Killzone 2 has one of the best multiplayer modes in gaming currently. Even though hundreds of thousands of gamers play the game, this Playstation 3 title isn't as popular as it should be. Not to mention that the amount of active players is rapidly decreasing with each passing week. So why aren't gamers playing Killzone 2's multiplayer? Let's take a look at several factors.

Basic Weapons System

Weaponry plays a huge role to the success of first-person shooters. Unfortunately, Killzone 2 has only a handful of memorable guns. You get the standard set of handgun, semi-automatic rifle, sniper rifle, machine gun, shotgun, grenade launcher and rocket launcher. Nothing really stands out as unique about these types of weapons in Killzone 2. To further add to this predicament, you can't customize your weapons like you can in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Unbalance Class System

The deep class system in Killzone 2 is what separates it from others in the same genre. However, this also led to the unbalance nature of the multiplayer mode. In order to unlock specialized classes, you need to play the game for hours. Not to mention that the later classes (especially the assault class) are way overpowered compared to the first unlockable classes. Beginners will have a hard time adapting to Killzone 2 while veterans may get bored quickly.

Stiff Competition

The first-person shooting genre is more crowded than ever before. Unlike previous titles in the genre, Killzone 2 had to compete against Halo 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War and Resistance 2. It also doesn't help that Killzone 2 doesn't really offer anything new that distinguish it from the core gameplay elements of other first-person shooters. Therefore, it may have been lost in the shuffle.

Lack of Legacy

For me its just the lack of the cover system from the SP mode if they had that feature in and the blind fire KZ2 originaly had it would of been a purchase for me well theres always COD6 for me to try out

i don't call 900K online players in just one month unpopular.COD4 has 3.9 million after a year and half.

The weapon system is okay, but it could use some more weapons. I don't mind the class system either. It takes a while to get the other classes and it takes even longer to unlock their abilities. It's something to shoot for I guess.

However, I can usually do quite well playing as a medic and that's the first class you unlock.

I just wish it was easier to form parties and have private chats with my friends.

fail

Well, too bad for the OP that it's not unpopular, eh?

well acourding to the article

"this Playstation 3 title isn't as popular as it should be. Not to mention that the amount of active players is rapidly decreasing with each passing week. So why aren't gamers playing Killzone 2's multiplayer?"

1. There's barely any variety in weapons.. Helghast assault rifle is pretty weak. The LMG's hardly see use since you can't equip any badges. ISA assault rifle is overused because of the lack of choices.

2. Small prob with KZ2 is that it relies heavily on classes, especially since there's a lack of weapons to use. The multiplayer might feel like crap at the beginning since you're stuck using the basic assault rifles while everyone else has all those abilities. It actually doesn't take much time to get max rank in KZ2 though. The part that's a pain in the ass is unlocking certain ribbons (air support). I personally would've preferred it if you start off with every class/ability but have the chance to unlock tons of different weapons. And yeah, Assault is overpowered. It ruins Search and Retrieve/Assassination matches. Most games I join have it disabled. A Tactician's spawn grenades can also pretty much ruin an entire match.

3. The game still has potential. Right now it's just suffering from some issues that are pushing people away from the it.

4: I thought removing the cover system in mp seemed pretty lame at first, but once you actually try it out, you'll see why it's removed - there's tons of times where you'll just wanna crouch but not actually stick to walls. And since players get 2 grenades (horrible idea), it's usually not a good idea to stay in one spot anyways.

I like KZ2's Multiplayer, but I don't have time to play it because:
1) I work in the mornings
2) I have classes at night
3) I go out with my GF on the weekends.

not all of us gamers have a lot of spare time

That's meaningless without comparison. My bet is that for a game with front-loaded sales, the active userbase always decreases each passing week, before eventually stabilizing. For it to mean something, you'd need to compare it to the trends of similar games around their launches. I think World at War had similar sales trends, so it might be good. The holiday release period might skew things, though. Anyway, a month after World at War's release, was its active userbase decreasing each week?