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''Killzone'' is a series of
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
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s for
Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game industry, video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is ma ...
's (SIE)
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. The main series and the
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(PSP) installment were developed by
Guerrilla Games Guerrilla B.V. (trade name: Guerrilla Games) is a Dutch First-party developer, first-party video game developer based in Amsterdam and part of PlayStation Studios. The company was founded as Lost Boys Games in January 2000 through the merger of ...
, a
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
of SIE, and the
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installment was developed by
Guerrilla Cambridge Guerrilla Cambridge (formerly SCE Studio Cambridge) was a British video game developer based in Cambridge, England. The studio was founded under Sony Computer Entertainment in July 1997 through the buyout of the game development division of Cyb ...
. ''Killzone'' consists of six games, beginning on the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
in November 2004 with ''
Killzone ''Killzone'' is a series of first-person shooter video games for Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) video game consoles. The main series and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) installment were developed by Guerrilla Games, a subsidiary of SI ...
'', and continued on the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
in October 2006 with '' Killzone: Liberation''. ''
Killzone 2 ''Killzone 2'' is a 2009 first-person shooter developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the second main installment in the ''Killzone'' series, following 2004's ''Killzone''. Similar ...
'' was released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
in February 2009, and ''
Killzone 3 ''Killzone 3'' is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the ''Killzone'' series, the first game in the series to ...
'' was released in February 2011, also for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
. '' Killzone: Mercenary'' was released for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
in September 2013, followed by '' Killzone: Shadow Fall'', a
launch title This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...
for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, in November 2013.


Plot synopsis

The series is set in the 24th century, showing the galactic war between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghan Empire. The ''Killzone'' series follows the continuous war between the ISA and Helghast taking place on both ISA Earth colonies and the planet Helghan, the home planet of the Helghast. The series has featured four main
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
s: Cpt/Col. Jan Templar (''
Killzone ''Killzone'' is a series of first-person shooter video games for Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) video game consoles. The main series and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) installment were developed by Guerrilla Games, a subsidiary of SI ...
'' and '' Killzone: Liberation''), Sgt. Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko (''
Killzone 2 ''Killzone 2'' is a 2009 first-person shooter developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the second main installment in the ''Killzone'' series, following 2004's ''Killzone''. Similar ...
'' and ''
Killzone 3 ''Killzone 3'' is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the ''Killzone'' series, the first game in the series to ...
''), mercenary Arran Danner ('' Killzone: Mercenary''), and Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan ('' Killzone: Shadow Fall''). The main antagonist was originally Helghast Autarch Scolar Visari; his death in ''Killzone 2'' brought about the rise of two new antagonists and the hopeful heirs to Visari's throne in ''Killzone 3'': Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock. After Orlock's death and the unknown details of Stahl's death and the destruction of Helghan, now covered in petrusite, the Helghast now live on Vekta with a giant wall dividing them from the Vektans. "The Black Hand", a Helghast paramilitary terrorist group, was formed under Vladko Tyran, who became an antagonist, along with Lady Hera Visari (Scolar Visari's daughter) who has inherited her father's throne. By the end of ''Killzone: Shadow Fall'', it is revealed that the main antagonist is Stahl, who managed to survive the events of ''Killzone 3'', but is dispatched by Vektan Security Agency director Thomas Sinclair.


Gameplay

''Killzone'', ''Killzone 2'', ''Killzone 3'', ''Killzone: Mercenary'', and ''Killzone: Shadow Fall'' are
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
s. ''Killzone: Liberation'' is presented as an isometric twin sticks shooter. The games were developed by
Guerrilla Games Guerrilla B.V. (trade name: Guerrilla Games) is a Dutch First-party developer, first-party video game developer based in Amsterdam and part of PlayStation Studios. The company was founded as Lost Boys Games in January 2000 through the merger of ...
, except for ''Killzone: Mercenary'', which was developed by Guerrilla Games' sister studio,
Guerrilla Cambridge Guerrilla Cambridge (formerly SCE Studio Cambridge) was a British video game developer based in Cambridge, England. The studio was founded under Sony Computer Entertainment in July 1997 through the buyout of the game development division of Cyb ...
, and published by
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. Players can carry two different weapons at any given time. Players can either obtain ammo or swap out their current weapons with any weapon dropped by a downed foe or from those scattered around the various maps. In ''Killzone 3'', players can carry up to three weapons, with the third weapon spot reserved for heavy weapons (e.g. machine gun, rocket launcher, etc.). Online competitive multi-player features up to 16 players in ''Killzone'', 32 players in ''Killzone 2,'' 24 players in ''Killzone 3'' and ''Shadow Fall'', and up to 8 players in ''Mercenary''. There are various modes of multiplayer. There is an objective based rotation mode, called Warzone (''Killzone 2'', ''Killzone 3'', and ''Shadow Fall''), where players play all game modes (2 rounds of Assassination, 1 round of Body Count, 1 round of Capture and Hold, 2 rounds of Search and Destroy, and 1 round of Search and Retrieve) one after the other until all modes have been played. ''Shadow Fall'' game modes in Warzone are slightly different. Operations is a new mode for ''Killzone 3'' which is a cinematic mini-campaign for the multiplayer mode. ''Killzone 3'' features a classic team
deathmatch Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters a ...
mode called Guerilla Warfare. ''Shadow Fall'' also has a team deathmatch, simply titled Team Deathmatch. ''Killzone'' and ''Killzone 3'' are the only games in the series to feature offline split-screen co-op for two players, while ''Killzone'' is the only game in the series to feature offline split-screen multiplayer in the Botzone mode (Botzone allows players to play against AI bots and is present in each installment). ''Liberation'' features an online co-op campaign as well as a multiplayer mode that supports up to 6 players in
ad-hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.) Com ...
and up to 8 players on infrastructure. ''Shadow Fall'' features an online co-op survival mode for up to 4 players; however, it can only be accessed by purchasing the Season Pass.


Games


Main series


''Killzone''

''Killzone'' was released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
in 2004. The game is set in 2357, where the Helghast Empire has recovered from its defeat in the First Extrasolar War and launched a
blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg ( , ; from 'lightning' + 'war') is a word used to describe a surprise attack using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with close air su ...
against the outer Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony planet Vekta. Vekta's orbital Strategic Defense (S.D.) platforms failed during the initial assault, allowing the Helghast to land swarms of soldiers onto the surface and making it difficult for the outnumbered ISA forces. Captain Jan Templar, the main protagonist, and his squad are ordered back to the base for reassignment, and are sent to find the ISA operative Hakha and the key in his possession. Templar meets other characters who assist him such as Shadow Marshal Luger (a female special operations assassin), a heavy weapons specialist Sergeant Rico Velasquez (a Helghast-hating soldier with an itchy trigger finger), and Colonel Hakha, a half-Helghast, half-Human spy.


''Killzone 2''

''Killzone 2'' was released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
in 2009. ''Killzone 2'' follows the events of ''Killzone'' and ''Killzone: Liberation'', and is set on the planet Helghan, the home world of the Helghast who invaded an Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony. Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA has launched an assault on the enemy's homeworld of Helghan. The ISA goal is to capture the Helghast leader, Scolar Visari and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. The main protagonists is Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko, a battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit the "Legion" assigned to Alpha team, who go on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. Captain Jan Templar has been promoted to Colonel and is the Fleet Commander of the ''New Sun'', a Cruiser airship set up in the clouds of Helghan over its capital city, Pyrrhus, preparing for a final attack. During the invasion of Helghan, Sev's unit is deployed behind enemy lines to assist the main invasion force. Tasked with securing the enemy capital of Pyrrhus, Helghan's first true city, the team discovers that the Helghast are a more formidable enemy on their home planet. They adjusted to Helghan's hostile conditions and have harnessed the power of the lightning storms that always occur on Helghan which they can use against the ISA. A cold, barren, unforgiving world, Helghan provides a ready defense with thick, acidic air, dust clouds, and violent surgical lightning storms.


''Killzone 3''

''Killzone 3'' was released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
in 2011 and is the only game in the series to feature a special edition support, the
PlayStation Move is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its Pla ...
, and utilize 3D gaming. It follows the events of ''Killzone 2''. Visari, the leader of the Helghast, is gone but the war is far from over. Helghast forces have mounted a devastating counterattack, prompting the ISA (Interplanetary Strategic Alliance) evacuation of planet Helghan. As new Helghast battalions appear, armed with more powerful weapons, ISA forces find themselves outmanned, outgunned and surrounded. Two new antagonists, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock, both want to become the new Autarch of Helghan. Sev returns as the protagonist with Rico and Narville. Admiral Orlock eventually becomes the new Autarch due to a circumstantial decision by the Helghan High Council. In a final confrontation between Stahl and Orlock, Stahl murders Orlock, however, the planet Helghan and Stahls ship is nuked by Sev and his team. However, it revealed that a ship crash landed on Helghan and is greeted by two Helghan soldiers.


''Killzone: Shadow Fall''

''Killzone: Shadow Fall'' was released for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
in November 2013. It served as a launch title. The game is set nearly 30 years after the events of ''Killzone 3''. Vektans live side by side with Helghans, though their portions of the city are divided by a massive wall that is known as "The Wall". Helghan citizens are placed and take refuge inside of Vekta, becoming known as Traitors, since they left their side of The Wall, which was claimed as New Helghan. The protagonist, Lucas Kellan, is orphaned when he and his father, Michael, are spotted with Thomas Sinclair, a Shadow Marshal, who attempts to lead them out of the side that was being taken by the Helghan forces after the "Terracide" that occurred in ''Killzone 3''. Kellan's father is shot down by two Helghan soldiers when they are spotted, but Lucas is saved by Sinclair. 20 years later, Kellan has been brought up by Sinclair and has become the youngest Shadow Marshal within the Vektan Security Agency (VSA), while Sinclair has become Director of the VSA. Shadow Marshals are specially trained soldiers. Their main mission is to preserve the peace between the Vektans and Helghast and prevent this from declining. During his travels between Vekta and across the Wall into New Helghast as he undertakes missions to deal with possible Helghan threats, he comes to realize that New Helghan is full of civilians who are innocent. He also meets a Helghan Intelligence Operative,"Echo", a half-breed who is Chancellor Visari's daughter. Kellan is imprisoned and tortured when he is caught in New Helghast. Echo helps him escape to find out that Jorhan Stahl has a "weapon" designed that would annihilate Vektans and half-breeds, which he considers traitors. When Kellan is in reach to kill Stahl; Stahl is shot in the head from behind. Kellan turns to see Sinclair, who also kills Kellan. Sinclair is hailed a hero after killing Kellan and recovering the weapon. Echo, who survived the impact of the crash, sneaks into Vekta and when Sinclair is giving a speech, she assassinates him.


Other games


''Killzone: Liberation''

''Killzone: Liberation'' was released for the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
in 2006. In ''Killzone: Liberation'', two months after the events of ''Killzone'', the Helghast have been dealt a hefty blow from the last game, but the war is far from over. The enemy controls large parts of the planet Vekta, and though the ISA armies are fighting hard, they are losing ground. The rules of war have been cast aside with the sadistic Helghast General, Armin Metrac, employed by the Helghast Emperor Scolar Visari to use brutal measures in order to seize the initiative and strengthen his position further. Jan Templar returns as the main protagonists on a covert operation to save hostages captured by Metrac, while ISA troops continue the fight for liberty. There are 5 "chapters" with 4 levels in which players eliminate the Helghast resistance (The fifth and final chapter was made available to download).


''Killzone: Mercenary''

''Killzone: Mercenary'' was released for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
in 2013. In the game players assume the role of a mercenary who fights alongside either the ISA or Helghast forces depending on which team hires them.


''Killzone Trilogy''

''Killzone Trilogy'' is a collection of ''Killzone'', ''Killzone 2'', and ''Killzone 3'' for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
under Sony's
PlayStation Collections Sony has released a number of previously released PlayStation video games, remastered in high-definition (HD) for their newer consoles, a form of porting. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" (also known a ...
line. The original ''Killzone'' has been remastered in HD to support 720p resolution and Trophies. The collection also includes all DLC maps for ''Killzone 2'' and ''Killzone 3''. It was released in October 2012 in North America and Europe.


Reception

The first ''Killzone'' received mixed to positive reviews from magazines and websites.
PSM PSM, an acronym, may refer to: Organizations * Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia ( ms, Persatuan Sepaktakraw Malaysia; PSM), a national governing body in Malaysia. * Pakistan School Muscat, a Pakistani co-educational institute in Oman * Palest ...
stated that ''Killzone'' is "Graphically stunning and hits the mark in so many ways, it's baffling; they promised us we'd experience future war, and we have... and come away shaking." Other reviewers cited technical problems with ''Killzone'', including inconsistent AI, occasional bugs, frame-rate issues, distracting graphical glitches, repetition of the same voices, short draw distance, and an awkward control system. Critics also complained about the gameplay, with
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
labeling it "underwhelming and mediocre" and ''Into Liquid Sky'' stating that it needs "more refinement". Sarcastic Gamer's "How to Kill a Brand" (a parody of How to Save a Life) criticized ''Killzone'', saying it didn't deserve a sequel. ''Killzone: Liberation'' received positive reviews, earning IGN's award for Best PSP Offline Multiplayer Game of 2006. ''Killzone 2'' received critical acclaim upon release with a
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
score of 90.56%, and a
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 91/100. ''Killzone 3'' received positive reviews upon release with a
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
score of 86.38%, and a
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 84/100. The first English review of the game was published by ''
PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) ''Official PlayStation Magazine'' may refer to one of several magazines: *''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'', a U.S. magazine by Ziff Davis *'' PlayStation: The Official Magazine'', a U.S. magazine by Future Publishing *''PlayStation Official ...
'', which gave the game a 9/10. The review stated "on a visual level, as a 3D breakthrough, this feels like a watershed moment in a revolution affecting all of gaming". The review also stated on gameplay terms, "''
Black Ops A black operation or black op is a covert or clandestine operation by a government agency, a military unit or a paramilitary organization; it can include activities by private companies or groups. Key features of a black operation are that it i ...
'' is the only
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
on
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
that can match this". The voice acting, however, was criticised as not being perfect, thus lacking "emotive punch" and the reason for not receiving a perfect 10/10. ''Killzone: Mercenary'' received positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the quality of the title compared to previous shooters on the Vita. It has a
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 78/100. ''Killzone: Shadow Fall'' received mixed-to-positive reviews, with a
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
score of 73.41% and a
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 73/100, making it the second-lowest rated game in the series on both
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
and
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. Praise was given to the game's visual presentation and multiplayer modes, while criticism was given to the single-player story and A.I. issues.


See also


References


External links

*
''Killzone'' official website
{{PlayStation Studios Alpha Centauri in fiction Science fiction shooter video games Military science fiction video games Sony Interactive Entertainment franchises War video games Video games developed in the Netherlands Video games set in the 24th century Video games set on fictional planets Video game franchises introduced in 2004