Parents' Guide to

Killzone: Shadow Fall

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Visually striking but very violent first-person shooter.

Game PlayStation 4 2013
Killzone: Shadow Fall Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Killzone: Shadow Fall Game: Screenshot #1
  • Killzone: Shadow Fall Game: Screenshot #2
  • Killzone: Shadow Fall Game: Screenshot 3

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Christian Parent
Christian Parent Parent of 16-year-old
May 15, 2014
age 14+

A review from a stereotypical homeschool parent

So, to begin with, this game is very beautiful, and visually striking. Now this game for me was very enjoyable, but I was iffy about letting my kid play it, since it was rated M. But boy was i wrong! Now, don't read me wrong, I am not saying that violence is okay, or swearing for that matter. All I am trying to say is that this game was actually fairly appropriate once I boiled it down. Now there is definitely some violence, but all that much. There is definitely some swearing, but it wasn't very often, and wasn't worse than your average PG-13 movie. My son was very delighted to see that I finally let him play an M rated game, and so I was happy because he was happy. God Bless! John 3:16 For God so loved the earth that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes him him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life!
bubba5413
bubba5413 Adult
March 3, 2014
age 17+
not a fun game
See all 5 parent reviews

What’s It About?

The latest entry in Guerrilla Games' ongoing series of sci-fi first-person shooters, KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL is one of the signature launch games for PlayStation 4. In a universe set mostly within the capital city of the planet Vekta, players take on the role of an elite Shadow Marshal assigned to deal with threats originating from the Helghast, a culture that was allowed to settle on the planet after Vektans destroyed its home world. There is an uneasy truce, punctuated by terrorist attacks and covert operations carried out by both sides. Some missions also take place off-planet in and around giant ships, and one even sees players exploring the ruins of the Helghast home world. Things come to a head when the game's hero sees the people who are suffering most in the conflict -- civilians -- and meets a Helghast woman who tries to convince him that the coming war between their peoples can and must be averted. Outside the story mode, players can engage in competitive online multiplayer, exploring game types ranging from death matches to more objective-oriented team play.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (7):

Killzone: Shadow Fall does what any exclusive game for a new console should: It shows off the hardware's capabilities. It's undeniably spectacular, filled with stunning sci-fi panoramas both on the surface of planets and in outer space. It also casts a spotlight on Sony's new controller by playing audiologs found in the game through its embedded speaker and giving players a chance to use its touchpad to select various modes for the drone that follows the game's hero everywhere he goes.

The game itself, however, is only average. The drone -- which can shoot out zip lines, attack enemies, stun them, and spawn an energy shield on command -- creates some interesting play scenarios, but everything else, from weapons to enemies, feels pretty typical for the genre. There are even a few frustrating problems, like an objective marker that players must manually refresh to keep active on-screen and a frustrating freefall mission with stubbornly nonintuitive controls. Killzone: Shadow Fall isn't a bad game, and some may even get hooked on its entertaining multiplayer mode for a while. Still, there's little to keep most players coming back once they've had their fill of its impressive visual display.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. Under what, if any, circumstances is violence appropriate within storytelling media and for what sort of audiences?

  • Families also can discuss the ability of games to serve as allegories for real-world conflicts. Can a game centered on player-perpetrated violence say something meaningful about antagonistic societies struggling to achieve peace?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate