2024 is a momentous 20th anniversary year for numerous games including Steam’sHalf-Life 2, Xbox’sHalo 2, and PlayStation’sKillzone. One of Guerrilla’s earliest game franchises developed exclusively for PlayStation consoles,Killzonewas a landmark first-person shooter game for the PlayStation 2 with many colloquially calling the game Sony’s Halo killer. In many waysKillzonewas the franchise that put Guerrilla on the map leading to global recognition and a healthy relationship with Sony that would eventually lead to the development of the modernHorizonseries. Despite this celebrated history, Guerrilla made no acknowledgement ofKillzone’s 20th anniversary on November 2nd, causing many fans to worry that the first-person game series may be dead for good.
A Brief History of Killzone
Set in the mid 24th century,Killzoneprimarily takes place on the colony worlds Vekta and Helgahnwithin the Alpha Centauri star system. While Vekta was a prosperous, Earth-like planet, Helgahn was a poisonous, hostile world, causing its inhabitants to evolve into a pale-skinned race that quickly succumbed to facism bent on the conquest of other planets.Killzone 1sees Vektan Captain Jan Templar, alongside his Interplanetary Strategic Alliance comrades, attempt to defend his homeworld from a Helghast invasion. This sparked the Second Extrasolar War, which would envelop the star system for three years.
WhileKillzone 1wasn’t the Halo killer PlayStation fans expected it to be, its campaign and multiplayer were received moderately well both critically and financially, leading Sony to greenlight numerous sequels and spin-offs throughout the sixth and seventh console generations. This franchise expansion first began with 2006’sKillzone: Liberationfor the PlayStation Portable, followed by2009’sKillzone 2and 2011’sKillzone 3for the PlayStation 3. However, as more and more games, particularly theCall of Dutyfranchise, began to tackle future militaristic shooter games,Killzonebegan to lose its popularity and distinction among its cohorts.
The Fall of Killzone
The beginning of the eighth console generation also saw the beginning of the end for theKillzonefranchise, unbeknownst to fans at the time. This generation saw the release of bothKillzone: Mercenaryfor the PlayStation Vita andKillzone: Shadow Fallfor the PlayStation 4in 2013. A launch title for the PlayStation 4,Shadow Fallwas the final mainline entry for theKillzonefranchise, set 10 years afterKillzone 3in the Cold War embroiled Vekta between local Vektans and refugee Helghast. DespiteShadow Fall’s moderate critical and commercial success, Guerrilla would consolidate the rest of its workforce towards working on their new IP,Horizon Zero Dawn, followingShadow Fall’s release.
The Potential End of Killzone
In the years followingHorizonZero Dawn’s 2017 release, Guerrilla has received global acclaim for their third-person post-apocalyptic franchise, leading to the development ofHorizon Forbidden West,Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered,Horizon Call of the Mountain, and LEGO Horizon Adventures. Save for a few Easter Egg references toKillzoneinZero DawnandForbidden West, Guerrilla has seldom referenced theKillzonefranchise followingShadow Fall. This lack of acknowledgement was seemingly supported when no Guerrilla media made any reference toKillzone’s 20th anniversary. However, official PlayStation media such as PlayStation UK’s X account did wish theKillzonefranchise a happy 20th anniversary.
Guerrilla Games’ lack of acknowledgement ofKillzone’s 20th anniversary may suggest that theKillzonefranchise is truly behind it, leaving one of their most prominent series’ possibly permanently shelved. With Guerrilla reportedly working on a multiplayer, story-focusedHorizonspinoff andHorizon 3, the game company may not have time to even work on a newKillzonegame in the near future. SinceKillzonewas published by Sony, however, the company could possibly hire another developer to makea newKillzonegameor remake the original trilogy if fan interest is shown. AKillzonerevival could potentially help Sony Interactive Entertainment’s current first-party multiplayer crisis followingConcord’s failure, but with no sign of such a game being in the works and no mention of the series on what should have been a special milestone, it seems more likely thatKillzonewill remain dormant for the forseeable future.
Killzone’s iconic red-eyed Helghast soldiers make brief appearances in Team Asobi’s Astro Bot as the Confused, Independent, and Militant Mutants.
Killzone: Shadow Fall
WHERE TO PLAY
Guerrilla Games and Sony Computer Entertainment bring you another installment in the first-person shooter franchise known as Killzone. Taking place thirty years after the events of Killzone 3, the events of Killzone Shadow Fall are set in a time of planetary colonization. The game focuses on the conflict between the Vektans and the Helghast – two rival colonist factions inhabiting a remote planet.For 3 decades, both factions have lived side by side, separated by an enormous security wall. But now, their Cold War is about to run hot. It is up to Lucas Kellan, a member of the military intelligence unit dubbed the Shadow Marshals to try to protect the fragile peace that exists.A new warrior for a new era of war, Kellan’s missions will range from quiet infiltrations to all-out combat. Players will need to be methodical and ready to adapt, as any misstep could lead to mutually assured destruction. Lucas will still rely on classic weapons like the M82 Assault Rifle, stA-18 pistol, and others from previous Killzone games along with a host of new weapons and tactics for fans to master.
