The original 'Killzone' was arguably the most visceral shooter to ever grace the PlayStation 2.

Its combination of gritting action and immensely pleasing visuals, contributed to a game that was easy to get into and even easier to enjoy. So you can forgive my eagerness to get my hands on its PS3 sequel.

About thirty minutes into playing 'Killzone 2' I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend. We were dreaming of what a 'Call of Duty' game set in the future would be like. In other words, a futuristic shooter that had 'Call of Duty's' immense sense of atmosphere where you felt like you were right there in the midst of the gunfight.

And that is exactly what 'Killzone 2' is. What it's not, is perfect — but we'll get to that in a bit.

'Killzone 2' manages to pull off an extremely immersive combat experience, mainly by using sound to great effect, and bombarding you with enemies. You'll be running from cover to cover, shooting anything that moves as bullets whizz past and explosions shake the ground.

Adding to the immersive atmosphere is the visuals — at first I thought it to be slightly washed out and unnecessarily lacking in detail, until I watched a cut scene seamlessly move over into a gameplay scene without a drop in quality. The effect this leaves on you is one of continual immersion and the washed-out scenes help to build a surreal reality that is strikingly appealing.

At times your eyes will struggle to focus and images will seem unclear, but it serves to convey a sense of tunnel vision that I can only imagine one experience in real-life combat (never actually having been in one myself). This is further amplified by a field of view that feels limited.

Of course, as realistic as this might be, it could, however, cause frustration and irritation. If you're into realism then you'll love these visual elements, but it can get very frustrating when someone is shooting at you and you can't see them.

Frustration then is also the biggest drawback of the game. Apart from the visual elements already mentioned, the other cause of frustration is the crappy cover system and the sluggish controls.

The control system is set up in such a way that taking cover is often an effort — one which you will most likely exchange for simply standing behind an obstacle and then dashing out to shoot. If taking cover was more seamless and easier to do, it would have made the gameplay much more enjoyable. Comparisons with 'Gears of War' are simply unavoidable here.

Then there's the controls which are supremely sluggish. At its default settings it will feel like your character is moving and aiming while covered in thick, oozing mud. Of course, you can tweak the sensitivity which will greatly improve this, but accuracy remains a slog.

Once you've got your settings as close to manageable as you can get it though, the visceral action will completely surpass any frustration that you might have experienced up to date.

Fans of the original's story will also have much to enjoy in its sequel. This time around the Helghast are the ones who have to defend their home territory as the ISA takes the fight to their home planet of Helghan.

Ultimately, however, the story serves as little more than an excuse for an awesome first-person shooter experience. 'Killzone 2' is simply gut-wrenching in all the right gameplay ways and its shortcomings are quickly drowned out in a storm of bullets.

9.0/10

Buy this game: PS3

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