not given the new Prince of Persia game 5 out of 5. I also do not agree with marking the game down for no co-op and then saying this would be fixed after release.

Edit: I just looked and this hack gave Star Wars the Force Unleashed 5 stars. David McComb you fail!

anh_duong6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

"Killzone 2 may not be the killer game it promised to be, but it’s still worth owning a PS3 just to play it." - empire

and they gave it an 8???????????? a game worth buying a console to play for is a pretty good game if you asked me.

wildcat6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

COD4 had pretty decent voice actors in my opinion. I haven't played any of the other games you mentioned. As for KZ2's voice actors, I admit they're a little awkward from time to time, but considering the overall quality put forth in the presentation, I'll choose not to criticize so harshly.

sonarus6317d ago

that review was a bit short but its all good. They didn't even touch on the multiplayer oh well. Their only cons were with poor voice acting and lines as well as no coop. If thats all they can say about the game then i'm happy

I also noticed they gave star wars perfect score. Their credibility just shot through the ceiling lol

jwatt6317d ago

That's still a great score but that's the problem with this game being so hyped. This is the reviewers chance to be more popular by going against the grain. If they would have gave it a 5 out of 5 people wouldn't pay attention but by giving it a 4 out of 5 now people are asking who is empire. They've just made thier name more popular and more known.

Tony999Montana6317d ago

lol... Do you any of you know that Empire is a magazine about movies? It's game reviews are not important.

UnwanteDreamz6317d ago

I was going to mention all the movie stuff, I guess you confirmed it bubbles.

Chris3996317d ago

PS3:
Uncharted (4/5)
Resistance (4/5)
Resistance 2 (4/5)
Killzone 2 (4/5)
Heavenly Sword (4/5)
Motorstorm (4/5)

360:
Gears of War (5/5)
Gears of War 2 (5/5)
Halo 2 (5/5)
Halo 3 (5/5)
Left4Dead (5/5)
Blue Dragon (5/5)
Crackdown (4/5)

Notice a trend? Blue Dragon, really? I'm usually not prone to believe conspiracy theories, but this pretty much proves it. Eurogamer is the same way, they simply refuse to award any PS3 title with that coveted "10".

addic6317d ago

Thats the full "review":

Review
For a four-star game, there’s a lot broken in Killzone 2. The acting is appalling for starters, with a sh*tstorm of two-bit actors hamming their way through the story and rotting any sense of immersion. The lack of a co-operative mode – something the developers promise will be corrected with a download post-launch – is also criminal as fighting alongside companions is one of the solo game’s main draws, and there’s a nagging sense of déjà vu throughout as the interplanetary plot feels like every other futuristic blaster you’ve played in recent months.

But as an exercise in mood and thrills, Killzone 2 is superb. Staged on a grey, industrial alien planet, the ramshackle buildings, ruined factories and hastily erected barriers are a refreshing change from the fanciful worlds of other space-age blasters, every inch of the game world bursting with detail and making every skirmish genuinely gripping. And with AI-controlled companions who fight like real people and add colour and depth to the plot, Killzone 2 may not be the killer game it promised to be, but it’s still worth owning a PS3 just to play it.

Bubble Buddy6317d ago

Thanks for the full review? It must have taken them faster to write the whole review than to watch the first cutscene. heh.

BattleAxe6317d ago

I think that whats happened here is the reviewer got an upset stomach from something he ate before doing the review. He probably went to go crap it out after writing the review.

callahan096317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

This is by far the least trust-worthy review I could have imagined. 80% is a great score and all, but holy hell, they gave Gears of War 2 a perfect score! They trash-talk the hammy voice acting in Killzone 2 and praise the dumbass meathead testosterone-fueled crap going on in Gears of War 2? Look, Gears 2 is a fun game, but to praise that crapfest of characterization they had going on and then to bash Killzone 2 for essentially the same thing is just ridiculous. They said this about Gears 2's story "fresh approach injecting the bravado with tragedy and drama." Hahaha. That makes me laugh.

The Gears 2 review is at least twice as long as this short little itty bitty piece of crap write-up on Killzone 2. How is that even fair? They mention exactly NOTHING about the online multiplayer in Killzone 2 (but of course they find time to say they're going to knock points off because it doesn't have co-op). The Gears 2 review claims that the best parts of the game are online, which is a load of crap, because I have Gears 2 and that game STILL, more than 2 months after release, has tons of glitches, bugs, dropped connections, and awful lag online.

Hmm... so they find some things to nit-pick about, which show double-standards like the comments about story/acting in KZ2 vs. Gears 2, and they don't even mention online in KZ2 and give it a worthless short as hell review.

This review pisses me off. I'm sorry to type about it so seriously (I'm actually not as angry in real life as my typing would have you believe, this review is quite meaningless to me, but when I see crappy "journalism" I write fervently about it for ... well, I guess because it's a hobby of mine!)

Oh, and they gave Resident Evil 5 a perfect score, too. I hated the demo of that game (so sue me). Hell, they even saw fit to give Star Wars The Force Unleashed a perfect score!

So, they give 2 measly paragraphs to Killzone 2 and don't mention it's multiplayer AT ALL (not a single word)? Yeah, that sounds legit, hahaha. And what about the fact that in the game section of the site, every single solitary multiplatform game has the 360 box art shown? Whatever. I can't possibly trust their game reviews.

AnttiApina6317d ago

I think you should praise GG more than Sony. They've done great job!

pixelsword6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

*NOTE* TWO paragraphs? I'm sorry; he didn't play it. You can write more on the Beta than what this "journalist" did for the entire game.

Killzone 2 (2009)
Review
For a four-star game, there’s a lot broken in Killzone 2. The acting is appalling for starters, with a sh!tstorm of two-bit actors hamming their way through the story and rotting any sense of immersion. The lack of a co-operative mode – something the developers promise will be corrected with a download post-launch – is also criminal as fighting alongside companions is one of the solo game’s main draws, and there’s a nagging sense of déjà vu throughout as the interplanetary plot feels like every other futuristic blaster you’ve played in recent months.

But as an exercise in mood and thrills, Killzone 2 is superb. Staged on a grey, industrial alien planet, the ramshackle buildings, ruined factories and hastily erected barriers are a refreshing change from the fanciful worlds of other space-age blasters, every inch of the game world bursting with detail and making every skirmish genuinely gripping. And with AI-controlled companions who fight like real people and add colour and depth to the plot, Killzone 2 may not be the killer game it promised to be, but it’s still worth owning a PS3 just to play it.

Mukiwa6317d ago

Bless ye and your altruistic ways! Truly this site does not deserve the hits when they deem sheer bollocks like this "review" to be available to an unwitting public.

GameGambits6316d ago

No 5 out of 5 stars, because Cliffy B didn't come over in a baby Gap T-shirt smiling like a crack addict, then spiff out 400 lies of how much better it is than the first only to live up to .1% of the hype.

Seriously though if your site operates on a 5 star rating system, then K2 is 5 star. No I'm not saying perfect, but I'm saying meets the criteria of being A) A first day buy B) Outstanding competition for its genre C) Could move a console purchase for someone just to play it. Since K2 meets all of those criteria, then it seems the 4/5 stars + a 2 paragraph review means you don't like having your site as a credible source for videogame journalism.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though it'd just be nice if they had one, because 2 paragraphs DOES NOT EQUATE A REVIEW.

anh_duong6316d ago

what sony and guerilla games should have done was announced Killzone2 as being available for both consoles (ps3 and xbox 360) so when it gets reviewed empire will give it 100%. but of course delay the xbox version indefinitely.

+ Show (20) more repliesLast reply 6316d ago
Johnny Cullen6317d ago

Oh dear...

A 4/5 it maybe but...

"For a four-star game, there's a lot broken in Killzone 2. The acting is appalling for starters, with a sh!tstorm of two-bit actors hamming their way through the story and rotting any sense of immersion. The lack of a co-operative mode – something the developers promise will be corrected with a download post-launch – is also criminal as fighting alongside companions is one of the solo game's main draws, and there's a nagging sense of déjà vu throughout as the interplanetary plot feels like every other futuristic blaster you've played in recent months."

I see a major sh!tstorm coming on this.

gamesmaster6317d ago

a major sh!t storm indeed, but what gamer in their right mind would listen to empire about video games, i'd rather let my grandma play the game and write me a review. and she has a memory span of 21 seconds.

Statix6317d ago (Edited 6317d ago )

Here are some other review scores from this supposedly unbiased, platform-neutral website:

PS3:
Uncharted (4/5)
Resistance (4/5)
Resistance 2 (4/5)
Killzone 2 (4/5)
Heavenly Sword (4/5)
Motorstorm (4/5)

360:
Gears of War (5/5)
Gears of War 2 (5/5)
Halo 2 (5/5)
Halo 3 (5/5)
Left4Dead (5/5)
Blue Dragon (5/5)
Crackdown (4/5)

I'm not saying that each of those PS3 titles deserve 5 stars, but on the same token, not all of those 360 titles had to receive 5 stars either; judging by history, this website seems to have an awful lot of trouble handing out 5-star reviews to PS3 exclusive titles. I especially like how this "David McComb" character likes to take cheap potshots at the PS3 once in a while in some of his reviews, sometimes making reference to "PS3 fanboys" and even saying how PS3 owners should be glad for a quality new game in their "vapid games library" in his Ninja Gaiden: Sigma review.

Marceles6317d ago

"For a four-star system...oops I mean game, there's a lot broken in PS3...err I mean Killzone 2. Sony err...the acting is appalling for starters, with a sh!tstorm of two-bit graphics, oops I mean acting hamming their way through the story and rotting any sense of innovation, I-I mean immersion."

"The lack of a co-operative mode – something the developers promise will be corrected with a download post-launch – is also criminal as fighting alongside companions is one of the solo game's main draws....and shows teh power of the cell sucks, I HATE SONY"

Btw the devs never PROMISED co-op, that was a rumor. "promised will be corrected"...like no co-op is a problem, sigh...it would be a nice addition but it's not killing the damn game and making it non-purchasable.

"...and there's a nagging sense of déjà vu throughout as the interplanetary plot feels like every other PS3 game you've played in recent months....but worse than Lair and Haze...oh and still doesn't compare to Halo 3." (takes big gulp of Halo 3 Mountain Dew, laces up Halo 3 shoes) "LONG LIVE HALO AND THE 360!!"

Ridiculous.

MGOelite6317d ago

wow reading this i bet they havent even got the review code of the game...

Huh6317d ago

what if killzone 2 is more than just a game what if killzone 2 is a life changing experience

user94220776317d ago

"there's a lot broken in Killzone 2"

that's how you know the site is pure rubbish

Beg For Mercy6317d ago

and they write a 2 paragraph review of the biggest game of the year and give it a 4 but give re5 a 5 outta 5 which has been crucified since the demo WTF ever empire

GarandShooter6317d ago

What he meant to say is KZ2 broke it off in his PS3 hating ass.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 6317d ago
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130°

Why Guerrilla Games Shouldn't Abandon the Killzone Series

Hugely disappointingly, it seems that Guerrilla Games, developers of the Killzone and Horizon series, may be done with Killzone for good.

Read Full Story >>
thenerdstash.com
IAMRealHooman571d ago

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

OtterX571d ago (Edited 571d ago )

Shadowfall had great Multiplayer though. Too bad the campaign was meh at best. It did have the occasional great moment sprinkled in.

TheNamelessOne571d ago (Edited 571d ago )

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.

Rude-ro571d ago

3 in 3d was an amazing experience to be had.
Although not many experienced it as intended for good reasons.

just_looken570d ago

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

MDTunkown571d ago

They should finish Horizon story first

darthv72571d ago

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.

just_looken570d ago

You forgot killzone mercenaries on the ps vita but it was the worst selling sony game for awhile there.

Yui_Suzumiya570d ago

Yeah, a remake would be pretty awesome

anast571d ago

They should let it go or sell it. No use spending millions on this project.

LucasRuinedChildhood571d ago

Would like a new IP before Horizon 3. Just because games take so long to make these days.

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350°

PlayStation 3 Games That Desperately Need a PS5 Remaster

The PlayStation 3 may not have been the strongest generation for Sony, but there were still some diamonds in the rough that deserve a revisit as PS5 remasters.

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wealthofgeeks.com
OtterX800d ago (Edited 800d ago )

Even if they could just remaster and put on PSVR2, some would still look great as VR titles and could do a whole lot to bolster the headset w these exclusives! I'd imagine the investment of reworking these titles into VR would be way less than building new games from the ground up, and they could be amazing experiences, and VR often makes flat games feel fresh again. The Resistance and Killzone games are particularly what I want to see!!

Rude-ro800d ago

I played killzone 3 in 3d and it really changed the game per being immersive.
In vr, that would be even more awesome.

darthv72800d ago

Funny you mention that... my son wanted to play some PS3 games in 3d on my PS tv and he was blown away by how good KZ3 was. It really was a great addition to the game. Im surprised there have not been more 3d games from that era being ported to the PSVR/VR2.

_SilverHawk_800d ago

resistance 1-3, killzone 1-3, uncharted 1-3, uncharted golden abyss, folklore, socom 4 , motorstorm, twisted metal, MAG, heavenly sword

Cacabunga800d ago

Killzone 2+3
Sly Thieves in Time
Crack in Time
God of War Ascension
Motorstorm
Modnation racer
Infamous 1+2

Profchaos800d ago (Edited 800d ago )

Killzone trilogy in VR would be amazing bonus points if they offer shadow fall.

There was a psvr1 Killzone project that supermassive was working on at one stage which wasn't up to scratch and Sony brand it back in house I was hoping we would see that on psvr2 eventually.

Personally I'd love to see some more love or acknowledgement of psvr2 from Sony in general it was a expensive headset and Sony barely acknowledge it's existence

seanpitt23800d ago

The amount of work needed to remaster these games wouldn't be beneficial on a financial and business sense.. MGS4 would probably be the best bet as it would need the least amount of work!

Iceball2000800d ago

YEAAASSSSS! I miss this franchise and wanna play it so bad again.

Father__Merrin800d ago

The time is perfect for a resistance fall of man game campaign coop multiplayer

InUrFoxHole800d ago

The resistance series is str8 trash to me. Socom 3 I would welcome. Or killzone MP.

Marcus Fenix800d ago

A Resistance reboot will be awesome

Michiel1989800d ago

That's what Bungie should make, Ill keep saying it until it happens

1Victor800d ago (Edited 800d ago )

Resistance was ok but Warhawk and Starhawk was better and kept me coming back for almost a decade of fun and petty revenge on the loud mouth unskilled players 🤣
Edit I loved capture the flag dropping the pot on the flag carrier was extremely satisfying as well as transforming your plane in bot form and stumping them to death 😱

800d ago
Michiel1989800d ago

Resistance was the best co-op fps I ever played after L4D2

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230°

20 Years of Guerrilla: The Story of a PlayStation Studio

The Amsterdam-based studio reflects on its humble beginnings, beloved franchises, and growth through the years.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
SullysCigar1104d ago

Up there with the top tier in the industry. Love Guerrilla Games - Horizon Burning Shores is simply STUNNING.

1Victor1104d ago

Can’t wait for their next franchise

SullysCigar1104d ago

Same. They nailed it with Horizon. The trouble is I also want a new Killzone! Can't I just have it all?!

jznrpg1104d ago

I’m with you I want Horizon 3 , Killzone and new IPs

badz1491103d ago

I have yet to play Burning Shores as I just started Forbidden West (bought at launch, just unwrapped last weekend LOL) and playing on PS5.

man...I still can't believe the graphics especially now I'm playing it on my LG OLED. that graphics and with stable performance backing it up, GG really is the master of their craft!

Vengeance11381104d ago

32.7M sales in the Horizon franchise! With 8.4M coming from Forbidden West alone! Truly a hugely successful game and franchise as a whole. Looking forward to Horizon III

Shane Kim1104d ago

That's kind of a huge drop though. It's only been two games.

VersusDMC1104d ago

One year after realease HZD sold 7.6 million.

https://www.noobfeed.com/ne...

So not a drop off.

Unless you're saying a HFW should have sold as much now as HZD sold in 5 years?

Vengeance11381104d ago

It's been 3 games, this includes Call of the Mountain. Also no, its a great improvement over HZD.

solideagle1104d ago

lol you are comparing:

HZD: 28 February 2017 - May 2023 (6 years+)

HFW: 18 February 2022 - May 2023 (1 year+)

We will see if it surpass original number.

Phoenix761104d ago

@shane, 2 full main games, 2 DLC add ons, 1 VR spin off game, oh and a an official LEGO set.
Not too bad for an ip that's only been on market for 6 years

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1104d ago
REDGUM1103d ago

Wow, very impressive. I didn't know the numbers were so high for Forbidden West. Still playing through it myself

thesoftware7301104d ago (Edited 1104d ago )

Yooo, when I first saw that Killzone 1 footage at E3, my friends my brothers and I were like, Holy shit! When it came out, it didn't look exactly like it, but we sunk so many hours into 1 & 2.

I even liked Killzone: SF, it was a spectacle to look at, and even today it looks good. I hope they make a new one. Can you imagine how that will look, and they can get some modern FPS pointers from Bungie.

blacktiger1103d ago

thank you fps lover, I'm with you

talocaca1104d ago

Such a wonderful studio. They deserve all their success.

The Decima Engine is absolute 🔥 I'm just mad they have abandoned Killzone.

OzzY-waZZy1104d ago (Edited 1104d ago )

Kinda wish they move on from Horizon tbh.

lukasmain1104d ago

They are probably working on mutiple projects. One of them is Horizon 3, but another is a multiplaer game and probably somehting else.

Imalwaysright1104d ago

There were rumours that they were working on a Socom reboot.

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