The Official Killzone: Liberation Thread (Reviews starting to come in)

[Zenien]

*This section is pending a firmware update, please check back soon*

 

[Zenien]

IGN Review

Killzone: Liberation Review
The sequel to the PS2 shooter emerges as one of the better reasons to own Sony's handheld.
by Juan Castro

October 16, 2006 - The PSP has come under fire for its lack of original games. But every once and a while a title comes along that helps silence the critics. Just look at Locoroco and Spyhon Filter for instance. The same thing goes for Killzone: Liberation. It belongs in the same family of top-tier portable games that argue in favor of high-powered handhelds.


Here's why: Liberation makes great use of the PSP hardware and its capabilities - all of them - to establish its place as one of the best games on the system. Even stripped of its technical achievements, Liberation is simply a very fun action game. It has the kind of accessibility required of a kickass portable title, to start. At the same time - and just as important - it offers the kind of depth missing from most PSP offerings. Liberation has its share of annoying quirks, but even these pale in comparison to the entertainment value evident in the rest of the package.

That's the review in brief. For those who want to know a little more, keep reading. Liberation comes from developer Guerilla Games, the same folk who made the first Killzone title for the PS2. The story for Liberation starts shortly after the conclusion of the original Killzone, with the heroic ISA dealing a massive blow to the sinister Helghast. The ISA offensive slows the Helghast, who occupy much of the planet, known as Vekta. Like any good villainous organization, the Helghast regroup and launch a counterattack, kidnapping several VIP members of the ISA party in the process. A new Helghast general by the name of Metrac is also making things difficult for the ISA.

As Templar - the same guy from the first game - you must infiltrate enemy territory and rescue the hostages. Along the way you get to blast through hordes of enemy soldiers and sabotage a number of enemy installations. You also pilot a variety of craft and generally dismantle anything with a Helghast logo on it. None of which matters if not incorporated into the game well. Fortunately, Liberation nails it. Part of what makes it so rewarding is how it controls and how easily you interact with everything. Navigating the post-apocalyptic gameword as Templar feels refreshingly intuitive. Most actions, for instance, whether planting explosives or healing comrades, are context-sensitive.

[/img]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/739/739150/killzone-liberation-20061016062622345-000.jpg[/img]​

This lets you perform a number of tasks in the middle of heated firefights without breaking the flow of battle - a spectacularly good thing considering the intensity of the missions. This level of simplicity extends to basic combat, as well. You can freely aim wherever you please, but the game automatically fine-tunes your aim to account for the location of enemies. Here's an example: say you need to shoot an enemy standing on the second floor of a building. All you need to do is face the building and start firing. The game handles the angle of your shots so you hit the target, regardless of its elevation in relation to your character. It miscalculates sometimes, but not often -- still, it's a little annoying when it happens. Overall, it If this sounds like a very hands-off approach to action, don't worry. When facing targets on multiple planes of elevation with half the environment laced with mines, you really won't mind.

In fact, this brilliant setup keeps the action going at a brisk pace. Not only that, it turns you into a multi-tasking death machine. You can engage multiple foes while disabling machinery and mines, as well as ordering your NPC comrade. Combat flows beautifully, in other words, and Liberation brims with it. Speaking of NPC comrades, the game makes great use of the feature. You don't get them every mission, but when you do, it's always a treat. Usually your help comes by way of a gruff soldier named Rico. Fortunately, he's neither annoying nor incompetent.

 

[Zenien]

IGN Review

Rico is smart enough and tough enough to handle himself, but you need to order him around to use him best. Just like everything else in the game, the interface to issue commands is simple and elegant. You access the tactical screen by pressing up on the d-pad. This slows on-screen action to a crawl and overlays a series of options over the environment. You can order Rico to take cover, place explosives, attack specific targets or to follow your lead. Each of these actions pops up over the target, so a shield icon will appear over a crate to let you know Rico can take shelter there. The system works remarkably well and to looks downright cool to boot.


Mission objectives range from escorting members of the ISA to exploring swamps in armored hovercraft. Along the way, you will face opposition constantly, whether through persistent spider-mines that follow your movements to enemy soldiers with grenade launchers. They all look and behave differently, so you need to adjust your strategy accordingly. As much as Liberation looks like a frenetic action game, there's a fair bit of strategy and skill involved. Running into battle will invariably lead to your death in certain situations, forcing you to stop and think about how best to exploit the environment and the weaknesses of your enemies. It's a perfect blend of action and strategy that keeps you engaged constantly.

In addition, you can customize certain aspects of your character by earning special character points. These let you upgrade everything from the number of grenades you can carry to the amount of damage you inflict with standard weapons. You select up to three of these upgraded abilities before starting each mission, so it keeps the game balanced and deepens the level of strategy a bit. Certain levels may require you to carry more mines or smoke grenades, for instance, while others may call for increased health. You can unlock all this stuff by finishing Challenge Games - timed sequences that test everything from your shooting skills to how quickly you can disarm a set of mines. Depending on the medal you achieve for each game (bronze, silver or gold) you receive a few of the aforementioned character points.

Liberation also has a deep and thoroughly groovy multiplayer component. Developers put every facet of the PSP's multiplayer functionality to good use here. You can choose from four different Ad-Hoc modes, including Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Assault. You can also choose from a list of well-designed maps and define a number of parameters, such as the time limit for each match. There's also game sharing, which lets you beam multiplayer scenarios to a friend's PSP. And just so you know, the intensity of single-player multiplies when playing against live opponents. In fact, to say playing Liberation's multiplayer modes is fun would be a severe understatement. Woe to the person who buys this game and fails to find someone to play with. If Sony packaged the multiplayer component of Liberation by itself it'd still be one of the better games on the system, and that's saying a lot.

And the experience doesn't end there, since the game will let you play online and download new maps and modes in the future. IGN couldn't test any of this, unfortunately, since the servers and downloadable content will debut when the game ships later in the month. Currently, you can access the Liberation website from within the game and download videos, screenshots and other digital doodads, but that's about it. As such, all anyone can say is that the online plan sounds great and has tons of potential. Again, even if nothing came of it, the included multiplayer content will more than satiate the cravings of any action fan.


Closing Comments
It seems wherever Liberation can go the extra mile, it does. It delivers on all fronts, from a thoroughly engrossing single-player campaign to an addictive multiplayer component. Liberation also shames most other PSP offerings through its presentation, which blends excellent visuals and sound with a clean and user-friendly interface. It has a few quirks, but in the end, they seem almost negligible. Definitely recommended to fans of the action genre, but also to anyone who dislikes bad games.

9.0 Presentation
Top notch visuals, sound and interface. Fine-tuned gameplay.
9.0 Graphics
Everything from the character animation to the environments look fantastic.
8.5 Sound
While the sound effects are irrefutably cool, it would have been nice to have more in terms of actual music.
8.5 Gameplay
A few questionable design choices aside, gameplay is a great example of fine-tuned mechanics.
9.0 Lasting Appeal
The multiplayer modes will not dissapoint action fans, even without the promise of online stuff.

9.0
Outstanding OVERALL

 

[블라스]

I like this game.

 

[Axid]

Out of 100

 

[hippie_hunter]

Nuh-uh, I'm not falling for Killzone's charms again

 

[Zenien]

Even if it ends up being a good game?

 

[hippie_hunter]

Even if it ends up being a good game?

1st time shame on you

2nd time shame on me.

Not taking the chance.

 

[WhatsHisFace]

According to Gamerankings.com, it's average is 79%.

 

[hippie_hunter]

According to Gamerankings.com, it's average is 79%.

I wonder how much the IGN review boosted it up

 

[WhatsHisFace]

IGN loves giving out 90s. They gave them to Conker, DOAX, they gave Jade Empire a 9.9 (good game but not deserving of such a high score)... they're joke reviewers.

I'd put more wieght on Gamespot.

 

[블라스]

This game, Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins, Dark Mirror and Portable Ops might get me to finally buy a PSP

 

[hippie_hunter]

IGN loves giving out 90s. They gave them to Conker, DOAX, they gave Jade Empire a 9.9 (good game but not deserving of such a high score)... they're joke reviewers.

I'd put more wieght on Gamespot.

Gamespot either overrates or underrates their games.

Grand Theft Auto (overrate) and Metal Gear Solid (underrate) are the perfect examples.

 

[Zenien]

According to Gamerankings.com, it's average is 79%.

Thanks mostly to Play reviewing the game before it was even possible for the mags to obtain the review build. Bunch of European 80+ reviews don't seem to be added yet.

Eitherway this game is going to be good.

 

[Mentok]

Yeah, looks like the third PSP game to actually spend money on.

 

[Zenien]

Plus there will be a firmware update for infastructure play as well and a free extra chapter (from what we're told) avalable for download early 2007.

 

[블라스]

Will I be able to play you guys online?

 

[Electro UK]

It got 9!?!?! You mean this one ain't gonna be underrated? AWESOME!!! t:

 

[Zenien]

Will I be able to play you guys online?

After the first update hits. Until then it's adhoc like what you can do with the DS (play people who are within range of you).

 

[블라스]

Sounds good enough.
I'll leave you full of bullets, Zenien....finally

 

[Zenien]

Death to Gamera!

 

[Electro UK]

What? No one loves me enough to shoot me into pieces?

 

[블라스]

Death to Gamera!

 

[Zenien]

Ugh the other sites need to hurry up with their reviews.

 

[Electro UK]

yeah I'd like to see a few more before I go for the buy, as WHF said, IGN can be a little generous with their marking.