Killzone 2 Multiplayer owes a lot to other FPSs. There's nothing groundbreaking here, you've seen it all before. There are a range of maps, some small, some large. All the basic game modes are covered - deathmatch, capture the flag, VIP etc. You could almost be forgiven for thinking you were playing a less-twitchy CoD4.

Read on to find out more...

To continue the CoD4 comparisons for a second, KZ2 also includes a series of unlockable weapons and mix-and-match class attributes not very much unlike CoD's Perk system. You can unlock the ability to revive fallen comrades (like you can in the single player campaign), static gun turrets or flying drones, which aren't particularly dangerous but can be put to good tactical use, and you can even unlock cloaking so you can sneak around unseen.

And now to really hammer the CoD4 comparisons into the ground, you advance through the ranks using an XP score that you accumulate through in-game successes. All of the unlockable abilities also gain you XP bonuses when used well, too.


So, Guerilla built KZ2 multiplayer as a CoD killer, you may be thinking. So it would seem, but they were obviously not content taking on one gigantic franchise, and also fire a number of shots directly across Halo 3's bow. Upon registering on Killzone.com, you will gain access to all your game statistics presented on a slightly shinier interface than on Bungie.net, you will also be able to watch your games back in birds-eye view on Killzone.com's quite remarkable Game Replay feature, which condenses each game into a tactical animated overhead map, allowing you to examine enemy manoeuvres and improve your own strategies accordingly.

Thankfully, there are a number of excellent design choices that differentiate it from the pack, and in most cases help it rise above. The Warzone mode, for example, takes place on one map over a number of rounds, and the game mode changes on-the-fly, so one minute you'll be defending a checkpoint, the next searching for an enemy VIP. It's a very enjoyable and welcome way of avoiding the usual between-games loading and lobby, and thankfully all of the maps are good enough that you never tire of one before the game is over.


Matchmaking, the current XBox Live darling and bane of every Gears of War 2 player's existence, is also mercifully foregone in place of a traditional server list system, meaning joining a game only takes as long as you do to choose one.

There isn't a massive variety of weapons in the multiplayer, more often than not you'll be content with the default ISA rifle, which is also the best all-round weapon, meaning you'll never be significantly out-gunned, even when facing higher-ranked opponents.

The ranking system is also not nearly as vast as Halo or CoD's, currently the top players score the XP required to hit the top rank every few days. There are also weekly ranks included to help the game stay fresh that little bit longer - every week special awards are given to the top 10, 6, 3 and 1 percent of players, which are displayed next to their names for all to see. So even a brand new player can still be catapulted to Killzone.com fame after putting in a good weeks performance.


Killzone 2 multiplayer's only downfalls are those that dog the game as a whole - the sluggish controls primarily. If you should find yourself in close proximity to an enemy it's basically a competition to see who can turn around fastest and melee, which can be frustrating at times. The omission of vehicles is also disappointing after getting to play with them in the campaign.

A solid addition to a solid game, then. Derivative, yes, but also rewarding and enjoyable. Killzone 2 could never kill Halo or Call of Duty, but it can certainly shoot them a wry smile, safe in the knowledge that it does most everything that they do and then some.

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