Killzone (series)

Killzone is a game series of first-person shooters primarily developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation family of home and handheld consoles. The series began in 2004 with the release of Killzone on the PlayStation 2 and spawned three sequels and two spin-off titles.

The series takes place in the 24th century and chronicles the decades-old conflict between two human factions, the Vektans - led by the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance, and the Helghast - an off-shoot species of humans that strive to conquer the Vektans' home planet. Throughout the series, players control certain members of the Vektans fighting against their Helghast enemies.

The series is primarily composed of first-person shooter games, with one title, 2006's Killzone: Liberation, is a twin-stick shooter instead due to the PlayStation Portable's limitations. The majority of games emphasize squad-based combat, with players being supported by A.I. allies, while several games also offer deviations from the series' core shooting design, including vehicular sections, usage of jetpacks and stealth.

Originally dubbed by gaming magazines as the "Halo Killer", the Killzone series received mixed to positive reviews from gaming publications. While criticism was focused at the original title's inability to live up to its hype, as well as writing and gameplay aspects, the series as a whole received praise for its atmosphere, art direction, advancements in graphics and multiplayer modes, with some titles attaining acclaim.

Games

Major installments

Game title	Release	Platform	Additional notes
Killzone	2004	PlayStation 2	n / a
Killzone 2	2009	PlayStation 3	n / a
Killzone 3	2011	PlayStation 3	n / a
Killzone Shadow Fall	2013	PlayStation 4	n / a

Side games

Game title	Release	Platform	Additional notes
Killzone: Liberation	2006	PlayStation Portable	n / a
Killzone: Mercenary	2013	PlayStation Vita	developed by Guerrilla Cambridge