Upon purchasing a PS3, I found myself wanting to shoot, maim, and blow things up more than usual. I picked up The Orange Box, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Fallout 3 (all of which are stellar games). Killzone 2 was on my radar, as well, and I picked it up a couple of days after its release to avoid the online issues that were bugging it at first. It’s similar to Call of Duty 4/5 in that it has a leveling system that allows you to unlock weapons and classes to take into battle. I’ve had a blast with it so far, so when I heard they were already releasing two new maps on PSN, I picked them up immediately.
The maps are Vekta Cruiser and Wasteland Bullet and both fit well among the original maps, while still offering new venues for violence. Vekta Cruiser has become one of my favorite maps. As the name implies, it’s in a ship, which means tight corridors and a relatively small battlefield which makes for more intense firefights. It also adds some color beyond the many grays, blacks, and browns that the other maps are soaked in. What Wasteland Bullet lacks in color, makes up for in looks. The map itself is two speeding trains, complete with hanging pillars and other metal goodies flying at breakneck speeds just waiting to ruin your day. Unfortunately, I’ve had a hard time finding enough hosts willing to throw this map onto the rotation, and so I’ve only played it with a handful of players and never a full thirty-two.
The maps of Killzone 2 are all well done, I feel. Each map feels different than the other and offers a unique experience each play through. The game itself has kept me coming back week after week, looking to up my score. The range of customization in each server also makes it possible to find exactly what you’re looking for in a match. Stat tracking at Killzone.com makes drooling over your headshot count easy from any location, something I like to check in on from time to time.
At this point, I think I’m interested in joining a clan and trying out a couple of clan matches (or possibly starting my own). I’ve gotten pretty good at the public matches, usually ranking in the top two or three player scores, and would like to get a bit more competitive. If you play Killzone 2 online, friend me up: CamouflageNoise is my PSN name.
May 13, 2009, 6:30pm
