Sony is widely celebrated within the gaming industry for its focus on developing polished, unforgettable first-party exclusives, something demonstrated time and again throughout the industry. Naughty Dog's Uncharted franchise served as a selling point in both the PS3 and PS4 generations while Guerilla Games' Horizon: Zero Dawn made its mark in the genre of open world adventures. Horizon: Zero Dawn isn't the first major PlayStation franchise to be launched by Guerilla however, as the Killzone series was that company's claim to fame beginning way back on the PlayStation 2.
At one point considered to be among the most iconic names in the PlayStation family, Killzone seems to have faded away in recent years as Sony shifts its focus onto other properties. Especially with the official Killzone website being shut down recently, it seems all but confirmed that this once celebrated first person shooter has been left behind. Of course, nothing is ever certain in the ever changing landscape of gaming, but until the haunting orange eyes of the Helghast return to strike fear into gamers, it's worth revisiting the place this series holds in PlayStation history.
The Halo Killer...?
At the start of the sixth generation of gaming, PlayStation was ushering into its next home console the PS2 while Nintendo was already a well established name on the market. Microsoft was entering the fray with its own effort, the Xbox, a powerful home console with impressive specs for its time. Raw horsepower can only get a gaming console so far, as it needs to show off some must have games that will attract players to its corner. With that, alongside the launch of the original Xbox was Halo: Combat Evolved, a breakthrough first person shooter that revolutionized the genre and set a new standard for online multiplayer on consoles.
The PS2 was no slouch in terms of its own set of exclusive games, but it was lacking in that big blockbuster, first person shooter experience. Naturally wanting a piece of the pie that Microsoft had made for itself, Sony went to work in an attempt to replicate that success on its own console. A relatively new developer named Guerilla Games, mostly known for Shellshock: Nam '67 at that point (another first person shooter), was tapped to work on the project. Leading up to its release, Killzone was highly anticipated and often dubbed "The Halo Killer" due to the obvious comparisons between the two. Although not considered a bad game when it was made available, Killzone sadly couldn't measure up to the hype it had on its shoulders, ultimately living in the shadow of the Halo franchise.
Even with this mixed reception, the original Killzone did show promise and had "franchise material" written all over it. After a spin-off PSP game released in 2005 called Killzone: Liberation, sights were firmly placed on the future of the series. With Sony's next generation console the PlayStation 3 quickly approaching, it seemed like Guerilla would now have the right tech in place to properly deliver on its vision of planet torn apart by war.
Power of The PS3
First unveiled at Sony's E3 2005 press conference, Killzone 2 boasted unbelievable graphics for its time, a level of visual fidelity that some actually argued was to good to be true. It turned out that the trailer shown was actually a pre-rendered CG trailer being advertised as actual gameplay footage, which of course was not the case. Even despite this initial controversy, the final version of Killzone 2 still managed to set an impressive benchmark for console visuals, while also properly delivering a more engaging gameplay experience in comparison to its predecessor. Praise was given to the visuals, blistering action and orchestral score.
Killzone had finally found its footing and became one of the main selling points for the PlayStation 3 during its lifespan. The success of the second installment was quickly followed up by a direct sequel, naturally titled Killzone 3. Even further refinements were made to the game's graphics and gameplay, resulting in a smooth but gritty first person shooter experience. On a roll, the series made an appearance on Sony's latest handheld with Killzone Mercenary, often considered one of the best PS Vita games of all time. With three hits in a row, Killzone has settled itself into the PlayStation catalogue and made Guerilla a big name in the video game industry. It looked like things could only go up from here.
PS4's Launch and Beyond
As Sony was building towards the launch of the PS4, as with any major console, the machine would need at least one killer app available on day one. Considering the pedigree developed during the PS3 generation, Guerilla was given the responsibility to be the team responsible to giving early PS4 adopters a big game to enjoy. Killzone: Shadow Fall was first revealed in the PS4 reveal showcase in February 2013, showing the series' penchant for incredible graphics and simultaneously teasing what the PS4 was capable of.
Killzone: Shadow Fall still looks and plays well even today, but sadly, this remains the last release to date from the Killzone franchise. Just as a Days Gone 2 pitch was denied, it seems Sony is becoming extremely strict on which series it continues forward with and which get left behind. It's sad to see an IP that struggled out of the gate, then rose to prominence only to fade away into obscurity as the years went on. Guerilla Games has since moved on and is busy with the upcoming Horizon: Forbidden West, so its unlikely that the battle against the Helghast will continue anytime soon.
The Killzone series is available on PS3 and PS4.