Simply not Good Enough: Killzone Shadow Fall Review

When you think of the PlayStation classic, Killzone, you probably think of explosions, bullets and knives. Sharp ones. So when Sony announced that the fourth console installment in the first-person shooter series would put players in the boots a secret agent, the world was intrigued. A soldier fighting with espionage rather than huge spaceships and rockets was not exactly what gamers expected in a game following the explosive Killzone 3, but it's what we got.

Killzone Shadow Fall is, frankly, not a good video game. It lacks the detail it promised with its debut as the PS4's inaugural release. Its plot and its many devices make little sense, and do not follow any particular flow. The gameplay is inconsistent, and shows no regard for the previous incantations of Killzone. Trust us, it's not a bad game, it's just not good enough.

To be fair - is the game playable? Dare we say, enjoyable? Yes. Shooting at Helghast from the shadows may not be what Killzone is all about, but it still manages to be fun. The game follows the events of Killzone 3, in which the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance defeated the Nation of Helghan, which involved the home planet of the Helghast becoming uninhabitable. From there, the ISA invites the surviving Helghast to live on their home planet called Vekta, effectively cutting the planet in half with a giant wall. An unstable peace is maintained for 30 years, but as tensions between the humans of Vekta and the Helghast of New Helghan rise, you are called in. Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellen must investigate some awry signs of further hostilities between the two super powers. Following the orders of your commanding officer and father figure, named Sinclair, you must fight to protect Vekta.

Gameplay in Shadow Fall is an interesting approach to the Killzone style. It's open world stealth at heart, but lets you go loud and proud at times with little consequence. Kellen is free to complete his objectives through any means possible, either by sticking to the shadows, or by blasting through enemies with his LSR44 rail gun or any other weapons he picks up along the way. Another shift from previous Killzone installments is that players are almost always fighting alone. Very few times do your allies from the Vektan Security Agency (VSA) ever help you out. Your best friend is your OWL, a small hovering robot armed with a grappling hook, machine gun and several other tools to help you pass obstacles. All of the game's faults, the OWL is not one of them. It can quickly and easily even the odds of any firefight, or provide new means of a completing a mission. In terms of mechanics, player control is fairly simple, albeit not very user-friendly. Small corridors don't provide a lot of freedom of movement, and the first-person perspective can often seem restrictive.

Many weapons are unrecognizable from previous titles, but still follow familiar design and functions. Classic Killzone guns like the M82 and stA-52 assault rifles are still around, though they look incredibly different and futuristic. The previously-mentioned LSR44 is a Vektan Shadow Marshal's weapon of choice, as it can shift from a fully automatic laser gun to heavy rail gun in seconds. Most other weapons are either reimagined versions of older guns, or new members of the Killzone arsenal. Nothing to complain about - every gun functions exactly as it should. They look and feel pretty kick ass, and are some of the most enjoyable parts of the game.

The worst part about Shadow Fall's story is not the writing - it's the lack of objective understanding of what the past three games have meant for the series. To have these people share a planet? To enter a poorly written "cold war?" To wrongly frame the struggle between the ISA and Helghast as a genetic one? The Helghast may have evolved into genetically different from humans, but the way the game went about it was odd. Never have the games touched on the genetic differences of the Helghast, save for the reason, which was to adapt to their planet's hostile environment. The ability to explore Vektan and Helghast societies is vastly more interesting than the overall plot. The exposure to Helghast society is especially fascinating, being the first time players could look at a Helghast city that wasn't on fire. Players are free to observe the various environments of New Helghan, a towering structure separated by miles of slums and factories. Finding collectibles and intel around the maps is the best way the game keeps you locked into the story of the game.

Let's swing back around to discuss another positive aspect of Killzone Shadow Fall. As the debut game for the PS4, the game shows off Sony's first crack at next-generation graphics and physics. In this regard, Shadow Fall is a success. Environments in the game, be it a small forest or a bustling futuristic metropolis are all phenomenal. While certain visual aspects are not as detailed as we'd like, overall the game shines. Fighting, hell, just walking around these new-era cities is a fantastic visual experience.

While it manages to be enjoyable, Killzone Shadow Fall is not the sequel we were looking for. Along those lines, it's not the ideal introductory PS4 game we were looking for. Shadow Fall's approach to the beloved series has players step off the roller coaster with a weird taste in their mouths. It showed off the PS4's visual promise, but not much else. However, just because it didn't impress most player doesn't mean that blowing away some red-eyed bad guys isn't fun. Despite its many problems, Shadow Fall can be fun and entertaining for many gamers.