Team up against the Helghast.
I was one of those that didn’t mind Killzone Shadow Fall. Sure, the story mode was lacking in direction and had some pretty boring/tedious moments, but if there’s one thing Guerrilla Games gets right, it’s the multiplayer. I really enjoyed the multiplayer offerings the first go round in Shadow Fall, but after a while, I went away from it. Now, with the new co-op mode Intercept, I’m back in and having a pretty great time with my friends.
Intercept adds a good amount of complexity to the game. Up to four players can create a team with four specialty classes and take on wave after wave of Helgast, while trying to hold on to capture points to gain score. Killing enemies, supporting the team, and hold points will all add to the players holding score. They must periodically go back to their makeshift base to bank the points into an overall score, but staying alive longer without going back to the bank will allow the player to gain multipliers that can offer up big points. There’s a catch – if the player dies, any points they had accumulated that hadn’t been banked at the base will be lost forever. If players do die, they must spend some of the points they have banked in order to respawn, so staying alive is very important.
Respect the turret.
Platforms: PS4
MSRP: $10 DLC/$20 stand-alone
Price I’d pay: $10/$20
Length: Several hours depending on how you play.
Each class has a specific role and abilities that must be utilized correctly in order to succeed. The Assault class has firepower that is best used for front line work, the medic has the ability to revive teammates and, in turn, not allow others’ points to be lost, making them one of the more important roles in the mode. The Tactician drops multiple auto turrets that can lay down fire at capture points, and finally the Marksman can bring up the rear with his sniper rifle and keep cover fire for the rest of the team.
Gaining a certain amount of points will eventually spawn a capacitor on the map. Players can grab the capacitor, bring it back to their base, and unlock numerous special bonuses to help out. These can be mortar strikes on the capture points, jet packs for all the team to use, or even dealing double damage for a while.
The goal is to get a certain amount of points banked to end the match. Matches come in the form of quick game (1500 points) standard game (3000 points) and the very drawn out long game (10,000 points.)
Initially, each class starts with only one weapon. The Medic and Tactician cannot pick up other weapons on the ground so they must use what they have. Unlocking new weapons to use is a rather confusing process due to the game not really telling players what they must do. Each class has challenges. These can be “heal 10 teammates with a healing drone” or “kill 20 enemies while shooting through a shield.” They are all class specific. One the first tier is done, players move on to the second tier of challenges. Then, they unlock a new gun. It does take a good amount of game to complete these, but for players really getting into it, it is a nice reward for sticking with it.
Bosses take a lot of bullets to put down.
I really just wish everything was explained better. The challenges aren’t even brought up in the “How to play” two page explanation, and navigating the menus was sometimes a confusing ordeal. Still, after finding out what to do, it became a bit of an addiction for me.
There are only four maps in the mode as of right now. Hopefully, this will increase over time. Until then, the maps offered are pretty varied, and work well with the overall mode. Oh, and Shadow Fall is still one of the best looking games out there, so that’s a plus.
Overall, for $10, Intercept is a pretty fun mode. I will say, if you plan on picking it up, make sure you have a few people to play with. Playing this solo or with only two players can be very challenging. Still, if you’re looking for more Killzone, or if you want to jump back into it, this is a really fun mode to play and it’s well worth the money. If you don’t own Killzone Shadow Fall, or if you have traded it in already, they’ve got you covered too. Later this month, they will be releasing this mode as a stand-alone game for $20. Even then, with some buddies online, I think it’s worth the price.
Review copy of game and DLC provided by publisher.
