 Preview By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Guerrilla Games |
| Publisher: | SCEA | |
| Genre: | Action | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-6 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Memory Stick Duo, Wi-Fi (local) | |
| Estimated Release: | 10/30/2006 |
Here at Video Game Generation, we’re nothing if not a dedicated bunch. Sure we try and bring you all the news and reviews you want in a timely manner, but sometimes there are certain situations that require us to go above and beyond the call of duty. This is one of those times. With Killzone: Liberation, the first PSP chapter of Sony’s futuristic shooter, due out at the end of this month, we knew we had to get our hands on the game soon, or else the title would go gold, and by then it would be far too late. We knew it was going to be hard, of course, we just had no idea it was going to be this hard.
When we first arrived, it all seemed too easy, first sneaking past a couple of suspiciously placed crates on the outskirts of developer Guerilla’s studio, then disabling a series of motion-sensing alarms, but just when we made our way on to the premises, we had to shoot our way through a small army of red-eyed, armored soldiers who blocked our path, hoping beyond hope that we didn’t blow a hole in the keycard we were sure we’d need later, not to mention trying not to end up with a head that looked like a teacup. It wasn’t easy, as I’ve said, but we succeeded...barely. Okay, so really it just came in the mail, but we’re not one to quibble over small details, especially when your hard earned money is potentially on the line. So read on to see what we thought of our hands-on time with this title.
Impressions of this sort are somewhat different from the early review copies you’ll occasionally see spotlighted around here, as those typically represent the final build of the game. However, with a demo such as this, we are ever mindful – as we are reminded every step of the way, whether it is written on the package, on the game disc or even somewhere during the game itself – that this may not be an accurate depiction of the game, and things are subject to change every step of the way. Really, though, that is just a way for the higher-ups to cover their butts in case it isn’t received well, that way they can reassure people that the game is still under development. That said, those sort of disclaimers don’t really apply when we’re talking about a game like Killzone: Liberation, and not because it is so close to release that it would be hard for changes to be made or because there is so much wrong that no amount of time could fix it. Rather, it's because this title does seem to have a lot going for.
The game’s plot seems sort of like a futuristic version of Nazi Germany. After a crushing defeat in an earlier war, the Helghast Empire mounts a second offense that starts out with a bit of success. Invading the planet Vekta, the Helghast, a long-mutated form of humanity, is held at bay only by the ISA and several key members of the resistance, including Jan Templar. Though we don’t know many of the details regarding Liberation, players will once again assume the role of Templar as he attempts to spirit away prisoners of war from under the red glare of General Armin Metrac. A few other characters and locations from the original game are also expected to return as well.
Though our playtime could be considered limited at best, the gameplay did seem somewhat stealth-based, though it was also apparent that players might be able to tackle missions in whatever fashion suits them best. For example, sneaking up quietly and then gunning down your enemies before they can send out a distress call might let you make it to the end safer, but also much slower. For the gung-ho among us, though, you are also just as able to walk right around the corner, tossing grenades, blowing up barrels and pumping the swarms of alerted guards full of some much deserved lead. Although it is unclear at this point, it does seem likely that the game will require the player to proceed through a level under certain conditions, such as ducking behind the various obstacles in order to remain unseen until you reach you objective, but that will only serve to keep things fresh in my opinion.
Posted: 2006-10-17 18:23:15 PST