Former Killzone Composer Calls for a Remaster, Worries…

Summary

Horizon Zero Dawn composer Joris de Man thinks a remastered Killzone collection could succeed thanks to growing fan demand in recent years.
However, de Man reckons that a new entry in the Killzone franchise may not fit in with modern tastes due to its bleak and dystopian tone.
Despite the composer's uncertainty, the success of gritty war-driven games like Helldivers 2 and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 indicates some hope for a Killzone revival.

Joris de Man, the composer of Guerrilla Games' 2017 smash hit Horizon Zero Dawn, recently shared his thoughts on the future of the Killzone franchise. While de Man believes a remastered Killzone collection could be successful, he isn't as confident about the viability of an entirely new entry in the first-person shooter series.

The first Killzone game launched in 2004 and kicked off a franchise that was perceived by many as PlayStation's answer to first-person shooter titans like Call of Duty and Halo. Killzone accrued popularity for its gritty, war-torn sci-fi aesthetic, impressive graphical fidelity, and the iconic Helghast. This enemy faction, with its varied military uniforms and glowing red eyes, became the calling card of the Killzone series, and continues to be so even today. Unfortunately, the franchise has been largely dormant since the release of the 2013 PS4 launch title Killzone: Shadow Fall, and even Guerrilla itself has moved on from it.

Dormant PS FPS Resistance 3 Killzone Shadow Fall Revival Potential

PlayStation's Two Dormant Shooters Could Use Very Different Revivals

Two IPs that were a notable part of PlayStation's history but have since gone quiet could be brought back in differing but equally effective ways.

Posts

By J. Scott Thurlow

A new Killzone game seems unlikelier than ever, but fans have been requesting a remastered collection of prior entries since most of them aren't natively playable on PS4 and PS5. Videogamer asked Horizon Zero Dawn composer Joris de Man about Killzone in a recent interview, wherein he said "I think [a] remastered one would be successful." However, de Man expressed uncertainty about the feasibility of a brand-new Killzone title, stating that he's not sure whether "people have moved on from it" and want something "a bit more casual, a bit more quick."

Horizon Zero Dawn Composer Believes Killzone's "Bleak" Tone Wouldn't Conform to Modern Tastes

According to de Man, a new Killzone game would have to account for the shift in modern "sensitivities" and player demands, which may not gel well with the franchise's bleak and dystopian setting. Since this interview, though, some have disagreed with de Man's notion that Killzone's tone is outdated. They argue that the real issue isn't Killzone's setting, but the waning demand for linear, story-driven first-person shooters these days due to the proliferation of live-service games. However, the recent success of Helldivers 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 proves that there is still an appetite for dystopian, war-driven shooters, and consequently a place for Killzone in the modern era.

Speculation aside, the possibility of Killzone returning in any capacity ultimately remains in the hands of Sony and Guerrilla Games. Since the Amsterdam-based studio didn't even acknowledge Killzone's 20th anniversary last year, it's highly unlikely that Guerrilla is working on anything related to the franchise. However, Sony has expressed interest in leveraging PlayStation's older IPs, and given the increasing demand for Killzone, a remaster or two (at the very least) may not entirely be off the table.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image