You know, I'm starting to notice a trend in Killzone games. They always seem to be in almost a tech demo like capacity for Sony consoles except for Killzone 3, which arguably, unless Mercenary surprises, may beat it. I really think this is why it actually came out so well, because my gosh Liberation is even more frustrating than Killzone 2, and yet ironically still better. How on earth does that work? I dunno!
The stereotypical Killzone design is very much all here. AI partners (this time you can command them -- probably the best feature in Liberation), classic style gameplay hybridization with new age ideas (i.e. health bars and non-stick cover with limited weapons and "gritty" elements), and of course, Rico somehow manages to stay alive even though every moral imperative would encourage his death. However, many new problems arrive, and sadly most are due to the same thing that it can be praised for. Killzone Liberation is probably one of if not the only single stick cover based shooters. Not a rail shooter either -- that screenshot above is what the playing field looks like without the HUD. This is mainly to blame on the PSP system's single stick (because we -had- to put the charging cable where a second stick could have gone) control scheme.
It wanted to be, but the PSP just wasn't built for standard 3D shooters. It was only through attempts at compensating in games like Battlefront, Ghost Recon, SOCOM, Brothers in Arms, and Siphon Filter that the PSP got shooters to work, but before all of them, Liberation was the first to blaze the trail. Unfortunately, it's more like the Roanoke Colony than Jamestown. Why? Because it's a dungeon crawler too! Except we already have a genre for those -- they're called TWIN-STICK shooters. They do everything you're doing, but actually make aiming possible. Also, they don't give the enemy soldiers health bars so large that it takes usually several clips to take out three guys- oh hello Visari-
"What is this madness! We are a proud first person shooter series! The Helghast shall not be looked down upon like they are the size of ants, and we are far more intelligent than these blithering idiots!"
I was just about to get to that...
"This is even more an insult than the last game! How can you ISA dogs spend two whole games wasting your time repairing what is not broken while leaving to rust what needs fixed! No wonder you call the fourth your third game! This one is best left forgotten!"
Visari, slow down! I'm not gonna have a review at this rate!
"You will be silent! I shall speak to the people of this 'Game Informer'!"
Fine, let's see how you do. *Hands the keyboard*
SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GAME INFORMER! THIS GAME, IS A PIECE OF S**T. IT IS AN INSULT TO THE VERY FRANCHISE SO MANY HOLD DEAR! IT IS A BROKEN EXPERIMENT BEST LEFT IN THE DIRT FOR LESSER MEN! FOR THIS SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION THINKS ITSELF SO POWERFUL THAT IT CAN PRODUCE A SINGLE STICK SHOOTER WITHOUT AUTO AIM! AND WITHOUT BALANCING!
To say experiencing even a fourth of its campaign was a scarring experience on my life is an understatement! The insipid ISA reject Rico Valasquez continues to be treated as both a hero and a noble figure by the ISA. Jan Templar is allowed to continue being duller than solid rock! The only contribution this game brings that even is worth praising, is a command system! Now you can command the ISA scum to their death, or if you choose to be so merciful, to cover or to assist you! IF ONLY THE REST OF THE GAME HAD THIS INTELLIGENCE!
We, the Helghast, are presented a feuding race of idiots who cannot do but stand up and down behind cover to be shot at! We don't even respond at first if a grenade hits one of our brothers in the face in the hellish ISA propaganda that is this game! They make us look as if we would mutilate hounds to become monstrous machines when our own dogs are far fiercer without any machinery! They make our tanks look like they are made of cardboard! It appears the only thing they fear of our own creation, is rocket launchers. It is clear our superior three shot rocket launchers outdo their one shot launchers, so they quiver at these, but no other gun of ours but our rifles are made to look even useful. Our machine pistols are like water guns! Our shotguns only hold two shells! WHO WAS SO ARROGANT AS TO INSULT US SO?
As if this were not enough, they force you to repeat again and again through the same situations with checkpoints so limited that you will kill more Helghast than there are on our own beloved homeworld Helghan! But it will not matter until you achieve their foolish arbitrary objectives! For that is what the ISA cares about! Rescuing people who shouldn't even be in the area! Continuously spawning Helghast mine drones to hunt you down so you can train or die again so as to better kill our people. It is such an endless slog that by simply completing the first "chapter", as if this were comparable to genuine literature, of this awful game!
And it continues on! Every step forward stinks of an insult to our first person roots! They design it as if it were to be played from the mind's eye and yet it controls as if by a two legged mutt! Rolling is nigh impossible, frontal assaults are conflicted by despotic target selection, and perhaps worst of all, THERE IS NO VARIETY! They make us but one face, as if we were copied and pasted due to some deadline!
For those they consider truly worth of testing they even include a "challenge mode". Except it is but further insult. We are made into cardboard or fools who stand and wait to die as even stupider objectives are met in recycled locations for these ISA dogs to bask in the glow of fake medals that serve no purpose but to aid them in the later battles. As if this were not enough, they even encourage greed and destruction of property by hiding cases of Vektan dollars in various places, making these fools destroy them and reward them! Today it's a crate, tomorrow it is our homes!
Thankfully, the supposed online multiplayer component has been neutered. However, upon inspection, this is but the only mode in which we can represent ourselves. It is rumored that some Vektan regions are back online, and as such, REPRESENT YOUR PEOPLE, HELGHAST! Show them that no matter how badly written their story, no matter how archaic their gameplay, no matter how stupidly lazy and backtracking filled their level design may be -- WE WILL NOT GO OUT QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT.
*takes back keyboard* Feel better now?
"Much."
It should also be noted that the PS Vita port does not get the extended campaign (although why would you want to draw it out any further?) nor any downloadable updates. I'd be upset by this, but I got the game for free, and honestly, there are more important things for Guerrilla to be doing. Like making sure those supposed Killzone: Mercenary singleplayer bugs get ironed out before launch which is *whistles* two days from now. Well, here's hoping that it still goes better than this game. A 6.0/10, for trying so hard in spit of every reason for it to fail, while it may suck, some people liked this game and Guerrilla did try their damnedest to make it succeed. Unfortunately that was not enough.
Killzone Liberation is available on Playstation Network for 9.99 for PS Vita and PSP
For the bonus PSP content, fan sites have continued to support it, and AdHoc multiplayer is still possible in the co-op mode. Additionally, it has been reported on the Killzone forums that the European servers are back online. There's no confirmation how long they will be.
From Helghan with Love,
Paradigm the Fallen
Doing the impossible doesn't mean you'll succeed.
Trivia: I was going to review Liberation first but it was actually taking me longer than Killzone 2. Mainly because of how drawn out every mission is. So much for chronological order, aye?