Bargain Bin Gaming- Episode 17: Killzone Liberation

Killzone_Liberation_pspHardcore shooter fans remember the original Killzone on the PS2 as a game with a ton of promise that couldn’t provide the gameplay experience many were looking for. Backed by a strong marketing campaign and a solid story, the game was supposed to be Sony’s answer to Doom on the X-BOX. Instead, it became a resounding failure destined for the bargain bin.

However, unlike the first game in the series, Killzone: Liberation has almost nothing in common with its predecessor and is one of the best games on the system.

While there have been wholesale changes made to the series on the PSP, the biggest change in Killzone: Liberation is that the old first person view that was featured in the game has been put to rest. Now an overhead third-person shooter, Killzone: Liberation plays more like the classic Metal Gear on the NES than the boring First-Person Shooter it was based on, providing a breath of fresh air into a series that was pretty close to extinction a few months ago.

Going hand in hand with the new camera system is the solid auto aiming system. While auto-aiming has been implemented in numerous shooters on the PSP since its inception, it’s never been as executed as well as it is in Killzone: Liberation. Regardless of where your enemy is, if you’re close enough to him or your gun is in his general vicinity, most of your shots will hit him. Some may feel that this takes some of the fun out of the game, but considering the fact that the game is incredibly difficult, it’s most likely that you’ll need all the help you can get.

The only elements that have really been carried over from the original game are the sound and the graphics. Despite the camera change, gamers familiar with the first Killzone will recognize the enemies and surroundings, feeling at home with the environment right away. As well, anyone who hasn’t played the first game will still appreciate the game’s graphics and solid animations. In addition, the game’s sound effects, everything from enemies cursing and screaming when their shot, also add a shot of realism and drama into an already intense game.

Considering all of the changes that have been made to the series, Killzone: Liberation is the fresh new beginning the series needed to survive and is easily one of the best games on Sony’s struggling handheld. The game’s graphics and sound alone merit moderate praise, but its harsh challenge and venerable gameplay make it stand out of the crowd. While many may find it too difficult at times, it’s still a welcome addition to any PSP owner’s collection and is even worth a rental for non-shooter fans.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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