It’s not
really a sequel … not really. The original Killzone was on the PlayStation 2
console and was an entry into the first-person shooter market. Killzone:
Liberation is on the PlayStation Portable and is a third-person shooter seen
from the isometric perspective.
The game
takes place a couple of months after the events in the original game and centers
on a single character in a battle against the Helghast forces. The elusive
general, Metrac, has begun a campaign of terror and it is up to the player to
counter with a series of missions that advance along a linear storyline. The
missions themselves, which make up the stages of the game, will have you
venturing across maps to clear zones for landing craft, or rescuing those in
danger of kidnapping. You will get help along the way, and will be tasked with
escort duty as well.
There are
booby traps to avoid, vehicles to drive and mazes to navigate. Mazes? Yep, each
of the levels is like a maze and it is your job to go from point A to point B
(and sometimes points C and D), and occasionally return from whence you came.
It’s really not that hard to do. The game does have a linear feel to it in that
you cannot advance along the campaign path unless you accomplish the specific
tasks and there seems to be only one way to do it.
The game
does have an arcade-like feel to it in that as you go you will have to find
supply depots, large crates that can hold health recovery items, weapons,
ammunition or explosives. You may need to go through a certain order to find the
supply depot that has C4 to blow up the entry to the next part of the level. To
use items like C4 or to disarm a trap, you approach the location and get a
pop-up image that require you to hold down the X button. You may find yourself
under attack at this time and you can trigger traps in creative ways – like
lobbing in a grenade and blow an enemy into the trap. The rag-doll physics look
very good in this regard, and bodies tumble about in a rather eye-catching way.
There is a drawback to this, though, in that sometimes a body will move without
impetus on the part of the gamer. Seeing a corpse spinning circles or moving a
few feet on its own is a little eerie.
The game
does have some nice features, like the lock-ons which glue the guns to the
enemy, or the ability to crouch behind a barrier and pop up with the press of
one button to shoot at the enemy. You can even lock on to a barrel of flammable
gas and blow it up – along with any enemies that happen to be near it. Issuing
orders is simple as well. You use the D-pad to activate the options and then are
presented with a series of choices. You can have an NPC go into follow mode, or
– when you are with Rico – you can order them to attack a certain object.
As you move
through the game you will encounter objects that are resistant to small arms
fire – like tanks. Sometimes you will find your own tank that you can jump into
(the turret is rotated with the shoulder buttons) and move through a level, but
even tanks can take damage and if you are in one when it blows up, time to
restart from the last saved point.
Liberation
is rather good in that regard. The game does have an auto-save function that
will checkpoint progress through a level, alleviating the need to restart from
the beginning.
And as with
most arcade-type games, after you complete the level (there are 16), you are
graded out on how you fared.
The sound is
solid and the graphics do a very good job. Multiplayer – this was an advance
copy, not in release at the time of the review so finding someone to play with
was … well … non-existent – will feature two-player cooperative through the
single-player missions and player-versus-player action on multiplayer maps.
Ok, so the
game is linear in nature and you can get through a zone – depending on your
difficulty setting – in a relatively short period of time if you ignore all the
pick ups, but to really advance your character, you will have to spend time in
the challenge modes. This will enable you to earn enough points to unlock better
weapons. This also provides much more depth to the gameplay experience.
Killzone
Liberation is a nice step forward for the franchise and it really works well on
the PSP platform. This is a solid shooter that not only looks good but plays
well. Get past the linearity of the game, boost the challenge by upping the
difficulty and you will have an enjoyable time.
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Gameplay:
8.1
The control
scheme is well suited to the PSP format and while the game is tiny on that
screen, it still manages to bring out the action and a fair amount of tension.
Some elements (mines) might be hard to initially see, unless you are looking for
them, but generally the pacing is nicely realized.
Graphics:
8.7
The explosions
and rag-doll physics are very well done. Aside from a non-scrolling map, and the
locked camera, the game does provide a good view of the battlefield and you can,
more or less, see what you will be up against before you actually start taking
fire. The animations are also well done.
Sound:
7.8
Best heard using
the ear buds, the sound still features most of what is expected from the game.
Difficulty: Medium
There are a range
of difficulty settings that should appeal to any player of any level.
Concept:
8.2
The control
scheme is well designed and the challenge levels add to single-player campaigns
by presenting an arena to test skills for viable in-game rewards.
Multiplayer: N/A
Adhoc is available for up to six players with infrastructure
available at a later date.
Overall:
8.1
The maps have a
tendency to feel similar and the game has a very arcade-ish feel to it, but the
action is solid and the game’s sounds are also fairly good. The single-player
missions are rather linear but the gameplay mechanics create an environment
where players won’t be fumbling with controls, but will be able to experience
the game for what it presents.
