Killzone: Shadow Fall is an FPS available at the launch of the Playstation 4. This title, which wants to be the technical reference of the PS4, therefore has the heavy task of showing what the console in the belly. Edited by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Guerrilla teams, the title looks promising. Let's see how it works in practice.
The story
A quick word on the script before going further. The story takes place 30 years after the previous installment, Killzone 3, which saw the total destruction of Afghanistan. The world in which the player moves is then divided in two by a wall that can be crossed in different places. On the one hand, we are in the presence of what looks like a democracy and, on the other, a military dictatorship. The point of the scenario is that the border between the two worlds is sometimes blurred: there is not one side of the good guys and another side of the bad guys since reality is much more complex.
The player easily enters this complex and very well transcribed story with a particularly strong atmosphere, where many details remind us of this futuristic cold war. The player can also glean audio logs over the levels: if these recordings broadcast directly via the speaker of the controller are not mandatory in the evolution of the game, they only reinforce a solidly established story.
An efficient and visually splendid Nextgen game
Killzone Shadow Fall is arguably the most visually stunning game on the latest Sony console. Let's say it right away, this FTP puts a real slap on the player: it's beautiful, it's even very beautiful. The textures are fine and detailed, the graphic effects (reflections, lens flare, smoke, particles, explosions) are very numerous and just as successful. The environments are very large, the gaze goes far and the impression of freedom of movement is only reinforced.
A soundtrack the height
The soundtrack is not to be outdone since Killzone has an extremely worked soundtrack. The sound effects, like the dubbing in French, remain classic, in the vein of what we have the right to expect from such a big production. There are many dialogues, be it the audio diaries we were talking about above or quite simply the dialogues between the NPCs that we can come across and who seem to have an independent life, with their own conservations and their own problems. Again, immersion in this world is all the stronger.
The game's music is also a success since the studio called on two different composers (Tyler Bates and Lorn), each in charge of creating one of the two musical universes. Great art!
Classic gameplay with a few small finds
If the gameplay of this FPS is classic and well calibrated, we appreciate a certain subtlety in the game since it is not recommended to rush into the heap and shoot anything that moves. You will have to be more careful and think about a minimum before taking action. The player is also accompanied by his faithful drone: the OWL. As we tell you in our test of the PS4 console, the handling of the drone is done via the touchpad of the Dual Shock 4: a movement of the finger allows you to section the action (attack, launch of the grab) and a pressure on a trigger launches the selected order. Your OWL is also able to give you a dose of adrenaline (provided you have one in stock) in order to resume the game after the death of yourShadow Marshal. That is appreciable! The use of the combat drone in the game brings a little welcome novelty in the world of FPS.
Finally, the solo campaign will keep you going for a good ten hours. Thereafter, the player of course has the possibility of competing with other players since the online multiplayer mode is capable of accommodating up to 24 people simultaneously. If this multiplayer mode is classic, it remains effective and well calibrated.
Trailler multiplayer
The screenshots for this test are taken from the editor.
Our opinion on Killzone: Shadow Fall
Killzone: Shadow Fall is arguably the best game in PS4 lineup. Graphically magnificent, the game perfectly knows how to use the power of the console. If the gameplay remains classic, the overall achievement and the graphic environment, but also sound, make this FPS a must-have!
