Killzone: Shadow Fall

 PlayStation 4
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Nov 15, 2013
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2591 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,313 out of 2591
  2. Mixed: 797 out of 2591
  3. Negative: 481 out of 2591
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  1. bighaley21
    Nov 19, 2013
    4
    Graphically this game is amazing. It's hands down the best looking shooter I have played on a console besides Battlefield 4. With that said, gameplay is slow and at times outright frustrating. Spawn camping is a staple of this title in multiplayer. Between the turrets, bots, shockwaves, and every other extremely annoying perk in multiplayer you will want to just sit in a corner and campGraphically this game is amazing. It's hands down the best looking shooter I have played on a console besides Battlefield 4. With that said, gameplay is slow and at times outright frustrating. Spawn camping is a staple of this title in multiplayer. Between the turrets, bots, shockwaves, and every other extremely annoying perk in multiplayer you will want to just sit in a corner and camp like everyone else does. Single player is much better with a decent story. Anyone that gave this title a 10 is a fanboy that hasn't played a polished shooter imo. Game is a filler title in the series and hopefully things will get better in the future.… Expand
  2. Octavarium77
    Dec 1, 2013
    4
    Okay first of all I'd like to say that this game looks absolutely stunning...graphics are mesmerising...I have never played a Killzone game before, so I thought would perhaps be a bit "newcomer friendly" but I was wrong.

    This game feels so boring and stale I couldn't finish it...I gave up after the third mission...There were no sort of guideline or hints at all and the result of that    Okay first of all I'd like to say that this game looks absolutely stunning...graphics are mesmerising...I have never played a Killzone game before, so I thought would perhaps be a bit "newcomer friendly" but I was wrong.

    This game feels so boring and stale I couldn't finish it...I gave up after the third mission...There were no sort of guideline or hints at all and the result of that was me running around like a f*cktard for 2 hours not knowing how to get around....They should be developing an easier way to play it next time....story wise I think it was interesting, and graphically it was a bomb, best graphics in a game!    … Expand
  3. pinball123
    Jan 2, 2014
    4
    Expected to like this more based on reviews, found the game to be rather boring, bland and generic. It also doesn't help that the frame rate struggles at time. Passable FPS but if this came out as a new series and not as a launch title it would be getting 4-5 out of 10 from more reviewers.
  4. BlackNastyyy
    Jul 5, 2014
    4
    Excited to see the power of the PS4 and seeing the game that's supposed to carry the flag for Sony when it comes to shooters and release titles, I was extremely disappointed. The game looks rather good (compared to last-gen) but I've played numerous titles on the PS4 that look exponentially better. Aside from the graphics, this game has very little going for it. The campaign isExcited to see the power of the PS4 and seeing the game that's supposed to carry the flag for Sony when it comes to shooters and release titles, I was extremely disappointed. The game looks rather good (compared to last-gen) but I've played numerous titles on the PS4 that look exponentially better. Aside from the graphics, this game has very little going for it. The campaign is extremely bland and a corridor shooter, by definition. The AI is insufferable and the firefights leave much to be desired. Even on the hardest difficult, the game consists of standing behind cover, shooting enemies and walking to the next room. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    The multiplayer, on the other hand, doesn't even need to be mentioned. Hardly anyone plays it and I can see why.

    The only time I find myself wanting to play this game is for the co-op mode. It's not perfect but there's not many co-op games at the moment so I'm having to make do with what I can. Is it worth another $20 on top of the $30-40 price tag for the game? Not really.    … Expand
  5. Jlucas5565
    Jan 26, 2014
    4
    This review is for the single player campaign of Killzone: Shadow Fall. With that disclaimer out of the way…wooboy, where to begin? What a turd--er, I mean, what a vapid, listless, fragmented game. And don't even get me started on the story, writing, and voice acting (note to Gene Farber and David Harewood: reading lines is NOT acting).

    For the record, I can overlook a terrible story in    This review is for the single player campaign of Killzone: Shadow Fall. With that disclaimer out of the way…wooboy, where to begin? What a turd--er, I mean, what a vapid, listless, fragmented game. And don't even get me started on the story, writing, and voice acting (note to Gene Farber and David Harewood: reading lines is NOT acting).

    For the record, I can overlook a terrible story in a first person shooter. I can even overlook laughably bad voice acting. What I can not overlook is haphazard, nonsensical level design. Slapping the descriptors "free-form" and "open-ended" onto level design in no way compensates for the complete lack of direction. I can't count of the number of times I got lost in each level. Nothing breaks the rhythm of an FPS like poor level design. Every time I was finally getting into the action, a firefight would abruptly end with no indication as to where the hell I should go next. Admittedly, the HUD will give you environmental markers if you tap up on the D-pad, but this only adds to the broken rhythm. And why do the markers disappear to begin with?

    On top of the insipid levels, the controls are sluggish and unintuitive. In particular, the touchpad and HUD integration for the OWL sentry are both annoying and distracting (am I blasting those shielded Helghast with an EMP or shooting them?). I finally got the hang of the OWL, but I was over 3/4s of the way through the game. Speaking of the OWL, why does it allow you to zipline to map areas that result in instant death? I'll tell you why: poor level design.

    Killzone: Shadow Fall has a nugget of redemption in its pristine graphics, but even then, the environments feel devoid of life. Pretty lighting doesn't make up for bad motion capture. NPCs look like they are gliding across the map.

    In the end, perhaps the best thing I can say about this game is that it is a launch title. Pretty, and full of promise for things to come, but ultimately a waste of my $60.    … Expand
  6. rubberman
    Feb 26, 2014
    4
    This game has really stunning textures ....and that's were the good stops the game physics are awful the music is bland, and shootin someone dead , well it's just not fun ! In a game were you primarily shoot people I would have thought they would at least make that part fun ? Do yourself a favour and don't get this
  7. Klinkovsky
    Jan 30, 2014
    4
    KillZone 3 better 3 times !!! this game is like " Hey! I want my money back!!" this is not what i paid for.
    - Gameplay: we have to finish it quickly! but we don have time! wha we gonna do? we sell what we have!
    - Graphics: Really Good!!
  8. MasterChief500
    Feb 9, 2014
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Okey. You can ignore me, but write it, please. I bought PS4, hoping that it will be better than XONE. And I bought Killzone Shadow Fall. Now I'm Dissapointed. You can't lie in Killzone SF. 1st level last 5 minutes, but second- 1 hour! The same story about 9th and 10th levels. AI is not very smart. People, play Resogun-this Indie much better, that this shooter. I finished. Will you believe me or not -is your right. Sorry for my English… Expand
  9. sonygamer97
    Feb 20, 2014
    4
    As a huge Killzone fan, this was the game that I looked most forward to on the Next Gen consoles. The high intensity and great graphics on Killzone 3 made me anticipate this game even more. Upon purchasing a PS4, I also received several games, Killzone being one of them. Let me say, the graphics were incredible! Many of my friends thought I was watching a movie! However, for someAs a huge Killzone fan, this was the game that I looked most forward to on the Next Gen consoles. The high intensity and great graphics on Killzone 3 made me anticipate this game even more. Upon purchasing a PS4, I also received several games, Killzone being one of them. Let me say, the graphics were incredible! Many of my friends thought I was watching a movie! However, for some reason, I got bored of the game very fast and it was a slow moving, intensity lacking campaign.… Expand
  10. ronald_koeman
    Apr 20, 2014
    4
    What a horrible game, if this hadnt been part of a series ive always played i would of sold it after the first mision. The gameplay is horrible and couldnt be more clunky. The story gives me no interest, all previous killzones you are part of a squad, on shadow fall you do most missions alone and it is just not interesting. For me the worst thing is the lighting. Its atrocious, they haveWhat a horrible game, if this hadnt been part of a series ive always played i would of sold it after the first mision. The gameplay is horrible and couldnt be more clunky. The story gives me no interest, all previous killzones you are part of a squad, on shadow fall you do most missions alone and it is just not interesting. For me the worst thing is the lighting. Its atrocious, they have tried to hard with it and you just cant see anything, this includes the muzzle flash will means you cant see what your shooting. No idea what they were thinking, developers clearly confused themselves. Go back to the old formula please guerilla games.… Expand
  11. najstronics
    Nov 12, 2014
    4
    I got this recently so I could say I got the best experience possible due to all the game fixing patches already being out, and my "best" experience possible was not that good.

    Pros: Graphics Cons: Poor AI, poor storyline, choppy framerate. Its clear to me that this game was meant to show off PS4s graphical potencial and nothing more. If you have an extra 10 bucks, the game is    I got this recently so I could say I got the best experience possible due to all the game fixing patches already being out, and my "best" experience possible was not that good.

    Pros: Graphics

    Cons: Poor AI, poor storyline, choppy framerate.

    Its clear to me that this game was meant to show off PS4s graphical potencial and nothing more. If you have an extra 10 bucks, the game is worth a try, for more than that, choose some other game.    … Expand
  12. SirPierreFun
    Feb 4, 2015
    4
    Very pretty game for when it came out, but had a terrible story that I couldn't get into.
    the multiplayer was okay. not a lot of options when selecting a game, which was unfortunate
  13. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    4
    Fantastic technical achievements and a few interesting game-play elements don't make up for everything else being lazy and dull.
  14. Birakon
    Oct 28, 2015
    4
    First off I want to say that this game is absolutely gorgeous. One of the best looking shooters that is out. The team definitely took their time working on the graphics engine because it is gorgeous. The issue here is it seems they spent all their time on the graphics and neglected making the game stand out among other shooters. This feels like a run of the mill shooter with a pretty face.First off I want to say that this game is absolutely gorgeous. One of the best looking shooters that is out. The team definitely took their time working on the graphics engine because it is gorgeous. The issue here is it seems they spent all their time on the graphics and neglected making the game stand out among other shooters. This feels like a run of the mill shooter with a pretty face. Very generic outside of the visuals… Expand
  15. MatadorVoraz
    Dec 30, 2022
    4
    Worse than its predecessor, Killzone 3 (a great game). Worse than its counterpart released for PS Vita, Killzone Mercenary. Killzone Shadow Fall really feels like the downfall of the franchise. Impressive graphics, but short and slow gameplay, with few clashes, bad story, multiplayer with no incentive to return, exclusion of the common split-screen modes of its predecessors. Things onlyWorse than its predecessor, Killzone 3 (a great game). Worse than its counterpart released for PS Vita, Killzone Mercenary. Killzone Shadow Fall really feels like the downfall of the franchise. Impressive graphics, but short and slow gameplay, with few clashes, bad story, multiplayer with no incentive to return, exclusion of the common split-screen modes of its predecessors. Things only got a little better with the launch of Intercept, its coop DLC, but it doesn't fit that assessment.… Expand
  16. TatsMcGee
    Sep 9, 2018
    4
    Why did you want to play this game?

    Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my favorite games of all time. The same studio that made that game, made this game. I also really like First Person Shooters so I thought this game was going to be right up my alley. What did you not like about it? I don't know what it is about this game but it just did not click for me at all. The shooting felt off,    Why did you want to play this game?

    Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my favorite games of all time. The same studio that made that game, made this game. I also really like First Person Shooters so I thought this game was going to be right up my alley.

    What did you not like about it?

    I don't know what it is about this game but it just did not click for me at all. The shooting felt off, the story tried to make me care but I just did not care. The levels of themselves were just too big and convoluted. It's just not a great game, there are much better FPS available.

    How much time did you put into it?

    I probably played the game for 4ish hours.

    Do you think you'll try it again at some point?

    No, this game is just not worth your or my time. There are much better options out there.    … Expand
  17. agent13
    Jan 18, 2020
    4
    First killzone game that i played, the gunplay is horrible and the game lags the story and dialogs are ridiculous. I can't believe the creators of horizon made this
  18. gamerz4life
    Oct 10, 2020
    4
    Killzone: Shadow Fall is a big disappointment to the series (insert I’ve played every Killzone here). There is very little I can say positive about this trainwreck of a game besides that I finished it and never have to play it again. You can definitely tell that the A-list development crew at Guerilla was working on Horizon Zero Dawn at the time, because the only parts that weren’t clunky,Killzone: Shadow Fall is a big disappointment to the series (insert I’ve played every Killzone here). There is very little I can say positive about this trainwreck of a game besides that I finished it and never have to play it again. You can definitely tell that the A-list development crew at Guerilla was working on Horizon Zero Dawn at the time, because the only parts that weren’t clunky, visually or gameplay-wise, were the parts shown as a tech demo during the PS4 launch or E3.

    The story is the biggest joke since the end of Killzone 3 and the destruction of Helgan. There are absolutely no likeable characters (main or side) and the main character’s adoptive father should have been the main antagonist because he was grating to have to deal with in any situation.

    For gameplay the main mechanic is shooting, (you know in a FPS, someone should inform Guerilla Games) which works more like a generic COD shooter than a Killzone game. There is no weight behind your movements or your melee attacks. It just feels slippery. The animations at some points just don’t exist for ‘cut-scenes’ (at one point the doctor who is talking to me screams ‘NO!’ with absolutely no facial or lip movement whatsoever, not to mention the terrible voice acting that accompanied this scene) which completely pull you out of the game. At one point in the 2nd level of the game, in the core they actually put in platforming into a FPS, which is as bad as it sounds. You have to jump across walkways as they collapse to escape the ship in a first person view so you have no way to judge your jumps. Then for some reason the tutorial level also exists in the fourth level of the campaign when the tutorial cues start telling you how to jump, crouch, and aim as though you haven’t just done three levels (about 3-4 hours of tedium) worth of it! Great work from Guerilla’s D-team.

    A lot of the gameplay consists around sneaking around the map with ‘stealth’, which the AI can see you perfectly, mainly through walls and behind cover, making stealth useless. Also, the level design doesn’t help as there are traps and cameras that’ll make the whole map aware of your location. And you’ll have to one man army it through the whole Helgan army with only your trusty OWL at your side. Now how about that OWL robot, don’t even get me started. It’s a great idea but, once again, gameplay-wise it doesn’t work. Most of the time when he’s supposed to revive you, he can’t reach you, despite hovering right on top of you. And when you send him to shoot at enemies, you’ll find him shooting at a wall. You’ll start to wonder if he’s working with the enemy.

    A strange thing I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but if a grenade goes off next to you while you’re aiming, your camera will go spinning like a top uncontrollably and stare straight at the ceiling, which is one of the biggest physics glitches I’ve ever seen in a FPS.

    If you want a game that Killzone: Shallow Fall should have been like, play Titanfall 2’s campaign, or if you want a better (and graphically superior) game made by Guerilla’s A-team that was in development at the same time, play Horizon Zero Dawn. Stay away from Killzone: Shadow Fall, it’s not worth your time, even if you can play it for free, especially if you’re a Killzone fan (insert I’ve played every Killzone here).    … Expand
  19. elolugo
    Aug 14, 2020
    4
    I don't know how you can screw a game this much. Please don't buy. Spare some dollars for a true game
  20. Fersay
    Oct 3, 2019
    4
    This **** game surffer from all the problems a bad game is at its most. Poor level design,poorly AI, the history sucks, just a freaking corridor,like all linear games. Graphics are amazing,but are graphics enough to be a good game? No! Where are all the fun of games nowadays? Gunplay irritating sometimes,and all in all is a frustrating game! Fuc** you Guerrila and sony
  21. BielAlvesGG
    Nov 5, 2019
    4
    Não gostei muito da gameplay e nem da história do game , achei um pouco entediante
  22. Gabzguy
    Dec 7, 2020
    4
    Fraco. Ruim. Chato. Só tem gráfico essa merda. Bom que enterraram essa franquia, muito ruim.
  23. Burattix54
    Jun 29, 2020
    4
    This game is pretty bad. The graphics are alright, but the shooting is very generic, most weapons feel the same. The level design is sometimes confusing, the controls are very clunky, the stealth is straight up bad, and only viable in specific sessions. When the game tries to be anything more than a shooting corridor, it fails and becomes tedious, the "parkour" sections are particularlyThis game is pretty bad. The graphics are alright, but the shooting is very generic, most weapons feel the same. The level design is sometimes confusing, the controls are very clunky, the stealth is straight up bad, and only viable in specific sessions. When the game tries to be anything more than a shooting corridor, it fails and becomes tedious, the "parkour" sections are particularly bad. The story is also terrible and becomes "war bad" in the last missions (I think a couple of moral choices and different endings would've made the game better).
    The multiplayer is obviously dead, which makes a platinum unobtainable. (I wonder why the devs keep putting these f*cking online trophies in their games).    … Expand
  24. ArannirAM
    Jun 23, 2020
    4
    As a launch title, it's fine. I picked this up for cheap used and eh, its not for me. While a lot of effort has been put into the way this game looks, its probably my least favourite FPS.
  25. JJ2FAS4U
    Jan 30, 2022
    4
    Atmosphere: 4
    Enjoyment: 4
    Gameplay: 3
    Graphics: 7
    Music: 5
    Story: 3
    Total: 4.33
  26. JrDouble
    Dec 7, 2022
    4
    This is a mediocre game that is absolutely ruined by the lazy and frustrating level design in the last level of the game. It's like Guerilla ran out of time and released it without doing any QA on the final level. Avoid this game at all costs, even though you can get it for virtually nothing these days, it is not worth your time.
  27. Razv
    May 17, 2014
    3
    I had really high hopes for this game. My mistake.

    I found the story really dull and boring. During the whole story I never once was amazed by what happened or interested in what there is to come. The characters are the same as the story, I never felt interested in what happens to them. Dull! The graphics are good, but not very good. Granted, I finished Infamous right before so my    I had really high hopes for this game. My mistake.

    I found the story really dull and boring. During the whole story I never once was amazed by what happened or interested in what there is to come. The characters are the same as the story, I never felt interested in what happens to them. Dull!

    The graphics are good, but not very good. Granted, I finished Infamous right before so my standards were probably pretty high. But still, I wasn't impressed.

    The gameplay is what drags it down even more if you ask me. Very repetitive, chaotic and often extremely frustrating. Even when you manage to overcome a difficult situation, there is no reward, no sense of pride, just more of the same gameplay. Ugh, frustrating and boring at the same time.

    It's been a long time since I've been so dissapointed by a game.    … Expand
  28. RealMuthaF
    Dec 5, 2014
    3
    After buying the PS4, beating inFamous Second Son and being kind of satisfied with it, I predictably went on to the next (and only) major Sony exclusive - the next-gen Killzone. And sadly, I was incredibly disappointed.But let's go over all the aspects.
    The plot. It's terrible and formulaic with a bland protagonist (unlike many other FPS's he can talk, but God, I wish he couldn't) and    After buying the PS4, beating inFamous Second Son and being kind of satisfied with it, I predictably went on to the next (and only) major Sony exclusive - the next-gen Killzone. And sadly, I was incredibly disappointed.But let's go over all the aspects.
    The plot. It's terrible and formulaic with a bland protagonist (unlike many other FPS's he can talk, but God, I wish he couldn't) and boring supporting characters. The ending deserves further berating, but that'd mean spoilers. Just know that this is one of the worst endings I've ever seen in a game, somewhat akin to Mass Effect 3.
    The gameplay. Shadow Fall is different from Killzone 3 in many ways. Instead of being a fun rollercoaster ride, it now (allegedly) offers more freedom of choice and tactical options. The sad thing is that in theory updating gameplay in a longgoing series this way should be refreshing, but in reality, it is just outright boring and irritating. For instance, you are given an ability to drop-kill and throw a knife after meelee. (Yes, exactly as in Far Cry 3), but in practice you can hardly use it in stealth because it is virtually non-existent (You'll be lucky to stealth-kill just one Helghast soldier, they'll spot you right after) or in action because going out of cover to meelee will get you killed in no time. I would specifically like to point out the terrible enemy AI, who just doesn't know of the self-preservation instinct, just running straight up to you. Oh, and another thing - as most modern shooters, you can carry two weapons in Shadow Fall. But unlike those shooters, you can freely swap only one of those, with your default gun being stuck with you throughout most of the game. Whoever thought this'd be a good idea was probably a moron.
    Level design. I just wanted to cover this separately, because it's terrible. The levels are good-looking alright, but hard to navigate (No map in singleplayer). Moreover, Guerilla somewhy decided that forcing you do defend some point against waves of mindless Helghast like five times in the campaign would be fun. It's not. I've felt extremely frustrated in each of those encounters, especially in Chapter 7.
    Graphics. No complaints here. KZ3 was a pretty game and SF easily outmatches it with sharp textures and amazing effects. Just the view on Vekta city in the first levels of the game is breathtaking.
    Multiplayer. Exactly the same as in Killzone 3. The DLC model is different, yes, with maps being free but game modes and player classes being paid. But it's nothing special.
    In other words, this was a huge drop of the bar. While Killzone 3 (I haven't played 1&2) wasn't a system-seller, it was still a well-made enjoyable and entertaining shooter. Shadow Fall, however, is more of a tech demo, it's neither a system-seller, nor even something worth picking up when you buy yourself a PS4.    … Expand
  29. partyintheback
    Nov 24, 2013
    3
    The worst Killzone. Killzone 2, 3 and Mercenary are so much better. The level design and storytelling in Shadow Fall are absolutely abysmal. Avoid this game.
  30. subodai
    Oct 21, 2014
    3
    Graphics are ok, game details, colors and acceptable depth are ps4 worthy. However, game play is below average. You can't lower in game music below 50% (developer Guerillagames claims such is necessary (?) for cueing approaching enemies. Seems the developer underestimates gamers, feels patronizing. Enemy forces make victorious gestures like waving fists when you are killed which is funnyGraphics are ok, game details, colors and acceptable depth are ps4 worthy. However, game play is below average. You can't lower in game music below 50% (developer Guerillagames claims such is necessary (?) for cueing approaching enemies. Seems the developer underestimates gamers, feels patronizing. Enemy forces make victorious gestures like waving fists when you are killed which is funny the first time but annoying when repeated over and over again. Sometimes they salute after killing you which is childish. Ever heard of a soldier who salutes after killing an enemy? Game uses controlpoints. Beware of this if you don't like that, you can't save when you want to.
    Summarizing: good graphics but limited gameplay. Not my cup of tea. If you agree, avoid this game.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PS4 Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 88 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 13, 2014
    88
    A very good and varied multiplayer FPS. Some things, like the big attack/defend scenarios, were better on Killzone 3. [Jan 2014]
  2. GameCritics
    Jan 22, 2014
    50
    In attempting to juggle so many balls at once, it simply loses control and bats them all over the place in a crazed, lurching frenzy as it tries to stop the whole thing from falling apart.
    Read full review
  3. Riot Pixels
    Jan 15, 2014
    61
    Whatever the reason was for making Shadow Fall in the first place, the result is a mixture of bland, annoying and weird.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »