A fantastic way to start the year of the PlayStation 3.
The Graphics are amazing. There's so much detail and I can't believe what I was seeing. The atmosphere is truly amazing and it feels as if you were there. There's a lot to see in the background, but looking around isn't the point of the game. Sure, sometimes it gets distracting, but your surroundings are just so real. The game is displayed on 720p/1080i. It would have been nice if it was 1080p, assuming that they already started developing before E3 2005.
The story is okay. You don't exactly need to play the first game to understand the story. It's quite simple. For those who need a refresh, in Killzone 1... the Helghast attack the ISA. Basically in killzone 2, you attack the Helghast in there home planet, Helghan.
The controls are pretty candid. They're pretty much standard FPS controls.
The cover system is awesome. It makes this game more unique, as there aren't many FPS with many cover systems. In fact, I think this game is the first FPS to feature a cover system. Without the cover system, this game would have been totally different.
The pacing of this game is just great. There are many chaotic and intense battles as you progress from level to level and I think that just makes it extremely fun to play.
There are many weapons. I find the standard gun to be a great weapon to carry around. It feels and shoots right. The pistol is also not too bad.
There are boss fights too. You'll need to listen to your team members as they tell you their weak points.
Online is extremely fun. There are many matches to play, but even though R2 may have more people to play against... Killzone 2 is still fun. The online mode is even better than R2's. There are just so many people online that most of the matches are completely full. The online matches in R2 isn't as chaotic as Killzone 2 and I think that this is worth exploring.
Overall, I think this game is a masterpiece. The 4 years of development was not a waste and I think this game isn't a waste of money. The online matches are just amazing and the campaign is just amazing. Too bad there isn't a co-op option, but this game just set the FPS bars higher. The game is priced right and I think it's worth the $60. The game is even better than Resistance 2. Killzone 2 is just a must have and the best PlayStation 3 Exclusive so far.