Killzone: Shadowfall Review… Sort Of

Epic, beautiful, grand, and perfect in every way. That is the easiest way for me to describe exactly how amazing Killzone: Shadowfall is. Oh… did I mention I’m not actually referring to the game itself?

Stick with me though, I promise this won’t be the biggest waste of time you’ll spend on the internet today!

Can’t Review the Game? Review the Box!

So I walked into my local GameStop the other day and picked up my pre-ordered copy of Killzone: Shadowfall. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a game for a system I didn’t actually own yet (okay, I don’t think I’ve EVER done that), so it felt pretty strange. I wanted to run home, rip it open, and throw it into my nice, shiny PlayStation 4… except it doesn’t even exist yet.

I also picked up the PlayStation Camera, as I’m looking forward to streaming as often as I can, and I want people to be able to see my reactions as I get my butt kicked. It should be pretty entertaining, as getting my butt kicked in games is kind of my calling card.

Will We EVER Get Manual Back?

So despite not having a console to play the game on, I still rushed home and ripped open the packaging to see what was inside. Sadly, there wasn’t much to see. There was a free seven-day trial of PlayStation Plus, which I already subscribe to (but if you don’t, and you are a PlayStation gamer, seriously, what are you waiting for? Do it now!) and the disc, but no manual.

I don’t expect a manual anymore these days, but I keep hoping someone will start a revolution to bring them back. What am I saying? Most of you probably don’t even know what a game manual is, do you? Fortunately, on the inside of the front and back cover is a controller scheme layout, so at least that’s something.

Another thing that stood out to me is that the Blu-ray case itself is actually blue and not clear. This gives it a definite “something new” look to it, and should help your fancy new PS4 games stick out from the PS3 titles on your shelf. 

Simple Beauty

The art on the cover itself is fantastic, with a set of eyes at the top fading down to the title of the game, a soldier in the foreground, and aircraft of some sort in the background. It really looks slick, thanks to a bold amount of whitespace left on the cover. It’s a minimalistic design that does a great job hinting at the mystery of all that is to come in the next generation of gaming.

The back cover shows a few screenshots, gives a brief overview of the story, and details the specifications of the game (single player local, 2-24 players online, 1080p, remote play, 45 GB minimum hard drive space required… ouch!). As far as the back of boxes go, it’s pretty standard, but the colors used really make the screenshots stand out and look gorgeous. Killzone is already expected to be one of the better looking next-gen launch titles, and if these screenshots are accurate, I’d say that’s a pretty safe bet.

Final Thoughts

So all in all, while the inside is disappointing, the outside of the package is beautiful and sparks the imagination of what’s to come. I can’t say I’ve ever reviewed a package before, but I think you’ll agree this hasn’t been the most complete waste of time you’ll spend on the internet today, and I’ll take that as a compliment!

I’ll be writing more about Shadowfall when… you know… I actually have a PS4 to play it on, and I hope you’ll check back for some of that coverage. Hang in there, the next generation of console gaming is less than two weeks away!