Killzone: Liberation

Killzone: Liberation
Developer(s)	Guerrilla Games
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date	PlayStation Portable NA: October 31, 2006 EU: November 3, 2006 AU: November 8, 2006 PlayStation 4 & 5 June 20, 2023
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Teen PEGI: 16 USK: 16
Platforms	PlayStation Portable PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5
Media	Universal Media Disc (UMD), Digital distribution (via PS store)

Killzone: Liberation is the stand in sequel to Killzone developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It is a follow-up to Killzone, taking place two months after the original game. Killzone: Liberation was released on October 31, 2006 in North America. An updated version of Liberation was released on June 20, 2023 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Plot

Watch out while reading this, or don't at all, until you know what's coming. This article contains heavy spoilers. Read ahead with caution.

"Set two months after the events of Killzone, most of southern Vekta is still under Helghast control. The rules of war have been cast aside with the Helghast General Armin Metrac, employing brutal measures in order to seize the initiative and strengthen his position further. Returning as Jan Templar, players will be sent on a covert mission to save hostages captured by Metrac, while ISA troops continue the fight for liberty."

―Description of the game

There are five chapters with 4 levels in which players eliminate the Helghast resistance (the fifth and final chapter was made available to download).

Two months after the events of Killzone, the Helghast have been dealt a severe blow but the Second Extrasolar War is far from over. The Helghast controls large parts of southern Vekta while the ISA are losing ground to their enemies. The Helghast forces fell under the control of General Armin Metrac, who was employed by the Helghast Emperor Scolar Visari to use brutal measures in order to seize the initiative after their past defeat. Together with his brutal second-in-command, Colonel Tendon Cobar, Metrac planned on seizing the ISA base in Rayhoven, where ISA leaders and scientists are secretly meeting to debate on whether to deploy the experimental Red Dust nuclear weapons against the Helghast.

Metrac attacks the base and captures ISA Minister of War Heff Milcher, scientist Evelyn Batton, ISA General Dwight Stratson. Jan Templar prevents the Helghast from seizing the nuclear weapons before he and along with Rico Velasquez is sent to rescue the hostages and pursues Cobar, who has taken Milcher and Stratson. Milcher is then killed by Cobar, but Templar is successful in defeating Cobar. A wounded Cobar reveals to Templar that there is an ISA traitor who is helping Metrac in obtaining the Red Dust nuclear weapons before he is killed by Stratson. Rico is later captured by the Helghast and taken to Metrac.

After Templar saved Stratson, the ISA learns about Metrac's secret base in the mountains of the Redavni Plains where Batton and Rico are being held captive. Metrac threatens to use the nuclear weapons, which he managed to obtain, against the ISA, which prompt Stratson to order a pre-emptive air strike on Metrac's fortress, and thereby sacrificing the hostages. Templar, however, defies Stratson's order and together with Luger's help infiltrate the base to rescue the hostages before the bombings could begin. Templar only manages to rescue Batton as Rico was taken away to an unknown location. Batton also reveals to Templar that Metrac is unable to use the nuclear weapons as they needed the launch codes. Templar soon battles and defeats Metrac before escaping with Batton just as the base is destroyed.

Despite Metrac's death, the Helghast continues to fight against the ISA and have been waging a coordinated attack on Sedah City. Stratson had suspicions of Rico, accusing him of being the ISA traitor, and orders Templar to go to Sedah City and investigate Rico's connection to the attack. Templar fight his way through the war-ravaged city where he eventually finds Rico, who reveals the traitor to be Stratson, who secretly leads the remaining Helghast forces. Templar proceeds to the Royal Vektan Palace, where Stratson is located, battling hordes of Helghast and Straton's personal elite guard. He soon engages the general in combat. Stratson is well-prepared and uses a Exo-Skeleton against Templar, but is ultimately defeated.

Before being arrested, Stratson reveals to Templar that the Helghast had took the nuclear weapons that were not intercepted by the ISA and brought them to Helghan. Templar is then reunited with Rico and Batton. Rico express his contempt with dealing with another ISA traitor. Jan swear to take the war to Helghan in order to preserve Vekta's freedom.

The game's outro marks the beginning of Killzone 2, as Scolar Visari publicly announces to the Helghast people that their invasion of Vekta had failed, but have obtained ISA nuclear weapons which he intends to use on ISA forces when they will come to Helghan.

Gameplay

This game features a top-down isometric view in contrast to the rest of the Killzone series, which are first-person shooters. The resultant game can be seen as a mixture of a shooter and a dungeon crawler or a top down contra type game. The missions are presented in groups that can be chosen in any order by the player, but completing certain missions first does have effect over other missions.

The player can only control Jan Templar, although he can board and control several vehicles and weapons: heavy machine gun turrets, a tank, a hovercraft and a jetpack. During some levels a 'buddy' can be ordered around (although some are unarmed). These 'buddies' are normally teammates (Rico and Luger) or people that have to be rescued (The three VIP's in the third mission, first chapter and Evelyn in the third and fourth mission, fourth chapter).

By collecting various pickups in the form of money cases, the player unlocks new weapons to use in the game. These weapons can be found in various weapons caches in certain levels. After enough money is amassed, the V2 upgraded weapons become available. The weapons in the caches are also converted into the V2 upgraded versions. Some of the unlockable weapons are: The StA-52 Assault Rifle, the IvP-18 Tropov Machine Pistol, the StA-52 SLAR, the M13 Shotgun, the M3 Revolver, the Crossbow and theVnS-10B Scylla Chaingun (The M82-G Assault Rifle is the default weapon). After downloading the chapter five update the VC1 Flamethrower and the BLR-06 Hadra MRL are available to unlock.

The player can also unlock upgrades to Templar's abilities by completing challenge games within certain limits (Such as shooting a certain number of "enemy targets" without shooting the "civilian targets"). These are ranked in bronze, silver and gold. Upgrades come in the form of carrying more items, hitting harder in close quarters combat, performing actions faster or upgraded health.

Reception

Killzone: Liberation got 7.5/10 in Game Informer. Gamespot gave it 8.3/10. Liberation received IGN's award for Best PSP Offline Multiplayer Game of 2006 and gave it 9.0/10.

Gallery

Artwork

Propaganda

Trivia

• Killzone: Liberation is presented as a third-person shooter and is the only of that kind in the Killzone series to date.
• Liberation is the first and only game in the series to be released on the PSP, and the only game in the series to be rated T for Teen.
• On 20 June 2023, an updated version of Liberation was made available to purchase from the PlayStation Store and play on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. The updated version is enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters, and includes trophy support. Additionally, the game was added to the PlayStation Plus "Classics" catalog for Premium tier subscribers, who can download the game at no extra cost.