By Michael Gleason

Since Halo’s 2001 release, Playstation 2 owners have yearned for an equal or superior game – a Halo-killer, a game that would simultaneously neutralize the X-Box’s greatest selling point and capture that essential element of fun that made the title a megahit. Killzone, from Sony Computer Entertainment America, is a game that tries mightily to live up to these high expectations. Unfortunately, it still pales in comparison to Halo. Killzone, while being an overall solid game, is no Halo-killer.

Killzone is set in a future where mankind has colonized the stars. The game opens at the beginning of a Helghast invasion of an ISA colony. The opening cutscene does a masterful job at setting the mood, with amazingly well-rendered characters and action. The story isn’t revelatory in any way, but it does a good job of making sense of the carnage. After the story is set, the player assumes the role of one of four characters charged with helping ISA forces stem the invasion and hold the fort until the cavalry arrives from Earth. The way that the missions play out depend on which character you choose; choosing the heavy gunner and choosing the stealthy shadow marshal yield different results.

The games graphics are workmanlike, but they do an acceptable job of conveying the gameplay. Levels show a good deal of variety and imagination, and they serve as excellent locations for the game to play out. Helghast enemies are well-animated, and look suitably menacing with their glowing red goggles and heavy body armor.

The sound is well done, and the gunshots and screams of death are eerily realistic. Other effects, like the ocean waves and shouted orders, are nice aural touches. Don’t expect a thrilling score to accompany you, however. The music is principally used in the cutscenes, and is rather sparse elsewhere.

The controls are the major sore spot of the game. The assault rifles are frustratingly inaccurate, forcing a heavy expenditure of ammunition for nearly every foe. The sniper rifle interface must’ve been designed by someone who doesn’t like people very much; getting it to aim precisely at an enemy is a wear on one’s patience. Reloading, which is automatic, always seems to take an eternity, during which your character is completely vulnerable.

There are also other issues. It takes a great deal of bullets to bring Helghast soldiers down, as they are hardy evil folks. Add this to the inaccuracy of the available weapons, and it creates a frustrating situation. Enemy soldiers also seem to be uncannily accurate with grenades, often causing death from unseen sources.

That’s not to say the game lacks nice touches. Taking control of a turret, machine gun emplacement or antiaircraft gun is empowering, and mowing down waves of enemies with the aforementioned weapons is the most thrilling part of the game. Having your health slowly regenerate is an especially welcome addition. The game also has an excellent sense of scale, with massive battles and levels.

In the end, however, Killzone remains an unimpressive game. Its flaws outweigh its high points, and although there is a good amount of fun to be had here, nothing especially new or original can be seen. Microsoft can rest easy, Halo 2’s place as the premier console first-person shooter appears insurmountable.

Final Grade: C

Sony Computer Entertainment´s Killzone is no match for Microsoft´s first-person shooter game, Halo. (Image courtesy www.armchairempire.com)