Killzone is one of Sony’s biggest first person shooter series. It follows the ongoing war against the evil Helghast army across space. The series is known for its riveting story, exciting gunplay,  incredible single-player and multiplayer experiences, and a unique sci-fi setting. The series is overall fantastic, but let’s see how each game ranks against each other.

The handheld games in the series aren’t included because they’re in their own category. Plus, I have yet to play them.

4) Killzone

The first game in the series, simply titled Killzone, is not a bad game by any means. It’s actually pretty unique in that each playable character changes the gameplay a shocking amount. If you choose the sneakier character, it becomes a stealth-based game. If you play as the tankier character, the game changes to one that has you constantly battling an onslaught of foes. It’s an interesting formula to have.

That being said, it’s an incredibly short game, and there’s no online multiplayer like the others have. The real reason it ranks last is how janky it is. Even for its time, there were some elements, like the ragdoll physics, that were done so poorly that they’re actually hilarious. Still, this was a great place for the series to start.

3) Killzone: Shadow Fall

Killzone: Shadow Fall was the fourth game in the mainline series and served as a turn to the series after being away for a bit. The story is intriguing and filled with surprises, as well as outstanding political commentary. The level design during the campaign is much more open and the environments are incredible. The single-player campaign also adds some creative mechanics, like using the OWL drone and vaulting.

The online multiplayer is pretty solid, but a tad on the generic side for first-person shooters. Both the single-player and the multiplayer modes, though, did feel “smaller” compared to the previous two games. The single-player story was back to being too short, and there could have been more to the multiplayer, although both modes still played great.

2) Killzone 3

Killzone 3 is a perfect follow-up to the epicness that is Killzone 2. It adds to the story and takes it to some fun places. The gameplay mostly matched the previous game, but added jetpacks and new melee mechanics. The various environments added unique aesthetics to each level, which is the only element in this game that stands above Killzone 2.

Overall, Killzone 3 is genuinely great, but it just feels like the diet version of Killzone 2. It has a smaller, less interesting story and features fewer online multiplayer modes. It’s a fantastic continuation of a game that was slightly better than it, but it’s still quite the exciting experience.

1) Killzone 2

Killzone 2 is easily the best installment this video game series will ever have. It’s exactly what fans think of when discussing or thinking about the franchise. The gunplay is outstanding, it adds a lot compared to the barebones original game, the story is the best in the series, and it has the most online multiplayer modes. It’s also worth mentioning that the game’s antagonist, Colonel Radec, is one of the most underrated villains in all of gaming. This game is big in scale, explosive, and hugely entertaining. It will forever be a tough one to top if Sony ever decides to return to the Killzone series.

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