20 Stupid Decisions That Destroyed Their Franchise

12. Shifting Art Direction - Killzone: Shadow Fall

Killzone: Shadow Fall is an interesting case of a good thing becoming a bad thing.

Arriving at the end of 2013 as a launch title for the PlayStation 4, it was touted as the best technical showpiece for Sony’s latest console. Indeed, its draw distances, particle effects, and volumetric lighting alone made people’s jaws drop, and it still looks superb nearly 15 years later.

That said, once the dust and debris settled – or, rather, the lack of dust and debris – it was easy to see that by showcasing a brighter and more vibrant future, Shadow Fall substantially deserted the gray griminess that defined the war-torn dystopia of its ancestors.

A cursory comparison of images and videos between Shadow Fall and the original trilogy is all that’s needed to see how severely developer Guerrilla Games shifted the series’ art direction.

True, the first three titles’ uniformly gray dreariness left little room for variety or awe-inspiring spectacle, but it was a huge part of the initial trio’s idiosyncratic allure. In contrast, Shadow Fall’s radiant colours lacked that same distinctive oppressiveness and ominousness amid inviting comparisons to other FPS flagships such as Far Cry and Crysis.

Shadow Fall also looked a bit like Guerilla Games’ next venture – Horizon Zero Dawn – and neither they nor another studio seem interested in resurrecting Killzone’s bleak universe.