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Killzone: Shadow Fall – Intercept Review

Graphics:
9.0
Gameplay:
7.0
Sound:
8.5
Control:
8.0
Replay Value:
7.3
Online Gameplay:
8.2
Overall Rating:
7.5
Publisher:
SCEA
Developer:
Guerrilla Games
Number Of Players:
1-4
Genre:
FPS
Release Date:
June 24, 2014


As most of you know, I’m no great lover of multiplayer action. That being said, and despite my disappointment at the domination of the shooter genre in the industry today, I do like my shooters. In fact, I daresay FPS is one of my favorite genres, and Killzone is undoubtedly one of my favorite franchises. I wasn’t overly enamored with Shadow Fall , but that’s mostly because my expectations were substantially higher, as it was a PlayStation 4 launch title. So, when I got the chance to check out the Intercept DLC (which will be released as a standalone expansion later this year), I didn’t groan.

We’re talking about cooperative play, and that’s really the only mode that will get me online these days. I really enjoy teaming up with a bunch of like-minded, equally determined individuals, and facing down the enemy. Intercept gives you a squad of four players, who must hold three locations to complete a certain mission. There are four maps and four classes and while this may not sound like much, this add-on experience does feel fresh and interesting. It adds a much-needed dose of variety to the multiplayer component, and experimenting with each class is always tons o’ fun.

The only problem is that each of the four classes must be occupied before you can set out. So, if nobody wants to play as the Medic, for example, you’re going to sit in the lobby for a while. But once you’ve got your team assembled, the combination of the Assault, Marksman, Tactician and Medic classes makes for a diverse, dynamic teamwork experience. It really seems like each class always has an important role to play; at no point did any of these classes feel useless or underpowered. Granted, each class has its inherent strengths and weaknesses, but they’re all relatively well-balanced and ultimately quite effective (if utilized correctly).

You can unlock more weapons and gadgets the more you stick with one particular class, which is what I would recommend. It’s always better to become an expert in a certain field as opposed to a jack-of-all-trades, who is merely average or competent at everything. The Assault class is basically like the all-around soldier, while the Tactician can deploy shields and turrets. The Marksman and Medic are self-explanatory, right? Once the team is ready, the target goal for the match is selected – 1,500, 3,000 or 10,000 points – and these points are earned by holding positions, ala Domination. It’s straightforward but there are a few twists.