Killzone Mercenary

I was once dispatched by Jeff Rothschild to help out Id Software on Quake's networking code on DOS. After I was done with the work, I was invited by Carmack, Romero, and Cash to a friendly LAN game of Quake. "We'll give you all the weapons and come after you with axes." That match barely lasted 15s, with me dead and all I was carrying gone. As you can imagine, I'm not a great first person shooter (FPS) gamer, nor is the FPS my favorite choice of genre. However, I'm cheap and love a good deal, so when PSN had a sale on Killzone Mercenary and I saw the rave reviews online, I picked it up. I tried the first mission and died very quickly, and so dismissed it as being too hard for a noob like me until I bought my brother a PS Vita Slim for his birthday. Unlike me, he's a FPS aficionado, and so I started playing the game again in the hopes that we could do a multiplayer game one of these days. Surprisingly, the PS Vita Slim has been sold out on all on-line stores, so if you want one my advice is to place an order with Amazon and then be patient while it ships. This is surprising news because up until now the PS Vita simply has not sold well at all. First of all, the graphics on Killzone is gorgeous. The lighting is superb, the textures brilliant. The sunrise or sunset scenes are beautiful, and the game play graphics is so true to form that the first few times I hit a cut-scene I kept on fiddling with the joystick and buttons expecting to have control over the character! The storyline is even interesting for a FPS. The conceit is that you're a mercenary working for pay, hired (initially) by one side to help out in a war. This is supported by the game: everything you do from shooting an enemy, interrogation, or hacking into a system has financial implications. You can then spend your booty on weapons, ammunition, and armor upgrades at the frequently found vending machines in the game that also double as checkpoint save locations. The storyline has several twist and turns, and soon you end up working for both sides and discovering how untrustworthy your initial impressions were. In addition to the primary, secondary, tertiary weapons (grenades), and armor, there's also a special type of weapon system called a Vanguard. This is additional gadgetry that you might see in a modern battlefield today, giving you the ability to pilot a killer drone, cloak you, or call down artillery strikes. These are very expensive, so don't expect to buy more than a couple on your first play-through. They add to the game somewhat but maybe if you have all of them you might not find the game challenging. Once I got through the first mission, the rest of the game was fairly addictive. In fact, at one point I zipped through several missions without even realizing it, and found myself at the last mission under-equipped to face my enemies. At that point I had to quit out, go back to some earlier missions, and replay them with an eye on making extra money so I could buy the appropriate weapons to finish the game. With Bioshock, I complained that this was too much of a chore, and gave up on the game entirely. Killzone, however, is fun to play and the gameplay is designed to let you flip back to previous missions and play them again without having to go through the campaign again linearly, so this was a minor annoyance at worse. There's a multiplayer mode, which I tried. But as mentioned previously, I suck at FPS games. I think my contribution to the multiplayer game is to be a target to be shot at and a source of loot. It's definitely not something I'd try for fun. The flaw here is that because I'd nearly played through the single player game before trying multi-player, my in-game rank was pretty high, and so instead of getting put in with other newbies, I was placed with experienced players and pretty much got wiped out every time. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun and could see myself going back and playing the single player game again at a higher difficulty level or to try out the special missions. I'm also interested in getting some of the stronger weapons to see how it impacts the game. I'm also now interested in going back to try out other Killzone games on my PS 3. Coming from a non-FPS fan, this is high praise indeed. If you own a PS Vita, buy this game even if you normally wouldn't play an FPS. Highly recommended.

I picked this up on Black Friday for half the normal retail price and you to be honest with you it's worth the full MSRP. This game is surprisingly good. I say that as I play FPS competitively so I was reluctant to pick up this game because honestly the killzone trilogy on PS3 was not my type of thing. I hated the "weighted" controls and ditched those games quickly. However the controls on this game are actually very good and not "weighted" at all (think KZ shadowfall on PS4). At first I had a hard time getting used to it b/c the Vita's analog sticks are small and they don't click in nor to they have the same range of movement as the ones on the DUALSHOCK, however after some time I really got used to them. Here is an example of how the devs made use of the Vita's limited buttons compared to DUALSHOCK. To sprint you tap circle and you character runs automatically while you just guide him in the traditional way you would on a FPS. Want to stop sprinting, simply press circle again and you character will stop. This may seem crazy but trust me it's actually an extremely natural control scheme on the vita. Also you switch weapons by pressing the switch weapon button on the touchscreen as opposed to using the face buttons. This is actually better b/c the switch weapon button is in the lower right hand corner of the screen and it's actually easier (faster) to move your thumb from the analog to the bottom touch screen as to reaching up to the touch one of the face buttons. You use the touchscreen to melee and it's pretty cool actually. When you get close to an enemy a prompt to melee will flash and you tap the touchscreen to begin the melee in or you can simply press triangle. Once you begin the melee animation, you are presented with a of quick time event (a keen to God of War) whereas you are presented with a random direction to swipe on the touchscreen to perform the melee. To counter this, depending on if the melee is an assassination (behind the back) or melee from the front the enemy player will have an opportunity to counter the melee by swiping in a random direction. It's actually well done. I could go on and on about the controls but they are very well executed by the devs. Also the weapon selection is extremely robust. There is a primary and secondary weapon for everybody in this game. Oh yeah the graphics are AMAZING! Seriously, your mouth will drop when you see the graphics. The MP is very, very good. In fact I have yet to play the campaign, I've been to busy playing MP. My friends and I all have this game and KZ Shadowfall for PS4 and we all agree that the Mercenary's MP is in some ways is much better than Shadowfall's MP. I'm really glad I took a chance on this game I'm in no way disappointed and you won't be either if you purchase this game b/c for once the internet was right, this game rocks. P.S. if you are obsessed with trophies like I am, then be warned this game takes after the other KZ games with a long trophy list that will take some time to earn. I estimate the time to get the Platinum trophy is 40-50 hours.

OK, I may be a bit behind the curve but it takes some time for these games to get shipped to Afghanistan. I¡¦ve had my eye on this game since it was announced and it¡¦s exactly what we needed as a FPS on the Vita. I¡¦ll try to keep this on point and simple for those on the fence. I¡¦ll try to focus on things other people may have missed or overlooked, if you want to know what the idea of the game is read the other 42 reviews. First off, how does it feel? As you know the game runs on the Killzone3 engine, no small feat of itself, and while it¡¦s been toned down obviously, it¡¦s amazing how much they managed to retain in this form. From volumetric smoke to dynamic lighting and a bunch of other things that aren¡¦t as obvious as sharp textures or smooth models, but they REALLY add to the depth and immersion of the world. Hell, they even crammed in the same Havoc physics engine, well played guys, well played. The sound engine does a good job and doesn¡¦t over saturate you, I replayed 2 hours of killzone3 last night and that game throws so much at you it¡¦s hard to tell where anything is going on, with Mercenary, it¡¦s never really quiet per say but there is a good level of sounds and music, builds the atmosphere really well. How does it handle? The Vita does well with this version of the engine, there¡¦s a stutter here or there but for the most part its smooth, even when the going starts to get rough. There is a patch that helps out a bit, but I¡¦ll go into that later. The controls are fluid, although a hair slow on the look from the default controls but once you adjust it you can get it how you want it set up, including tilt assisted aiming just like in Uncharted, and it works! There is a bit of touch controls, but almost all of it is avoidable or you can turn it off to buttons. I haven¡¦t gotten a chance to check the voice quality on multiplayer but I have no reason to think it¡¦s anything less than how well the rest of the game handles. It¡¦s odd at first if you are a diehard KZ player as a few buttons switch but in 30 min or less you¡¦ll be running and gunning smoothly. How long is the game? There are 9 campaigns maps, 30min (rush) to an hour (paced) a piece, 4 different sets of goals (contracts) to replay each map with as a challenge, some of which can be rather hard to meet the objectives, and all of this can be done on 3 difficulty levels, so there is a good level of sustainability on the single player side. If you are a trophy hunter there are a good amount of trophies here, including a platinum, and they WILL take you some time to get, this is not a one or two day trophy run, including offline and online challenges. Then there are in game awards, skill levels, just like in other games like BF3 and what not. There is also a decent bit of ¡§data¡¨ to hack, which helps to fill in a bit as you bounce through the years of KZ lore, it¡¦s no novel or great writing but it¡¦s a nice touch and helps build the lore. And there¡¦s the valor card system, you¡¦ll need to keep playing a bunch so you can get all of your valor cards, which play into online, and there¡¦s stat tracking, so there¡¦s that front. There¡¦s a lot to do here, and that¡¦s just offline. How is the online? Who knows, barely have internet over here so I can¡¦t confirm, anything, but anything you do offline will carry over money and such to online, so that¡¦s good. All in all, I give it a 5 star rating, seriously, go buy it, it¡¦s not perfect but it is the FPS the Vita needs, and it¡¦s the major IP crossover title we need to show people the power of this machine, as well as how the Vita can handle a huge IP like KZ and turn out so amazing if a dev team puts their minds to it. After the likes of Call of Duty BOU, and Resistance (not bad games, just not good games) and other failed crossovers, like madden, people have a hard time believing in anything coming from the large side of the house. There is no excuse now, however, while Uncharted may have been an oddball success, against the odds, now with KillZone Mercenary setting the standard players and devs alike know that major IP¡¦s can work if done right. Buy it, you deserve a treat º

If you ever wanted to play an FPS that does not look like crap and has not only incredible multiplayer gameplay, but campaign gameplay just as good, you found it. Let me just start by saying that I have been playing the Killzone series games since I first played Killzone 2 for the PS3. Ever since I got my hands on this PS Vita gem, I have been playing non-stop. When you first start out, will be given a brief explanation of how Valor Cards work (which basically measures how good you are in multiplayer/solo campaign.) If you plan to start with the campaign, fear not, though it is a short 9 mission based game play, the replay value is decent to still keep you pre-occupied with it's side missions. I have also played this on the go, and let me tell you, if you are afraid of having to do stupid quick jerky motion controls by physically moving your PS Vita around and look like a mental case in public, do not worry about it. You have the ability to change the sensitivity of the touch screen when your performing melee kills and reacting to your environment, and all the motion controls are done by the front and back touch panels. Not only that, but if you are ever need of help, the first mission of the campaign will always run the tutorial on how to play, so when ever you get lost or need to refresh your skill, do that. For non-traditional Killzone fans, if your interested in the story, play it a second time to understand the relationship between the Helghast and the ISA. Graphically, the game is amazing. at times I forget that I am even playing on the PS Vita. You wont run into any obvious invisible walls, the gun-play and sound is good, but not as good as the versions on PS3. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BUYING THIS FOR A CHILD 13 AND UNDER, let me give you a fair warning of this game. Now I will say that this is not a game for the faint of heart, let me explain. I performed a melee kill on a Helghast soldier where I took my knife and stabbed him in the side of the head, but instead of just taking the knife out, my character decides to jerk the knife back and forth in the head of said victim..... Moving on, overall if you are looking for a game to put your Vita to good use, and seeing as though instead of buying the game already you have taken time to read this review (XD) first, well what are you waiting for? You can also check out many other reviews on youtube, for gameplay if your still interested. You will not be disappointed.

Trailers for this game looked amazing and since I loved Killzone games on PS3, I had to play this one. ******************************Pros************************************** -Mindblowing graphics: Can’t believe how amazing this game looks. It is unbelievable that any game can look this great on a handheld console. -Gameplay comparable to console: I will be honest here. I have never played a shooter on handheld that felt as good as on PS3/360. But the experience on Vita with dual analog is the next best thing. Everything plays fine. PS vita is not as good as PS3/360 controller but works well. -Story: Very surprised. Since this was on Vita, I wasn’t expecting much for a story, but it was very good. It had depth and a twist to it. Really not bad. -Fair Enemy AI: Not the best AI but far from stupid. On normal and difficult mode they provide enough challenge. -Touch Screen Menu Navigation: Really liked navigating through menus through touchscreen. -Stealth vs Cover&Shoot vs Run&Gun: Freedom to choose how you want to play. I am happy they included the variety in gameplay. -Replayability: I found missions to be interesting enough so I could go back and play them over again. -Online Play: I like free for all mode. Good way to pass time. ******************************Cons************************************** -Touch Screen Melee: Touch screen melee is fun at first but it gets annoying afterwards and hurts the continuity of the heated firefight. Should be just hit triangle and kill the person then hit triangle, swipe on touchscreen then kill the enemy. But it does work well when it comes to interrogation. -Short Campaign: Wish campaign were longer, but unfortunately most first person shooters today have very short campaigns and more emphasis on online play. This game is no different. ******************************Conclusion************************************** If you own a vita and like shooter then you should absolutely buy this game. I personally enjoyed it a lot and I still can’t believe how mindblowing the graphics are.

It's a very good game, but it was drastically over hyped. Gameplay is decent but it definitely feels like a small handheld game. Levels are often very basic and linear, textures are used again and again, and encounters with AI feel very "dumb". The biggest problem with the game for me was the poor AI and level design. I often felt like i was playing one of the PS One Metal gear solid games, which for their time were great games, but I've come to expect a little more "Intelligence" in my AI. I'll avoid going off on every little detail in the interest of time but in the end the game isn't the FPS that Vita owners have been dying for, no matter how badly we want it to be. While it does provide a respectable shooter experience for the vita I've come to the conclusion that the Vita itself is simply not capable of providing a true console quality FPS experience. I'll hope to be proven wrong but so far that seems to be the case.

This has to be one of the best looking games on the Vita at the moment. The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is super smooth and fluid. The controls are easy to understand and get adjusted to as well. The game makes use of touch screen controls when hacking doors and what not. You can also use the touch screen to buy items and select things in the menus. I haven't played much of the campaign yet. I've done the first mission so far and it was action packed and I was pleasantly surprised with the action that went on in just the first mission. Very cool stuff. One of the bigger selling points for me on this game was - is the online still poppin? Are there players still on the game? The answer is yes. I just got the game in today, and so far I've played probably around 30 matches. It doesn't take me long at all to find games. You can rank up, edit your load outs, buy new weapons and equipment. The maps are all pretty cool too. I haven't had many issues with being disconnected from matches either, so that's good. If you're at all worried about the online not being full of people, don't worry. There's still many people on it seems. Overall so far I think this game is great! I rate it a 10/10. If you're on the fence about getting it, don't fret, the game is great, and I'm 100% happy with my purchase! If any of you are buying the game, feel free to add me on PSN and I'm down to play some games! My user name: Bobaaganoosh

The game has a few technical issues: there are odd frame rate drops where there appears to be "lag", meaning that the games previous moment replays itself as if I have had a bad internet connection. I would expect this if this were online play, but this was offline playing the single player campaign. The sound effects also bugged on me once, and it required returning to the menu to restart the level to get the sound effects back. And that was when I discovered that the game doesn't save mid level like its console counterparts. Beyond that this game delivers a console quality Killzone experience that one would expect on the PS3. Blending elements of Killzone 3 and Killzone: Shadow Fall, the player can either sneak around and stealthily remove enemy or they can go in guns blazing. Equipment that can either enhance your stealth or guns-blazing strategy are also available: enhanced armors, silenced weapons, or drones that you can fly around the battlefield. The enemy AI feels like Killzone 3, but has some added flair. The game plays like Killzone 3 as well, don't expect this to feel as smooth as Shadow Fall did. The single player campaign is a complete campaign with a short but intriguing story of a mercenary accepting contracts by the ISA and others as a war is waged against the Helghast. Each campaign mission features alternate objectives that can be completed adding replay to the title. Experience points are earned (or lost) based on performance and allows for purchasing of weapons and equipment, which can be customized like in Battlefield 4. Controls were my biggest concern: lack of the L2, R2, L3, and R3 buttons made me nervous, but I can gladly say that touch controls are well integrated to this. Weapon swapping and equipment operation is delegated to touch features on the display. In particular, I loved a weapon that would let you fire rockets at enemies - all you had to do was tap the enemy on the screen and it fired. I recommend this title for anyone who owns a PS Vita. This is an example of what I would want a first person shooter to be on the PS Vita. This is a technical demonstration of what developers can do with this handheld platform.

Es un excelente juego, con muy buenas gráficas y bastante entretenido, el mejor que he jugado hasta ahorita con PS Vita.

日本のPS vitaで操作可能です。当然音声も字幕も全て英語。 日本国内版との大きな違いは、ゴア表現が解禁されていること。つまり、局所破壊力が高い銃でヘッドショットをすると、頭部が吹っ飛び、血液が頸からピューピュー吹き出ます。 最初は、オォすげーと思いましたが、見慣れてくると飽きてきます笑

This game is pretty awesome and i love it very much!!!! Thanks for kingoftradeonline for good service!!! See you again nextime!

hello, this game was really impresive. a psvita must have.

Ojalá sony hiciera más de este tipo de juegos. Considero que la falla está en su historia, pero fuera de eso todo bien.