Review J__R 3/5 · Oct 23, 2025
Killzone: Liberation PS5 and PSP
I’m just going to say the most important thing I need to say about Killzone Liberation straight away. Judging by the trophy data for the console release of this PSP game the overwhelming majority of people didn’t make it out of chapter one. Don’t drop this game (or really any game) that quickly. Chapter one is so short and functions …
I’m just going to say the most important thing I need to say about Killzone Liberation straight away. Judging by the trophy data for the console release of this PSP game the overwhelming majority of people didn’t make it out of chapter one. Don’t drop this game (or really any game) that quickly. Chapter one is so short and functions as just a tutorial. The real game begins in chapter two and you unlock the first set of challenges after finishing the first chapter as well. It gets better, more challenging, interesting and varied quickly. Just more proof that engaging with media through subscriptions isn’t good for the level of engagement. All these people missed out on discovering that this game has a hovercraft and jetpack too.
Killzone Liberation surprised me. I didn’t expect much from it but found it to be pretty good. It makes smart choices for both being a PSP game and being a follow up to the first Killzone. The game picks up not long after the end of the first Killzone. The Helghast invasion of Vekta has left heaps of Helghast forces still on the ground in Vekta that need to be dealt with. These remaining ground forces are lead by General Armin Metrac and Colonel Cobar. They are using brutal tactics to fight Vekta’s forces (the ISA). They have been gaining ground and have taken some important hostages so it is up to the returning main character Jan Templar, with help from other returning characters Rico and Luger, to rescue the hostages and fight the remaining Helghast. It is a really good and natural way of following up the first game without being a massive sequel, which would come later. It is perfect for the PSP as well being something that is broken up into short missions (5 to 20 minutes), with short scenes and info on loading screens. It is a story that ties up things from the first game and moves things up to the beginning of the sequel by the end. It really is a great little in between game that works for its series and within the PSP limitations.
The strange thing though is how much it plays out like the first game and there is something really odd about the PSP version that was fixed for the more recent console release. Killzone Liberation takes you from trenches and then through bases, swamp, mountain and a snowy location. So similar to the first game only with less variety and it does end somewhere different although not particularly interesting. There is a main bad Helghast guy to deal with while Visari is far in the background and there is someone working for the other side again. It just felt weird how parallel this game was to the first and I didn’t find it really interesting. They dropped the ball on the manual a little compared to last game too although it does try to be like a mission brief and the case does have a cool map on the inside cover. The worst thing though is that the original PSP release has the final chapter as a downloadable add on. It was free and substantial but why the hell would you leave the ending and set up for Killzone 2 out like that. For this reason I would easily recommend the PS4/PS5 release as it has the complete campaign and it also has trophies, uprendering and quick saves. What I did like though is the way that it further fills out the Killzone universe, especially the way Vekta is expanded. You get to see more of it and more of the type of equipment and technology it has too. It also gives you a higher level of enjoyment for Killzone 2 as you know the characters and everything leading into the events of that game.
The way Killzone Liberation plays and controls was the right choice for the PSP. It is a top down isometric shooter, instead of being a first person shooter, that gets a bit tactical and throws some other sections in there to keep things varied. Once I got a bit into the game I started really enjoying how it played. You move around the maps clearing the objectives while engaging the Helghast. You use the environments and space to your advantage with a dodge too and you have a crouch that works for both cover and aim stability. They overcome the lack of two sticks with a sort of auto aim and an L button object lock aim/strafe lock. There is a good variety of guns and you can melee up close. Your arsenal is rounded out with some different grenades/explosives. It works well and blasting the Helghast that don’t go down easy is satisfying. The Helghast AI is actually improved from the PS2 game and they can be really deadly if you are not on top of things. You need to think about what you are doing and be careful, which is reinforced by how quickly you can go down and by the regular traps. The Helghast can be knocked down by damage and there are mines and smoke so you can use all of it for effective crowd control. The heavier, slower feel, with long reload times is carried over into Killzone liberation as well further making this a game where consideration, care and enemy control is important. There are a few boss battles that are a real test for how well you have been picking up the game. On top of this there are missions when Rico or Luger will be with you and you can issue simple commands like defend here, attack this enemy, follow me or interact with that thing. Then there are the vehicle sections. You get a tank, hovercraft, buggy and there is a jetpack but it only hovers for a bit, it doesn’t constantly fly. These are a fun change of pace that control well and even let you run down some Helghast.
Playing the main campaign unlocks challenges that are really short, typically less than 2 minutes, and fun tests of your abilities that push you to learn how to play the game. They also give unlocks for use in the main campaign. I love the way these modes are tied together; play the campaign to unlock challenges, beat challenges to get better and get ability slots, play more campaign, back to challenges, back to campaign. During the campaign you will also find money in the levels that works towards new weapons and weapon upgrades. Fully playing through the campaign and challenges will set you up perfectly for a hard difficulty replay as unlocks carry over. Killzone Liberation also offers combat and co op campaign ad hoc multiplayer and game share. If you ignore the missing final mission on the PSP release it is an enjoyable, satisfying game with a good offering of content. I just wish it got better much quicker and pushed things even further than what is here. More missions with Rico and Luger please and how about both together. More missions with vehicles would be fun. The game is quite good during the final chapters 4 and 5. More of that would have been great but then take the complexity even higher, although this game was probably already hitting the PSP’s limits.
It is a really good looking PSP game though that goes for the same look, colour palette and hard sci-fi style as the original Killzone. Unfortunately it is not able to have the same grit and atmosphere, not just due to the PSP but also the perspective shift. It is often more dull and has less variety too. On the other hand while environments are less diverse, the equipment and vehicles available are more diverse and there are more details in some aspects. The Helghast come across better thanks to the improvements in how they behave. The music and sound effects are high quality and well suited. The Helghast voices are still great and everyone is still vocally responsive to what is going on. Voice acting is solid across the board and it has a returning cast. Everything comes together well and cohesively to bring Killzone to life as much as it can be on a PSP, it even often feels more alive than the PS2 game.
If it wasn’t for the left out downloadable final chapter and some performance issues then Killzone Liberation would be one of the best games the PSP has to offer. As it is, it’s still a pretty great one that is well suited to handheld play, the PSP limitations and it fits nice and snug in the series between the first and second Killzone. I would recommend any PSP owner to pick it up. The version available on PS4/PS5 would be the better, easier way to play Killzone Liberation. There you’ll find a short, fun time that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in PSP games. Or I’d recommend playing it before you jump into Killzone 2, which is something you should definitely be playing. Again like the first game I wouldn’t widely recommend it or say it is essential though.
