Killzone 2 (PS3)

[Altimus]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

If I had a PS3 I'd be so hyped for this game....

I have a PS3 and I'm not hyped.

Okay, that is the a lie.

I can't wait for this game. What is even better is it will have Web site similar to Halo 3 where you can keep track of stats and what not.

The only question I have is will it be split screen?

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Media got to go to Guerrilla Games to check out Killzone 2. Embargo is up December 4th.

Also...

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

This will finally be the game to pull me away from CoD 4. oh yeah

[tanis38]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

I keep checking my inbox hoping that I find a Beta Invite in there one of these days. I soooo want to see this game running on my HDTV . . .

[Complex]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Media got to go to Guerrilla Games to check out Killzone 2. Embargo is up December 4th.

Also...

[DocHolliday]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

doesnt even look like dude is gettin hit with bullets, blood just splatters on the screen.

fail

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

IGN Killzone 2 Beta Impressions

It's a real achievement, and one that is extended to the map layouts themselves. Despite featuring similar aesthetics, each of the three maps works differently in terms of game dynamics. In our not-so-humble opinion, the tightly knit Radec Academy was the real standout. Despite featuring less flash than the outdoorsy-hence-prettier Salamun Market and Blood Gracht, Radec's intricately designed interior recalled some of the better, smaller, maps seen in CoD 4 and Halo – think Halo 2's Lockout cage fighting CoD 4's Showdown to the absolute death and you won't be too far off the mark.

But that's not to say that other maps featured in the beta can't compete, quite the opposite. The Killzone 2 beta has smartly chosen three different maps that play to the varying strengths of the multiplayer. If Radec Academy proves that Killzone 2 can handle small scale skirmishes, then Salamun Market is the pretty one - the buxom, short skirt-wielding map that showcases Killzone 2's potential for epic 32-player encounters. Salamun will no doubt be 'hearted' by those who prefer their action on a larger scale, and enjoy the strategic element of objective based game-types.

However, as a result of Killzone 2's 'Warzone' mode (the only mode available in the beta), each and every map must be malleable and adjustable to all gametypes. Due mainly to the fact that 'Warzone' is a constantly streaming flow of different game types rolling seamlessly into another – for the first five minutes you'll merely be blasting each other's internal organs, but seconds later you could be setting off charges, defending a single member of your team, or even charging around willy nilly sporting nifty propaganda radios in an adapted version of capture the flag.

'Warzone' is essentially a gametype that makes absolute mincemeat of your free time. As the rolling gametypes flow one into the next, it's almost too easy to drift towards the tight rhythmic beat of Killzone 2's drum and forget about the outside world. Mark our words – plenty of marriages, relationships, university projects, etc, will no doubt fall victim to the 'one more round' lure of Killzone 2's multiplayer.

As for the overall feel of Killzone 2's online experience? Well, it's comparable to Call of Duty 4: Post-Modern Warfare – almost as if Infinity Ward's masterpiece decided to man up, inject some 'roids direct to the vein, and hit the gym hard, before coming back a little more sluggish, but infinitely more beefy and buff.

You see, despite the fact that Killzone 2 feels a great deal slower than the rapid CoD 4, it's definitely more meaty – as in Modern Warfare, enemies will fall thick and fast with a single burst of gun-fire, but Killzone 2's weapons feel as though they pack more of a punch. They're incredibly fun to fire, to the extent that you're content to pass off the shonky balance and inconsistent aiming of the game's weaponry as a necessary sacrifice.

While we're pretty confident that fans of the more 'realistic' Call of Duty 4 will take to Killzone 2 like the proverbial duck to water, we're unsure how fans of precise, technical shooters like Halo will adapt. We thoroughly enjoyed the realistic handling of Killzone 2's weapons of mass destruction, swaying recklessly as we struggled to make the shots, but we have a sneaky feeling that those used to a steady reticule will possibly get frustrated in this regard. It could be a very clear case of gamers either loving or hating the feel of Killzone 2.

That being said, it's hard to see how anyone could deny the sheer technical achievement of the game. No online shooter in the console market could possible claim to look better than Killzone 2, or feature more atmosphere and eye for detail. We get the distinct impression that Sony, after the guffawing of the gaming community post-E3 2005, demanded that Killzone 2 match up to that infamous CG trailer - regardless of the development time or expense. What we're seeing and playing today is the end result of that self-righteous rage, and we absolutely love it. We reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised by just how well Killzone 2 looks and plays. Haters be damned – you'd all best be prepared to chow down on a hefty serving of humble pie on this one...

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[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Gamedaily is giving away 100 Beta codes

How to Enter:
- Email [email protected] with the name of another PlayStation 2 hit you'd like to see come to the PlayStation 3.

The Rules:
- These codes are for the PlayStation 3 only.
- The contest runs from Friday, November 21 at 2PM EST until Monday, November 24 at 2PM EST.
- You must be 18 years of age or older.
- You must be a resident of North America.
- Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be disqualified.
- Winners will be chosen at random and emailed on Monday (11/24) with their code!

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Videos of each MP class

...

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Cool montage

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[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

12 new single player videos

It's December 4, and from now on December 4 will be Killzone 2 day! What about 12 gameplay videos from the single player preview version of the game? Let's all thank TTP for his time and great work with all these!

Must watch.

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

I recommend watching the last two videos. The environment in the Snipers video is the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen in a videogame.

Something I noticed is the AI seems weird at times, particularly in the Convoy Part 3 video. The AI has several chances to rush the player, but don't and when the player goes out in the open they can barely shoot him. Other than that, everything else looks great.


Impressions from the person playing in the videos.

Some slowdowns/frame drops aside and other minor issues which are clearly going to be fixed (like voice over), Killzone 2 is a rollercoaster of a shooter.

What I liked the most (technicalities aside as vids speak for themselves) is how non-linear the approach to firefight is. On the one side, you have the AI acting unpredictably so everytime you re-do the same fight, it actually plays out differently (Video 01 shows this quite clearly when I repeat the last section after dieing). On the other side, levels are designed so that you can change approaches to the same confrontation quite radically. You can see this in one of the Welcome vids when I go upstairs while Garza stays down near the stairs. I have three options there. Shooting from above. Use the turret. Turn the corner ahead and go down the stairs to hit the HGHs from behind. There are many situations with such tactical freedom.

I also liked the Lean & Peak mechanics and overall controls. Coming from two online beta phases I got used to the standard configuration and it kinda makes more sense with the L&P mechanic in place. Anyway, L&P works pretty well. You push L2 to crouch, and if you are close to something, you stick to it as long as you keep L2 presses. What I liked about this is that you never feel "trapped" when you are behind cover. On the one side, you are free to slide and peak in any direction you want. But you can also rotate 360° no problem (gun automatically points ahead when there is no wall). So I don't feel too "scared" about being attacked from the side. And being it a Hold rather than Toggle thing, you cannot **** it up when detaching yourself from cover to get behind another one. It works really, REALLY well. To the point that I seriously think I wouldn't mind having the option to use it online as well.

What I liked the less are changes occurred to some levels. Especially how Visari Square looks now. IMO, it's too bright and colorful. Blue pavement, orange lights and greenish structure in the background? I liked the darker version more. I hope GG is not too afraid of the B/W stigma and adding colors to avoid it.

As for my "quick fix", I'd suggest adding more flying drones. They are criminally underused IMO. In the first 6 levels at least. In Resistance 2, flying drones are very cleverly used to spice things up and force you to swap from ground-to-ground to ground-to-air combat. And move from cover to cover. Not so in KZ2. In the preview code levels. Perhaps **** hits the fan later.

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

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[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

Joystiq Single Player Impressions

The cynic inside of me didn't want to believe the hype. How could I forget that the original Killzone on PS2 was backed by an overwhelming hype machine, powered by vocal drones declaring it a "Halo-killer?" When it released in 2004, critics were impressed by the technical presentation but found very little substance in the gameplay. Four years later with an early version of the single player game, I wondered if Killzone 2 would repeat history.

Let me be as clear as I can. Killzone 2 is a fantastic game, easily deserving the hype its earned so far. Considering the expectations surrounding Killzone 2, that means quite a lot. From what I've played so far, Killzone 2 delivers on all fronts. The gameplay is incredibly visceral and nuanced; the graphics are unparalleled.

In spite of its clear sci-fi setting, the world of Helghan is grounded in realism. Weapons have a real sense of weight to them. Each bullet feels impactful, and important. Watch as the casings leave your gun. These aren't canned animation -- they are real objects controlled by the in-game physics engine. Enemies appear to feel every bullet, staggering when hit, rolling and dodging as they struggle to survive. The reload animations are slow and meticulously detailed. The flash off your gun's muzzle is appropriately blinding, adding to the visceral feel of combat. Gun nuts will notice the subtle differences between weapons: as some work much better at short range, others at long. These aren't the weapons you'll find in Resistance or Halo -- and that's what makes Killzone so refreshing.

Other than being a first person shooter, comparisons between Halo and Killzone 2 seem thoroughly invalid. Perhaps a more apt point of comparison would be Call of Duty. With the exception of the occassional flying robot and massively armored supersoldier, Killzone 2 strangely evokes the harrowing feel of a modern war. However, the gunplay of Killzone is slower and more meticulous than the arcade-inspired controls of the CoD series. You won't auto-aim at enemies when using your sights, for example. You won't be single-handedly mowing down hundreds of enemies. Your aim and movement is noticeably slower than most other FPS.

The odds are overwhelmingly against your favor, and the viciously intelligent enemies certainly don't make it any easier. This is a challenging game -- perhaps one of the hardest in recent memory. A generous checkpoint system alleviates most frustrations, but this is still a nail-bitingly difficult game. Some of the game's uglier aspects are apparant later on in the game. For example, your AI partner can be quite the knucklehead, brashly rushing into enemy territory. Don't rely on your AI partner to cover your back. Killzone 2 is begging for a co-op mode. I want to use these weapons and get some crossfire tactics going.

February is still a long time away, and I'm confident that Guerrilla can fix some of the nagging issues I have. The shotgun, for example, could be a bit more powerful. Some of the objectives run a tad bit on the long side, with too many waves of enemies. But these are small issues in an otherwise thoroughly polished game. It's an incredible vote of confidence on Sony's part to send such a complete build of a product so many months before its release.

It's taken quite a number of words to detail the simple fact that Killzone 2 is a terrific shooter. Undoubtedly, there are still questions many of you may have about the game, and I welcome you to ask them in our comments section. I'll try my best to answer them (perhaps in a separate Q&A post?). PS3 fans have a lot to look forward to when February rolls around. Who knows? Perhaps next year we won't look for the next "Halo-killer," but rather the next Killzone-killer.

[Flawless]

Re: Killzone 2 (PS3)

IGN has an in-depth article up.

Killzone 2 Updated Hands-on

The last significant elements with the game come in the form of squads and clans. Squads are 4 player groups that allow friends or newcomers to come together and play a round together. This will come with different advantages, such as squad specific headset channels for secure communication, as well as telegraphed health and abilities for every squad member and the ability to spawn together at a specific point. The next step up is the inclusion of clans, which allows larger groups of players to come together and fight across maps. Players have to be at least at Corporal rank or higher to establish a clan, but the coolest element tied to the clans is the Clan Valor system, which will be tied to the rankings of the clans. Each clan that plays the game will inevitably gain a specific amount of points based on how they play, which will help determine their rank. If your clan wants to rocket up the online standings, they can wager a specific amount of their clan's valor points against another clan, with the winner taking all the points. This means that some battles will be for much more than the obvious bragging rights associated with large clan battles or tournaments; entire online standings can be made or lost with this system, which will help separate the casual players from the hardcore Killzone 2 fans. This sounds like an extremely unique concept, but one that will help keep players fighting across the maps of Helghan for many months after the game's release. At least February 2009 is only two months away, so PS3 owners won't have long to wait to leap into the battle against the Helghast.

IGN Gameplay Videos

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