ShareThisKillzone 2
Platform: PlayStation 3.
Genre: First-person Shooter.
Publisher: Sony ESRB.
Rating: M for Mature.
Grade: 5 stars (out of 5).
There was once a theory that Sony's Resistance franchise was the only thing the PS3 had standing in the way of Microsoft's Gears of War/Xbox 360 combo from total console domination (at least in the first-person shooter realm). Who knew this theory would be turned completely on its head?
Resistance 2 was not the juggernaut it should have been, Gears 2 and its online game-play missteps are talked about more than its successes. And now you have the sequel to a rather pedestrian first game coming along and blowing the field away. That is what you get with Killzone 2, easily declaring itself the best FPS on the market.
I barely remember the first Killzone because it wasn't all that strong, which makes the sequel so shocking and enjoyable. Sure, they story is more or less nonexistent. You're taking the fight to the Helghast home planet, providing a nice excuse to have totally new visual design and game-play makeover. It's nothing special, and that's OK because once you get dropped into the firefight, survival will be your main goal, not the lame plot.
Surviving is not going to be easy, however. Battles rage constantly, but they are paced in such a way that you are left constantly on edge, but never quite exhausted enough to quit. Killzone 2 has excellent weapon design that will keep you moving forward without constantly overpowering your opponents. The rail gun, turrets and even the standard assault rifles all have some amazing kick to them and feel/sound the most impressive of any FPS.
Above all else is the visual design of the game. The level design is stunning, because even the linear moments don't feel forced. Your standard areas of decrepit-looking combat (open courtyard, office building, warehouse, etc.) are all present, yet there exists a haze in the air and an aura that is unshakeable. The colors and textures are richer and more complex than anything before it. The atmosphere alone gives this game a dimension unrivaled by nearly any other shooter on the market.
Adding onto all that fun is the multiplayer, which attempts to rewrite the multiplayer experience. Instead what Killzone 2 delivers is the best possible results of the team death match and capture the flag equivalents you can expect. Sony has clearly stepped into the void where Gears of War 2 and its own Resistance 2 fell short of expectations. There is little else to say other than PS3 owners should flock to Killzone 2.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Platform: Xbox 360.
Genre: Role-Playing.
Publisher: Square Enix.
ESRB Rating: T for Teen.
Grade: 3.5 stars.
Holy Star Ocean, Batman, how many of these games are there? Not that I am necessarily complaining, but this is the third Star Ocean release in six months. Granted, the other two were for the Sony PSP, but I've seen these characters more often lately than I have my own family.
The story in The Last Hope won't win any Pulitzers; it's your typical unknown lad who is thrust into an intergalactic struggle only to discover his inner strength (and super powers), who saves the day with the help of some friends. Nothing groundbreaking, and you will more than once be creeped out by the emotionless faces of all the characters onscreen.
Setting The Last Hope on a path to success is its robust combat system. Instead of just taking turns or button-mashing, all the characters in your group have specific traits that make harnessing the team's strength against a particular enemy or boss a real treat. Special attacks like blindsides and bonus attacks give the game-play a fresh perspective.
If you love the Square Enix brand of anime-style video games, The Last Hope will serve as your new fix for sure. The publisher is always pushing the edge of what HDTVs can provide, and this game continues that trend with its deep hues and high saturation levels that you'd swear would give the normal viewer a headache from eye strain.
My mother will no doubt slap me silly when she reads that I know more about the movements of the Star Ocean cast than of my own flesh-and-blood, but that's the price I pay when Square Enix keeps filling my inbox with more Star Ocean releases. And it doesn't hurt when the games are pretty good, either.
(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)
Game On
