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Killzone: Shadow Fall Is the PS4’s flagship shooter the best of next-gen? Harry Shepherd discusses the tech, maps and online play Killzone: Shadow Fall Guerrilla Games
PS4 Out Now THE LAST generation of gaming was dominated by the First Person Shooter genre, and the next-generation seems to be no exception. Lucky early adopters will find themselves already spoilt for choice. Killzone: Shadow Fall serves up genuine innovation in its game-play and presentation that marks it as truly revolutionary, as opposed to a prettier last-gen upgrade. Killzone is more than a viable alternative to sate your itchy trigger finger. Killzone: Shadow Fall straps you into the boots of Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellen, 30 years after the events of the previous instalment. Following the total annihilation of the Helghast home world, Kellen must maintain the peace either side of the immense wall that
divides the humans from the surviving Helghast aliens. It’s the strongest narrative in the series so far, a world away from the dull machismo of old characters Sev and Rico. Attempts are made to comment on interesting topics and place the player in a difficult grey area, but the story is ultimately let down by muddled and incoherent plot direction and poor voice acting. But Killzone: Shadow Fall really sets the visual standard for the Playstation 4. Gone are the monochrome, colourless environments of Killzones past. In its place is the jaw-dropping cityscape of Vekta, with shimmering glass buildings and a sparkling array of colour. The disturbingly massive scale of the New Helghan slums and the beautiful, constantly shifting chaos of the destroyed, original Helghan mean there is a tremendous variety of locations to explore. Combined with a fresh, emotive score and thrillingly punchy combat, the game creates an unprecedented
atmosphere. The undoubted strength of the franchise is its game-play, which remains unchanged and is led by innovative use of the PS4’s new hardware functionalities. Features of the new Dualshock 4 controller, which initially seemed gimmicky, now feel natural when donning your Shadow Marshal gear. The O.W.L attack drone is controlled with the Dualshock’s touch pad, selected by stroking the touchpad in the corresponding direction. The O.W.L can attack, distract enemies, provide a defensive shield, produce a zipline, hack doors and even heal. It brings a new level of tactical depth, and executing a stealthy or all guns blazing plan with the O.W..L in support is immensely satisfying. But not all changes to the formula work as effectively. The zero gravity sections and flight sequences are unnecessary at best and downright frustrating at worst. Once you have beaten the story mode, you can revisit the glorious lo-
cations online. In this sense, Killzone: Shadow Fall is similar to the close
Killzone is more than a viable alternative to sate your itchy trigger finger quarters chaos of Call of Duty but still retains a strongly tactical element. Online assailants are harder to kill, so you must consider carefully whether to engage. Three all newly simplified classes are available from the get go, so you can decide if perhaps a supporting role is more your speed than a head-on assault. As a scout, invisibility will aim in your long range stealth, the support class will allow you to help your teammates with spawn points, ammo drops and revivals, and the assault class enables you attack the enemy head on with faster movement or an attack drone.
Drivers, start your engines...
Popular game modes like Warzone return, where up to 24 players can fight a hectic battle where your team’s objectives change on the fly. Experience points have been dropped in favour of a unified points system with constant rewards which will inevitably keep you coming back for more. Guerrilla Games has harnessed the power of the Playstation 4 to revolutionise the areas of its Killzone franchise that were its original strengths. The breathtaking graphics and excellent game-play make up for its narrative weaknesses. With the addictive multiplayer considered, this is the best overall shooter package on Playstation 4. It paints a promising picture of your future for your shiny, rectangular box of joy.
Sam Brewer reviews the latest installment to Xbox One’s blockbuster franchise Forza Motorsport 5 Forza Motorsport 5 Turn 10 Studios
Xbox One Out Now FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 was released with the weight of the high expectations of Xbox One buyers on its shiny shoulders. Pressured to harness and exemplify the features of the new console without
overcomplicating the usual format of the game, has it lived up to the hype? Firstly, Forza is the leading racing simulator ever released on Xbox, if not in gaming as a whole. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Turn 10 is owned by Microsoft, so it is the one game that should have been most refined and at home on the Xbox One. As the newest addition to the series, Forza 5 has not been overhauled but simply refined. Fa-
vourite cars and tracks return much the same as they were before and the gameplay experience remains similar, but most won’t find this an issue. The series is sleek and, in many ways, all that you could ask for on the track. Assists are an easy way in for newcomers, while experienced players will be able to jump in at their own level with added credits. The ability to customize your cars with parts and paintwork is again possible, and artwork choices mean there are practically no limits to the imagination. Both experienced fans and newcomers will bemoan the introduction of ingame credits, which tempt players to part with more real cash to buy in-game cars that would otherwise take multiple hours of racing to attain. All of this then leaves you feeling that,
even though the game-play feels great, there aren’t really any massive changes pushing the series onto the next level. If Forza 5 fails to make huge leaps in the series, what does it do in showing off the features of next-gen? The Cloud, for example, is used extensively. As you race, your driving style is recorded and used to create your ‘drivatar’, which earns you credits by providing opponents for other players. Paintjobs are shareable and again, as with almost anything you do, will earn you credits. When racing, the new controller trigger vibrations are utilized very well. As you progress to more aggressive cars you see a more powerful response from your triggers, which may be simple, but is also very effective. The improved graphics are immediately apparent, showing how much effort has gone into the design – it’s likely many gamers have been so distracted
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by the damage they’ve caused to the car in the rear-view mirror that they have driven straight off the track. The new Kinect doesn’t get much use, but that’s probably for the best. Pointless voice commands or waving hands would only take away from the game and it’s a relief they haven’t been added. Forza 5 doesn’t do anything spectacular, as the game-play hasn’t radically changed and next gen hasn’t transformed it into something new. It’s a refined game, which takes advantage of The Cloud and the improved graphics of the Xbox One. You probably won’t be buying an Xbox One if Forza is the only game that appeals to you, but if you’re getting one, this shouldn’t be missed.