Killzone
A first-person shooter series set in a 24th-century galactic war.
Killzone is a first-person shooter franchise released on Sony Interactive Entertainment's consoles. The main series and the PlayStation Portable title were created by Guerrilla Games, a Sony subsidiary, while the PlayStation Vita game was developed by Guerrilla Cambridge. The franchise includes seven entries, starting with *Killzone* on the PlayStation 2 in November 2004 and ending with *Killzone: Shadow Fall*, a launch game for the PlayStation 4, in November 2013. The full lineup consists of *Killzone* (PS2), *Killzone: Liberation* (PSP), *Killzone 2* (PS3), *Killzone 3* (PS3), *Killzone: Mercenary* (Vita), *Killzone: Shadow Fall* (PS4), and the PS2 port of *Liberation*.
Set in the 24th century, the series depicts a galactic conflict between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghan Empire. The war unfolds on ISA Earth colonies and the Helghast homeworld of Helghan. The main protagonists include Captain/Colonel Jan Templar (*Killzone* and *Killzone: Liberation*), Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko (*Killzone 2* and *Killzone 3*), mercenary Arran Danner (*Killzone: Mercenary*), and Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan (*Killzone: Shadow Fall*). The primary antagonist is Helghast Autarch Scolar Visari; after his death in *Killzone 2*, Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock emerge as rivals for his throne in *Killzone 3*. Following Orlock's death and Stahl's presumed demise, the Helghast relocate to Vekta, separated from Vektans by a giant wall. The Black Hand, a Helghast terrorist group led by Vladko Tyran, forms, alongside Lady Hera Visari, Scolar's daughter. *Killzone: Shadow Fall* reveals Stahl survived *Killzone 3* but is killed by Vektan Security Agency director Thomas Sinclair.
Gameplay in *Killzone*, *Killzone 2*, *Killzone 3*, *Killzone: Mercenary*, and *Killzone: Shadow Fall* is first-person shooting, while *Killzone: Liberation* is an isometric twin-stick shooter. Players carry two weapons at a time, swapping or picking up ammo from fallen enemies or the environment. *Killzone 3* allows three weapons, with the third slot for heavy weapons like machine guns or rocket launchers. Online multiplayer supports up to 16 players in *Killzone*, 32 in *Killzone 2*, 24 in *Killzone 3* and *Shadow Fall*, and 8 in *Mercenary*. Warzone mode in *Killzone 2*, *Killzone 3*, and *Shadow Fall* rotates through objectives like Assassination, Body Count, Capture and Hold
- First release
- Killzone (2004, PlayStation 2)
- Latest release
- Killzone: Shadow Fall (2013, PlayStation 4)
- Developer
- Guerrilla Games (main series); Guerrilla Cambridge (Vita installment)
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genre
- First-person shooter (except Killzone: Liberation, an isometric twin-stick shooter)
- Number of games
- 7
- Setting
- 24th century, war between Interplanetary Strategic Alliance and Helghan Empire
Quick Facts
- Title
- Killzone
- Developer
- Guerrilla Games · Supermassive Games · Guerrilla Cambridge
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genre
- First-person shooter · Third-person shooter
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2 · PlayStation Portable · PlayStation 3 · PlayStation Vita · PlayStation 4
- First Release Date
- 2 November 2004
- Latest Release Version
- Killzone Shadow Fall
- Latest Release Date
- 15 November 2013
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series is set in the 24th century, depicting the galactic war between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghan Empire. The conflict takes place on both ISA Earth colonies and the planet Helghan, the home planet of the Helghast. The series has featured four main protagonists: Cpt/Col. Jan Templar (Killzone and Killzone: Liberation), Sgt. Tomas 'Sev' Sevchenko (Killzone 2 and Killzone 3), mercenary Arran Danner (Killzone: Mercenary), and Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan (Killzone: Shadow Fall). The main antagonist was originally Helghast Autarch Scolar Visari; his death in Killzone 2 brought about the rise of two new antagonists in Killzone 3: Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock.
Reader's Guide
The Killzone series is significant as a flagship first-person shooter franchise for Sony's PlayStation platforms, showcasing technical capabilities of each console generation. Killzone 2 and Killzone 3 were notable for their online multiplayer modes, supporting up to 32 and 24 players respectively, and introducing modes like Warzone and Operations. Killzone: Shadow Fall served as a launch title for the PlayStation 4, demonstrating the new hardware's graphical power. The series also experimented with different gameplay styles, such as the isometric twin-stick shooter Killzone: Liberation for the PlayStation Portable. The narrative arc spans multiple games, following the war between the ISA and Helghast, with recurring characters and evolving antagonists. The series concluded with Killzone: Shadow Fall, which introduced a new setting where Helghast and Vektans live divided by a wall on Vekta.
Did You Know?
- Killzone: Liberation is the only game in the series presented as an isometric twin-stick shooter.
- Killzone 3 is the only game in the series to support PlayStation Move and 3D gaming.
- Killzone: Shadow Fall was a launch title for the PlayStation 4 in November 2013.
- Killzone and Killzone 3 are the only games in the series to feature offline split-screen co-op for two players.
More in Sony Interactive Entertainment franchises 1-24
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