Killzone 2 and dmy problem with FPS.

After a good workout and a burger with my friend Carl he told me he managed to rent a copy of Killzone 2, and that I should go over and check it out. It was an offer I could not refuse.

I play a lot of first-person shooter titles. I'm very familiar with the genre and I know what to expect and what to demand. Killzone 2 was not new territory.

Perhaps that is the problem.

Now, it's a great-looking game. The cinematic and production qualities were very high and I genuinely enjoyed the experience until I ran into a glitch. A door-opening NPC character went though a door and it closed before I could follow. I felt I'd gotten the gist of the game and went on to another title.

The fact that I was pleased with the title, yet turned down the opportunity to play longer was a red flag for me. The quality of this game SHOULD have had me playing longer, but I declined. During the long ride home, I think I came up with a reason why.

I play A LOT of FPS games. Perhaps I've reached a saturation point. Killzone 2 was a great game, but there was nothing truly original about it. Perhaps I've come to a point where I need a dash of innovation to go with one of my favorite game genres.

It shouldn't be this way. I should be able to fully appreciate a game like Killzone 2.

Perhaps this is something akin to MMO burnout. If you're inundated with a certain game you could start to crave something else. It's conceivable that such an effect could extend to a whole genre.

Perhaps that's why I like Mass Effect and Gears of War so much. These titles are FPS-like but with key differences that change up the tried-and-true rhythms. Games like Halo, Killzone and Call of Duty are great, but rely on methods that have been used, reused and perhaps overused.

I'm having a similar problem with anime and manga. I can't seem to watch a show that plays on horribly over-used formulas. BUT I still appreciate cheesy mecha shows, shounens like Bleach, etc...

I think I should give Killzone 2 more of my time when I get the opportunity. Not for any sense of dedication to the genre or series. I need to find out if I'm getting picky, bored or jaded. The first one can be a good thing, the second one can be fixed easily, but the third one has me worried since it could keep me from enjoying quality titles.

o7