Killzone 2 is a Halo Killer: So What?

Kris Erickson • Feb 2, 2009 • Comments ()

Our friends over at Xboxist posted an interesting article today on the status of Killzone 2 as a "Halo Killer", and we thought we would share it with you. They have taken a surprising position in the whole debate, arguing that the Halo franchise doesn't need to be killed, because it is already dead. Killzone 2 should aim higher than the Halo games, in their estimation.

"With all the talk of Killzone 2 coming out for the Playstation 3, you’d think that we would be a little bit nostalgic and – dare we say – depressed. After all, Killzone 2 has been billed by many journalists and fans as a “Halo Killer,” a game that will finally put Bungie’s reign of FPS supremacy on home consoles to rest. Killzone 2 is going to be an amazing game, but calling it a “Halo Killer” doesn’t really do it justice. As far as we are concerned, Halo has been dead for quite some time, pushed out of the way by better and more successful games."

The article argues that if the developers of Killzone 2 and other multiplayer shooters want to achieve the same level of sales and success of the Halo franchise, they are better off setting the bar a bit higher. Maybe they shouldn’t worry about what made Halo so great back in the day, but rather they should strive to innovate and move the genre forward. We would add that while many gaming publications will inevitably make comparisons between Killzone 2 and the Halo games in reviews, they should consider whether these comparisons are really helpful or valid.

Check back with PS3 Informer when we bring you our own impressions and a full review of Killzone 2 when it ships on February 27.