Killzone

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Nov 2, 2004
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 67
  3. Negative: 3 out of 67
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  1. AceGamez
    100
    It's graphically stunning, the sound effects and music immerse you into a tense and exciting atmosphere of total chaos, a strong story compels you through a long single player campaign full of variety and challenge against tough enemies and the fully online multiplayer mode can be played split screen with a bunch of bots for those without a network adapter.
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  2. PSM Magazine
    95
    Killzone was worth the wait, and matches the hype. It hits the mark in so many ways, it's baffling; they promised us we'd experience fugture war, and we have...and come away shaking. [Holiday 2004, p.70]
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  3. Gaming Illustrated
    92
    Offers up some of the best graphics on the PS2 to date, and certainly is the most entertaining FPS game we've played on the console ever.
  5. Next Level Gaming
    91
    OK, let me put it plain and simple to you. Killzone is the best Playstation 2 FPS to date. Forget about all those other wannabe shooters and watered down Xbox-to-Playstation 2 ports, this game is it.
  6. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    90
    Visually amazing FPS that'll rock your game world every time. [Jan 2007, p.106]
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  7. XGP Gaming
    89
    The environments are for the most part, spectacular. War debris is everywhere, worn out tanks lay forgotten amongst the destroyed buildings. All of it does relate for one hell of a war feel and setting.
  8. Games Radar
    88
    A gorgeous, big, weighty, important event-game that makes good on most of its grandiose promises. Easily in the top two first-person shooters for PS2 alongside "TimeSplitters 2." [PSM2]
  9. Stuff
    85
    Even though it offers the best online play Sony has to offer, it still comes up a few frags shy of toppling Master Chief, mostly because our poor PS2 seemed to be struggling to run the game.
  10. TotalGames.net
    84
    While the frame rate occasionally dips and pop-up hasn't been totally eradicated Killzone looks stunning. However, Killzone's total focus on fire fights means that anyone that doesn't relish the thought of scrapping for every inch of territory, yearning for puzzles, switches, vehicles to pilot or woe-betide, aliens, should look elsewhere.
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  11. Gaming Target
    84
    Interesting weapons, plot, admirable graphics, and four personalities you can not only be, but work together with drive Killzone in certain ways no other First Person Shooter has done before.
  12. 1UP
    80
    An entertaining experience that unfortunately never manages to take that crucial step towards greatness.
  13. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    80
    While Killzone delivers on visuals, it mishandles movement. This is a game that looks better in screenshots than it does in motion; simply put, the PS2 can't handle what Killzone is throwing at it. [Dec 2004, p.110]
  14. BonusStage
    80
    In the end, it gets done what it sets out to do and what it does right it does often and quite well. While issues with the game's technology offer up an occasionally bumpy experience, the good parts definitely balance out the bad ones in the final analysis.
  15. GamingTrend
    80
    In many ways Killzone is ahead of itself from the still graphics and immersion standpoints. However it is also behind with the framerate drops and the sameness of the enemies as you go through the game.
  16. Total Video Games
    80
    This is a game will appeal to FPS fans, and whilst it isn't genre defining, this should be the start of a successful franchise for Sony.
  17. Play.tm
    80
    As sprawling as "Halo's" environments are they certainly never portrayed as gritty an urban landscape as Killzone. Nor have its shiny alien blasters ever been as satisfying as a huge, chunky, filthy assault rifle.
  18. G4 TV
    80
    In spite of its sorted technical problems and humdrum story, Killzone provides a great ride; perhaps it's a testament to the game's surplus of style and ambiance that it remains enjoyable throughout.
  19. GameShark
    80
    Killzone may have not lived up to the title of “Halo Killer”, but the great gameplay and in-depth story line of the single player campaign as well as the multiple modes of online play should keep even the most disparaging gamer happy for quite some time.
  20. PGNx Media
    78
    The game's combat is a bit underwhelming, and the graphical problems are annoying but these are mixed with an otherwise graphically impressive game, complete with a grand narrative and excellent online multiplayer.
  21. GameZone
    78
    The solid controls, good graphics, and solid gameplay make up a respectable game that PS2 owners should try out. But the repetitive sound effects, slow frame rate and occasionally texture problems with the game engine will have some gamers looking for something else.
  22. GameBiz
    76
    Levels are often linear and heavily scripted.
  23. IGN
    75
    A decent game presented in an intriguing universe and with a stunning sense of style. Ironically though, it's the audio and visual qualities (however faulted they may sometimes be) that save the actual underwhelming gameplay of this one from utter mediocrity.
  24. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    75
    Killzone is either A) two years ahead of its time, or B) on the wrong hardware. The PS2, bless its little heart, just cannot do consistent justice to the game's ambitious design. [Holiday 2004, p.124]
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  25. Game Informer
    75
    Once you accept that Killzone is a mere mortal and not the legend it made itself out to be, you can enjoy this title for the above-average FPS that it is. [Dec 2004, p.176]
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  26. PALGN
    75
    With some better controls, more polish and better hardware, Killzone could have been a real contender for best console FPS.
  27. Into Liquid Sky
    75
    With a little more power for the engine and more refinement, this could have been a great game, but there is still a good time to be had here.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
2
#2 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2004

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 349 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 206 out of 349
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 349
  3. Negative: 49 out of 349
  1. PatrykG
    Jan 19, 2013
    10
    Killzone (PLAYSTATION) attempted to beat Halo (XBOX) and well they are both epic but I prefer Killzone because its really the Sci-Fi genre IKillzone (PLAYSTATION) attempted to beat Halo (XBOX) and well they are both epic but I prefer Killzone because its really the Sci-Fi genre I like in Video Games. Alot of people don't like Killzone because it tried too much to be the PLAYSTATION version of Halo but after Killzone 2 and 3 came out everybody shuted-up. I see on METACRITIC that K1 got 70/100 and K2 got 91/100 and K3 got 84/100, um I don't care what those guys say for me K1 is the best out of the trilogy, Its campaign is a real challenge, the graphics I'll pass on that one, the characters are Bad Ass and Killzone deserves 10/10.… Full Review »
  2. Bottlecaps
    Mar 11, 2019
    5
    Killzone is one of those games that was being marketed as a *insert popular game here * killer game , you know the ones , the ones that beforeKillzone is one of those games that was being marketed as a *insert popular game here * killer game , you know the ones , the ones that before release were marketed this way but never lived up to the hype , and killzone was trying to kill halo. although this game got poor reviews it did manage to spawn a fairly good franchise , so it cant be all bad right ?

    story: the story is fair , it feels like a basic war story revenge plot but it didn't start that way until a plot twist and it was nice to see the story take some risks ,the characters are also equally as adequate Templar being a very main character type of character even if there is 4 playable characters variety is always nice though , Luger is a spec ops infiltrator who has a romantic subplot with Templar. Rico who is angry heavy weapons guy and Hakah who is a spy and is half helgan and have vecktan. the game doesn't there is enough characterization to set them apart from the rest of the cast but never really struck a chord with me and neither did the story over all
    Story and charters : 5/10

    World building : easily the best part of this game , borrowing a lot of elements from world war 2 complete with a Hitler type character in scholar visari. and i'm having a blast reading up and discovering all the rest of the lore out side of the game on the wiki , they even made the fake war believable with the amount of politics surrounding the war. one other cool thing i liked was the technology the isa gun looks like a bulpup M4 witch in theory would make the m4 more accurate and i have no problem believing that a planets military would use such a weapon . the lore feels a lot like the anime mobile suit gundam and being a fan of that series i greatly enjoyed this aspect of the game.
    world building: 8/10

    Graphics: when i first played this game i thought the graphics were great for ps2 era shooter. but the more i think about it all the things i liked about the graphics were more lore oriented ( the look of the guns and how cool the helgan soldiers looked ) but the actual technical side to the graphics were just ok ? . so id say this game looks better than average
    graphics:6/10

    Gameplay: this game was an ok shooter in terms of game play , good for the ps2 but overall just OK . a lot to the guns felt satisfying to use but all guns besides the sniper and M82 Assault Rifle felt accurate enough to shoot from long or medium ranges , other wise id have to rush the enemy , and i often found my self running back to empty space to avoid enemy's , animations ranged from great to awkward with plenty of bugs and clunk weighing this game down.
    game play: 4/10

    sound design: sound design is important to me , especially voice acting AND the acting in this is campy at best and at worst awkward . the lack of music in the game is also a huge let down for me because besides the credits and the main menu i don't think i heard any music . and all of the guns sound boring the only thing good about any of the sound in the game is the opening speech.
    sound design: 2/10

    5+8+6+4+2=25
    25/5= 5
    over all i give the game a 5 out of 10 , im glad that it spawned a franchise so i can explore the lore further but i doubt ill ever revisit killzone 1 again    … Full Review »
  3. Mr.Orange
    Dec 4, 2007
    5
    Boring and repetitive? Check Laggy and uninspired multiplayer? Check Bad Controls? Double Check Generally ugly graphics and numerous Boring and repetitive? Check Laggy and uninspired multiplayer? Check Bad Controls? Double Check Generally ugly graphics and numerous technical glitches? Check Over hyped? Hell yes… Full Review »
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