Lean, peak and blast their helmets off
Killzone 2 employs a lean and peak cover system, which works brilliantly and the levels are designed in a way to encourage tactical play, with plenty of cover spots available. The cover mechanic has been smoothly implemented into the gameplay and you can instantly and intuitively press 'L1' to attach yourself to almost any static object and then lean around or over it, or even blind fire at the enemy. The natural movement of attaching and detaching yourself from objects makes it an enjoyable tactic to use and I've not seen it been implemented better than this in any other shooter.The good news continues, because the locations not only look stunning, but they're designed so that you can try out multiple tactics. The locations often have multiple levels and more often than not have multiple pathways to the objective point, littered with cover spots. This also gives you the opportunity to test out the whole range of weaponry on offer. With just a pistol and knife as your secondary weapons and a standard set of primary weapons, including the assault and sniper rifle, shotguns, grenade and missile launchers and mounted weapons and tanks, you can switch weapons to play to your own strengths, or the situation you find yourself in. Luckily, there's plenty of weapons lying around, so you'll have the opportunity to grab a sniper rifle to take out a Helghast trooper who's perched up in a tower with an RPG, or grab a shotgun and run full pelt at a gang or Helghast, or take to an upper level and jump on a mounted chain gun. There’s a nice variety of up close and personal fighting mixed with long range battles where you have to move up the battlefield and use cover along the way. Whilst the weapons are instantly familiar, they handle impeccably and they look incredibly realistic. Once again, it's worth stressing that their design and the power they wield, have not been matched in any shooter that I've played before.
Although there's a linear progression in each level, the locations have real scale and depth to them and there's plenty of scope for exploration. You're also encouraged to do so by hunting for Intel docs and symbols which unlock trophies. Alternatively, you can press 'Up' on your D-pad, bring up a marker that points you in the right direction, and take the direct route through the game, choosing to run-and-gun it all the way if you so wish. The great thing about Killzone 2 is that you never feel restricted. You can play the game how you want to play it. Play tactically and slowly as move through each level picking off Helghast, or steam in and enjoy the chaos of being embroiled in a hectic war. Whatever the case, the action is pretty much relentless and the pace of the game rises in intensity right up until the final intense battle in the Visari’s palace, where you’ll come against Helghast that attack you from all angles armed with shotguns, flamethrowers, assault rifles and RPGS.
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