It’s getting nerve tinglingly close to launch dates for both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox ONE, but with the recent graphics comparisons showing little difference in the end product in terms of visuals there’s little to separate them except for price and features. With this in mind there’s going to be a big reliance on exclusive games to sway the console war and in the run up to launch day, Killzone: Shadow Fall is right in the thick of the battle for the PlayStation side of the battle lines.
Right now it’s looking like the PS4 has the edge in terms of initial financial outlay, while the Xbox ONE has the added features of being touted as an entertainment hub and having the motion sensor, so it’s a bit of a toss up on what to go for. There’s also a lot of multi-console games set for release like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed VI, so there’s a lot riding on the ability of Shadow Fall to compare well with the Xbox ONE’s big exclusive title, Titanfall.
In addition to the name, there are a fair amount of similarities between the two with both being first person shooters set in the future with a devastating battle raging. However, there are a few notable differences, including the robot fighters and online multi-player only gameplay in Titanfall and an alien threat and more of a standard storyline gameplay option in Killzone: Shadow Fall, but does the PS4 exclusive have what it takes to be a real deal breaker for the upcoming Sony super console.
Storyline
The first big thing to note is that KZ:SF is a continuation in the ongoing storyline of the Killzone saga, so for existing fans and gamers that have played previous games like Killzone: Mercenaries it’ll be a must buy, so could instantly be a deciding factor for many when comparing next generation games consoles.
The storyline of Killzone: Shadow Fall is set three decades after the destructive end to Killzone 3 as Helgan refugees have been allowed to settle on the planet Vekta. This has led to a tense bordered divide between the Helgan settlements and the native Vektan’s with distinct similarities to modern day issues on earth. As tensions rise you take the role of Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) Shadow Marshal, Lucas Kellan, in a mission to quell the situation as it escalates.
Graphics
In general the graphics are undoubtedly epic as you battle it out for peace on the far flung planet. One of the big innovations of the game’s visuals is the video overlay facial graphics that have been used in Killzone: Shadow Fall. However, it’s hard to say from the look of the trailer and all of the gameplay demos whether or not they’re any better than the fully animated facial visuals in games like Call of Duty: Ghosts or Assassin’s Creed 4. While there’s elements of them being more lifelike in terms of skin pigmentation and and eye colour, structurally faces of characters look at times like they’ve got human skin stretched over a robotic facial frame.
The in-game graphics are high impact with futuristic firepower looking impressive and the varying terrain of the planet looking very cool covering deep forest, industrial settings and soaring cityscapes. As with other games we’ve seen from the Xbox ONE and PS4 roster, the big step up in terms of visuals is a frightening level of detail close up that has a much further draw distance, so even objects in the very far distance look crisp and impressive.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, Killzone: Shadow Fall is a monstrous first person shooter that combines gun fights with stealth based hand-to-hand fighting and knife wielding action. Things get pretty scary fast with massive explosions and surprise attacks to deal with pretty much right from the word go, and with a long history of the series’ development it’s build on a tried, tested and much loved gameplay style.
With versatile weaponry and the introduction of a flying drone called OWL, you’ve got everything you need to take the fight to the streets, forest or abandoned factories of Vekta. OWL has got a lot of tricks in its bag, a bit like the tech equivalent to Riley in COD: Ghosts, including a light shield to hide behind, a zip-line function, it’s own firepower and a C3-PO like ability to hack stuff.
As well as the standard storyline to run through, there’s the inevitable online multiplayer options to match your Killzone: Shadow Fall mad skills agains all and sundry from around the world. While game developers, Guerrilla Games, haven’t announced the details for the online multiplayer features, we can assume that team death matches, cycling objectives mode and the cinematic style of Operations mode will be returning from Killzone 3.
Release date
Killzone: Shadow Fall is set for a release date of the 29th November 2013 in the UK, alongside the launch of the console, while both will be hitting the shelves in the US a month earlier.
