Review
Played on: PlayStation 4 Pro
Released: 2023
Original release: 2006 (PSP)
I originally bought Killzone Liberation back on my PSP when it was released in 2006 and really enjoyed it! I've many times said that best Killzone experiences are the handheld ones, and I think perhaps Killzone Liberation is my fav of the entire franchise. Just look at that amazing cover artwork!
Having recently had a resurgence of playing stuff I've missed the PS4, I came across Killzone Liberation on the PS Store. Happy to see it available outside the dead handheld platforms PSP and PS Vita, I jumped in and replayed the whole campaign. Again, it brought back great memories of my PSP years, and I couldn't put it down until I was through!
Let's take a closer look at this unique tactical shooter!
The main character you play is Jan Templar, the protagonist from the first Killzone, a sort of special forces soldier on a rescue mission for the ISA against the Helghast empire. Throughout each chapter you are tasked with various objectives which are mostly in the style of guerilla warfare.
Liberation takes part in the Killzone universe, set between the events of the first and second game, retaining the gritty and futuristic aesthetic of the mainline shooter series. However, it's a different genre altogether; a third person shooter viewed from above. Feeling like you're controlling tiny characters on a battlefield far below. It keeps the visual aesthetic and vibe of the lore, but it offers a unique perspective.
The gameplay is vastly different too, with a tactical approach with cover mechanics. Reloading takes time and your life quickly drains, so it's all about getting a line of sight on your enemy, keeping your head down and then finding an opening to fire. Resulting in some classic back and forth firefights; shooting, covering for oncoming fire, then popping up and firing a few rounds back! A slower but rewarding combat system.
This is a PSP designed title, a handheld which only offered a single analogue stick, so it's not based on the twin stick shooter mechanic as you might expect. Basing itself on moving or firing, rather than doing both at the same time. Although you can indeed fire while moving, it's a tricky affair; there's a strafe button at your disposal, but it ultimately puts you in a vulnerable position. I only recommend firing on the run if you're forced out of cover by a grenade or rushed by an enemy.
It's about engaging enemies in cover behind an object, firing those enemies closest, then moving forward to the next cover. While in cover, crouched behind a crate or wall, holding the aim button down will pop your character out of cover and using the analogue stick will allow you to set your laser aim to fire in the direction of the enemy. At first, it's a little hard, but once you get good at aiming it becomes second nature.
There's a suitable selection of varied weapons; there are two main battle rifles of each faction, then there's a shotgun which really packs a punch for rushing enemies, up close. The sniper rifle is cool, allowing you to reach enemies far out on the edges of your screen, at mid-distance the revolver works well too, but be aware of a slow reload on them both.
Then there's heavy stuff like a crossbow with a grenade or a heavy machine gun. Each weapon distinctly feels different, and uniquely each cover their roles in combat and against certain enemy soldiers. They each have their own vulnerable reload time too.
In addition, there are grenades, which you must be careful of not bouncing back at you, a rocket launcher, mines and C4 explosives for advancing through certain walls or barricades. Overall, a solid set of variation in weaponry!
On top of this are various vehicles to command for extra heavy firepower, although you need to take care of them as they attract a ton of enemy fire! There's a tank, boat and even a dirt buggy to commandeer.
Although it's fine to play on a PSP, or even a PS Vita should you own it digitally there, the PS4 port adds a few, barebones, but welcome features into the PSP emulation. The resolution is vastly increased, I think it's near 1080p for PS4 and 4K for PS4 Pro, which I played. They offer a very basic set of screen filter options to compensate the massive increase in screen size; I opted for the ones with scanlines. There's also a rewind and save anywhere option as part of the standard PSP port package on PS4/PS5. Otherwise, it's the same game as the original.
While it hid some of its visual simplicity on a tiny handheld screen, I enjoy the graphics style. Sure, it has a low number of polygons and square-shaped environments with sharp angles, but it has the vibe that reminds me of the first Metal Gear Solid on PS1, especially on the snowy levels.
This square design is deliberate too as it opens for many places to take cover during firefights. Presentation is well done, with handy enemy damage markers above their heads and a clear user interface for remaining ammo and special items. A welcome sight back on the small PSP screen for sure!
The variety is solid too, with each chapter featuring a different environmental style; from atmospheric snowy levels to misty swamp areas. The buildings have this modernistic Killzone design that doesn't distance itself too far from our own time.
Overall, though, it's a low polygon count and simplistic visuals, bringing back memories of the PS1 and PS2 days. At the end of the day this is just a resolution enhanced PSP title after all, but I appreciate the keen eye for smaller detail in the environments to give at least a solid depiction of a warzone.
The story is a typical Killzone affair with the evil empire giving vibes from Star Wars and a forgettable set of heroes and bosses, although there's neat voice overs during gameplay. The gameplay is its strong suit, and it allows for a more tactical combat than you'd expect with a slower approach to the firefights.
The levels are short because the campaign was cleverly built for shorter sessions on the go, which I appreciate. It helps keep the things moving on to new and interesting combat challenges and levels. There's even a simple command option for when you have a companion to fight alongside, building up intensity when you must wait for reinforcements or evac and waves of enemy attacks!
If you fancy getting a few more hours out of the game, expect a four to five hour mark on the campaign, there's money upgrades to find in each level. Which in turn can be used for an extremely slow grind for simple weapon upgrades. While the multiplayer is gone, you can try your skills at a challenge mode at least. Putting you in various scenarios across the many levels and ranking well will score you upgrade points for Templar's abilities.
Back in the day, Liberation received an extra DLC containing multiplayer and the final story chapter and I'm happy to report this story chapter is included in the PS Store version. It adds a full new chapter containing multiple levels to an already short playthrough. My gripe with this addition back in the day was that it was the true ending of the game, and it felt like a forced corporate decision to make people aware of online capabilities by adding it as a DLC. Nevertheless, it was free back then and is included here!
If you enjoy the Killzone franchise and want something completely different from the first-person shooters, Liberation is a great alternative. For me it's probably my favourite in the whole franchise as it offers something completely different from the mainline series and still feels unique to this day as an experience and manages to replicate the dark atmosphere of the lore.
