TrAcEr_x90 said:

so no one feels like the thumbsticks wear down after using them alot? i can tell a definite difference between my first dual shock 3 and my newer one.

Click to expand...

all controllers wear down a bit, DS3 in particular for me is left thumb, and r2 trigger. Won't affect KZ2 too much but lighting putting pressure on R2 now will activate it I blame Warhawk's crazy rumbling Although the thumbsticks are still good, what wore down was its been getting bits of white paint from the controller on the black.

Nib95's Killzone 2 Review.


Apologies for being so late with this write up. I’ve had lots of things to deal with lately and unfortunately this review hasn’t been at the top of my priority list, but here it is finally.


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After years in the making, an insurmountable amount of hype and negativity, positivity and pessimism, it’s finally here. It’s been a long and hard battle for Guerrilla Games (GG) these past few years. Having to try and match up to the massive expectations of the community. Mine were also huge, so the question is, how has Killzone 2 fared against them?

To get a sense of what the sequel has achieved, I’ll start with the original Killzone, a game that never quite grabbed me in the way I’d hoped. Sure, it had impressive visual and artistic appeal, a fairly decent story and likeable characters. But the gunplay (number of bullets needed to down enemies/aiming/controls), technical issues and pacing, left me wanting more and ultimately in my eyes designated it to being simply mediocre and ever shy of greatness.

Then along came Killzone Liberation, a PSP title that in many ways proved that GG had more to offer. It was a solid little third person shooter, but not quite enough to remove anxieties that the developers had what it took to make the sequel AAA.


Cue Killzone 2.


Visuals.


Naturally the first thing that will hit you about the game is the incredible presentation values and visuals. From the opening cut scene which is both powerful and bold, to the very first time you lay your eyes on the gameplay visuals, the game is set to stun. The graphics throughout the title are nothing short of breathtaking and exude a level of all-encompassing technical sophistication simply non-existent in other console titles thus far.
Almost everything in the game has an impressive aesthetic appeal about it, most notably the lighting, complexity of level geometry and the detail of weapon models.

Attention to detail manages to entwine itself in almost every facet of the games visuals. Volumetric smoke from explosions and gun fire sways and drags across the screen with realistic opacity and a sense that it is affected by wind. Every shot fired depending on the weapon and material evokes a violent reaction of physics affected sparks, debris, particles and even heat haze. Gas canisters will leak, burn and smoulder, dust will plume around levels, and lightning will light up an entire level and everything in it in the blink of an eye. Shadows are dynamic and react to surroundings and everything in them. Directional motion blur, barely a jaggy in sight, excellent character models, you name it this game ticks nearly every box. Heck, your character even leaves footprints!
Possibly the only complaints with the visuals could be the odd low res texture here and there, and rare frame rate drops (usually only when all hell is breaking loose on screen). But in the grand scheme of things, these are severe nitpicks. Especially when the game doesn’t require an install and has only a handful of load screens, one per level (most loads are split second affairs that occur in game).

Killzone 2 not only corrects the technical faults of its predecessor, but sets a new benchmark for all other console games to come.


Gameplay Gunplay.


Contrary to belief, while the visuals may be the first thing that inspires awe, they are not the most addictive thing about the title, nor what will keep players coming back for more. No, that, I’d have to hand to the fantastic gunplay on offer.

Killzone 2 controls and handles quite different to other shooters. You will quickly notice everything has a great sense of weight and realism to it. This game demands effort and isn’t shy about reminding the player they are wearing heavy armour, or that they are carrying a heavy, cold chunky tool of death that doesn’t give free kills, but instead makes you earn them. There is the bare minimum auto aim on offer here; KZ2 will not hold your hand in any way. Whilst the controls and aiming may seem alien at first (to some I’d imagine they will feel alien for a while), stick with them, learn and practise them and if you have what it takes, you will create such a symphony of death that your killing spree’s might almost be regarded as a work of art.
Here, it’s all about delicacy and precision, a heavy hand and lack of patience will get you nowhere. Learn to use the variance of the analogues, to use subtle touches when needed, to make use of the extra efficiency and accuracy of short controlled bursts, and you’ll be rewarded by the bucket load.

On the topic of patience, the games inclusion of a first person cover system really aids in giving fire fights an added tactical dimension. Whilst the cover system doesn’t work flawlessly (some walls are immune to cover, and the fact that you can’t move whilst reloading is a tad annoying), it is on the whole quite functional and successful at what it tries to achieve. On the harder difficulties in the game, you will find that cover will act as your Guardian Angel. Run in guns blazing and you’ll likely meet a black screen of death in seconds. Cover will save your life more times than you can count, and often times you will have no choice but to cower behind cover, clinging on to dear life as enemies pin you down with near frustrating ferocity. Use it wisely though, and it can be key to dominating the enemy, controlling waves and ensuring you retain an upper hand.


Much talk has been made of Killzone 2’s AI, a part of the game I was always concerned about. I’m happy to report that those concerns were unfounded. The game’s AI for the most part is very potent indeed, especially on the harder difficulties. Enemies will not shy away from pinning, flanking or melee’ing you, working together in a team, using the environment (and cover) to their own advantage, darting about avoiding gun fire, placing well aimed grenades right at your feet, or knowing when to bail when things go belly up. One particularly impressive element of the AI is the way enemies sometimes slouch behind cover until you can no longer see the top of their heads. They’ll do this (on harder difficulties) when they sense a bullet go whizzing past their head, and once they do duck completely behind cover, they will pop up at a different (unknown to you) spot behind that cover to take quick pot shots at you. A breath of fresh air from the usual ‘hold your aiming reticule above their head till they pop up’ manoeuvre.
The same praises cannot be sung for the squad AI, which is competent, but not exactly overly intelligent. They will often come to your aid, maybe even save your life shooting enemies you were unaware of, but other times they’ll target the wrong enemies, die too often or end up getting in your way.


One of the games other features that really adds to the sense of immersion and quality of gunplay on offer is the brilliant hit detection system. Enemies react realistically in orchestrated harmony to each and every one of your bullets. Excellent physics amalgamated with motion captured animations and extreme blood splatter, make things feel real; give kills an added sense of devastation and feedback. Everything here reacts in a tactile way. Weapons give you the correct amount of punch and kick, and every bullet you fire has a sense of lethality about it. These elements couple together to make kills that much more satisfying and consistently fun which in turn ensures killing never gets too repetitive


Audio.


The audio in the game is generally superlative (but not always, read on) and also really adds to the sense of immersion. Each weapon has a unique and effective sound effect. Rifle fire will thunder, bullets will whizz, muzzles flare, shell casings ping, all with commendable clarity and grunt giving optimal feedback. Some sounds you will grow accustom to, one’s that have more of a tactical emphasis, like the rising beeps of a cooking grenade, symbolising when you should be running for dear life.

The soundtrack in my opinion is one of the greatest achievements in the game. The music has an almost Hollywood blockbuster esque appeal about it, invoking numerous reactions from the player. Most commonly tension, the bleak harsh reality of war, the growing fear/sense of battle or a rise in motivation to help usher the player on. This time the soundtrack also has more cutting and raw audio elements, akin to sounds found in The Dark Knight, which in my opinion work perfectly given the dark, moody subdued harshness of the Helghan world and the battles that unfold within it.
The dynamic implementation of audio matches gameplay succinctly, and helps keep things intense when needed, or calming when not. Tempo, ferocity of instruments, volume, the intensity of a track etc are often extenuated based on specific actions within the game.

Where the quality of audio falters however, is with the Voice Acting (VA), which sometimes works, and other times has a level of cheese or detachment that is near cringe worthy. Certain narrative segments help to get across the narrative successfully, allow us to get a sense of a character or scenario, but don’t expect anything overly deep or engaging here, you’ll find nothing of the sort.
The problem is usually not with the VA itself, but with the script or lines on offer. I didn’t go in expecting Oscar winning performances, so it didn’t leave me particularly disappointed, but honestly, this is classic soldier/grunt extreme crude, rude, overly confident and unnecessary VA right here. You will hear curses left and right, and other insults that are laughable. Now and again though, the VA will get a decent reaction out of you, the odd smile, laughter (when something is meant to be funny), odd bit of anger, tension and what not. The main cut scenes are done pretty well, and the Helghan VA is especially good. Characters like Natko don’t work quite as well however.


Campaign.



The campaign took me roughly 8 hours on Trooper (Normal, one of 4 different difficulties) and around 10 hours on Veteran (Hard). Overall it’s a decent length, nothing too long and meaty, but not so short that it leaves you wanting more. In-fact by the end you wouldn’t be embarrassed to feel slightly exhausted.
This is one very intense game that requires a lot of input from beginning to end. It’s also one of my negatives with the campaign. That negative being that the beginning few levels of the game are perhaps too intense (first quarter or more). The game starts with a bang, and doesn’t let up, in-fact; it only keeps getting more and more intense. This aids getting across the notion that this Helghan war is brutal and demoralising, but can also be too much to take in early on. Thankfully, after the first quarter or so the game starts to have more balanced pacing, with more moments allowing you time to breath, explore, or enjoy the world and characters on offer. It’s after this point that the game really starts to excel. Levels become more varied, gameplay more diverse (weapons, turrets, enemies, mechs etc) and the narrative begins to flesh out and get a bit more personal.

The early segments of the game tend to take place in very urban type environments, however later on things open out a bit more. There is a decent amount of level diversity, but nothing too extreme. Not the level diversity of say Gears 2 or Resistance 2, but more than Gears 1 or Call of Duty 4. It’s just enough to keep things fresh. Just don’t expect any bright colours and grassy fields. Whilst there is variety on offer, most of it still has a bleak and harsh appeal about it, which fits perfectly in-line with the nature of planet Helghan. Some of the levels do however have spectacular set pieces that literally make jaws drop.


As much as the gunplay in KZ2 is rewarding and satisfying, the game delivers in just enough little trinkets or gameplay mix ups to keep things constantly engaging. Thrown in among the mayhem are some interesting and rather unique weapons such as the Electricity gun, that makes you feel near God like in power if only for a very brief, but oh so satisfying time, a bolt gun that not only impales enemies but whose harpoons detonate, a flamethrower that pours molten napalm over screaming (literally screaming) enemies, and then there’s turrets, anti-aircraft guns, a tank and a mech (etc) thrown in the mix for good measure. These things certainly help spice up the gameplay, and make the experience that little bit more unforgettable. Some of the segments are particularly awesome and really make you grin with glee and enthusiasm. Controlling the Mech (which can run, and jump quite high!), was particularly fun. Again, there are some brilliant little aesthetic touches, such as the Mech’s health bar being indicated by cracks on its glass cockpit or electricity and sparks flying everywhere within it.


The story in the title is one of the weaker aspects of the game. It certainly had great potential with the complex background story; however the story within the game barely touches on this. Go in expecting to learn a lot about the Killzone world, history, saga and reasons for the war, and you will leave disappointed. Killzone 2’s story focuses squarely on Team Alpha and the discoveries, actions, missions and objectives of the characters within it, through the eyes of the main character (Sev). There are some nice little twists thrown in throughout the game, that certainly help the narrative by, but none are particularly ground breaking or memorable. It’s a relatively standard military affair here, with some decent and fairly interesting characters thrown in (Radec, Viscari, Sev, Rico, Templar etc).


Multiplayer.


The online multiplayer (MP) component of the game is actually the star of the show. This is the part that will keep you coming back for more, and this will likely be the thing that not only gives the game lasting appeal, but seals it as a fps classic.

The brilliant thing about KZ2’s MP is that it brings all the functionality and polish of popular online shooters from the past (COD4 and TF2 for example) but gives them an injection of realism and tactility, along with 32 players, visuals that near enough match the single player campaign and dedicated servers for lag free gaming too. Minimal auto aim, realistic aiming, motion, character reactions and so forth make for some highly addictive online play. Mix that in with the fantastic reward system (unlock multiple badges that give you different skills and abilities, far more comprehensive than unlocking perks in COD4 for example), amazing level design (multiple access points and routes to segments/action points on maps, vertical spanning gameplay as well as horizontal), a decent array of weapons (each one with unique functionality and learning curve) and the dynamic missions (constantly changing mission objectives for diverse play) and you have a winning formula.

The badge system is particularly well balanced and impressive. Giving an extra level of team and tactical play rarely found in shooters. For example, if the objective is Search and Retrieve (Capture the Flag variant), you can switch to Assault class for the extra speed boost and armour, that way once you get the Propaganda Speaker (flag) you can sprint across the map double as fast. Find that the enemies are controlling your spawn point? Switch to tactician and plant a second team spawn point elsewhere, perhaps behind the enemies for a tactical flanking advantage. Search and Destroy? (Planting a bomb at the enemy base.) Switch to Saboteur so you can temporarily cloak in to an enemy skin, to try and walk straight in to the enemy base and plant the bomb near undetected! If your base is the one where the bomb is to be planted, why not switch to Technician and set up turrets surrounding the bomb point to protect it from enemies.

These are just a few examples as to the sheer range of tactical options on offer because of the badge system. As you gain more experience, you can also mix secondary badges with primary one’s for even more variance in play. This ultimately brings me to an indirect negative of the MP component. In many ways it may be a touch beginner un-friendly. Whilst there is a ranking system to ensure that if players want, they only play against similar ranked players, the game still demands a lot from players and has a fairly steep learning curve to boot. Learning all the ins and outs of the badges, even earning the badges themselves (which can take countless hours) can be quite a feat. One that I’d imagine only the very hardcore of gamers will truly appreciate and explore to the fullest.
Thankfully, there are online and offline bots for people to play with as to gain some practise before going in for the real thing, as well as a whole host of options for online play (choose specific badges, weapons, maps, modes, friendly fire on off, number of bots etc).

The clan system (set up or join clans, arrange clan matches and bet clan valour points), the online website stat tracking, the online tactical battle replays and the Lobby system (32 man lobby’s where players stay in the lobby after each game until leaving) all help to booster the community aspects of the game.


Conclusion.


Killzone 2 is certainly more of an evolutionary leap in shooters than it is revolutionary. It is true that it does little new. Outside of the first person cover system, the hit detection system, the added sense of realism and the rather comprehensive multiplayer mode, it is underneath it all, a slightly standard fps affair. In that it chooses to stick to the underlying mechanics previously explored in the genre.
You will go from certain box or corridor like areas to another, in sequential order as you defeat waves of enemies. You will go along a relatively linear and controlled path (there are however numerous levels that allow you some degree of freedom to how you approach a particular area or gun fight), it does have a linear story with fairly straightforward progression. However, none of these things necessarily take away from the game or the merit of how well it does these things.

What Killzone 2 does is take all these elements previously found within the genre, and execute them with such cinematic splendour, realistic tactility, aesthetic beauty, technical wizardry, rewarding satisfaction and polish, that it ends up defining its own little niche. This is the true Hollywood multimillion dollar blockbuster come to gaming, but with an added raw and cut throat pang.
Whilst you may have done similar things in other shooters that you will be doing in Killzone 2, the chances are you will have never done them quite like this.
Take shooting a shotgun for example, a common weapon in most shooters. I’ve not found one of them as satisfying as the one in KZ2. The moment you pull that trigger you become the harbinger of death. Heads will fly; blood will gush out in an over exaggerated spherical explosion, you will hear the crunch, crack and squelch of battered body and you will see the enemy fly back in completely believably fashion. And you will love it. And you will want more, and more. And that is what separates KZ2 from other shooters. It is true gun porn.

This is the most realistic, cinematic and tactile shooter to grace a system. And while it may have its flaws, it’s polished to such perfection that you’d be hard pressed not to forgive most of them. Aside from the lack of co-op (a sorely missed feature, but one made up for with everything else on offer), there’s an engaging highly repayable epic SP campaign, an extremely sophisticated and comprehensive online multiplayer component, numerous unlockables and more. This game is fantastic value for money, and stands a chance at being the PS3’s “it” online shooter for months if not years to come. It’s also the best show piece graphically for the console yet, so as long as you’re not expecting anything overly innovative and not expecting Oscar winning performances, go grab the game now. In my honest opinion it is one of the, if not the best shooter of the generation and I say that after completing the game 4 times and putting in over 100 hours in the multiplayer. See you online soon!


Overall score: 9.5


Random off screen shots. Spoilers at your own risk!

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icechai said:

all controllers wear down a bit, DS3 in particular for me is left thumb, and r2 trigger. Won't affect KZ2 too much but lighting putting pressure on R2 now will activate it I blame Warhawk's crazy rumbling Although the thumbsticks are still good, what wore down was its been getting bits of white paint from the controller on the black.

Click to expand...

COD4 really owned the analog sticks on my sixaxis.
DS3's are amazing.

Rez said:

You disable "Crouch Hold" in the options>controls menu.

Click to expand...

Haha, very complicated, no wonder there was so much confusion! :lol

I just watched this making of video:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/45959.html?type=

(contains spoilers)

I didn't know that Radec can . Makes him even more insane.

CHRP718 said:

COD4 really owned the analog sticks on my sixaxis.
DS3's are amazing.

Click to expand...

Same. COD4 and the KZ2 beta basically ruined my left analog stick. It has a mind of it's own now and always wants to move upwards. I have to hold it back a little to prevent characters in games from moving forward. Makes standing still and aiming really frustrating.

I'd get a new one but Sony's prices for DS3's here in Canada are ridiculous, imo.

Picked it up today, thank god for broken release dates!

dhelfric said:

- boss fight against

Spoiler

ATAC

was retarded

Click to expand...

I just got through that and, for the first half-dozen times I tried it, it was reallllllly pissing me off.

Trailblazer said:

Rez have you posted your impressions on the game yet ?

Click to expand...

I'm going to wait until I'm finished before I post anything significant.

Awesome write up Nib.

Great review man, and yeah I read the whole thing

Great review, now I just need to wait for my copy to arrive.

Thanks for the review Nib. I do have to ask, why grade the game? You've given us a thorough and well written impression of the game, what does a score add?. Do you grade a 5 as average or 7? What is the difference between a 9 and a 9.5? Have you reviewed other games on Neogaf so we can compare the scores?

Don't take this as me ripping your post, I do appreciate a collection of your impressions in one post. I'm just curious why you chose to score it.

Just picked up my copy from a local games retailer. About 5 minutes from home so ...... Yesssssssssssss well chuffed to play it

Like Uncharted it's better if you start the game on veteran (hard) diffilculty. Imo the most awesome thing in the game are the shootouts. The game has really good A.I., so you really have fight to stay alive. I am only at the beginning of level 4 and I have already been thru some really cool bottleneck fights, where you really need to act methodically to progress. This experience get's lost on the easier diffilculty settings.

I have a fever!


And the only prescription


is more Killzone 2

Wait, so is this out yet?

My local Best Buy store checker says yes, but I thought the release date was the 27th for some worldwide release bollocks (which is only bollocks because I've seen nothing but EU copy after EU copy in the GOODS thread).

Try my luck?

Nice one Nib.

Shurs said:

Thanks for the review Nib. I do have to ask, why grade the game? You've given us a thorough and well written impression of the game, what does a score add?. Do you grade a 5 as average or 7? What is the difference between a 9 and a 9.5? Have you reviewed other games on Neogaf so we can compare the scores?

Don't take this as me ripping your post, I do appreciate a collection of your impressions in one post. I'm just curious why you chose to score it.

Click to expand...

It's difficult to discern just how good or great a game is from the write up alone sometimes. The score basically just clarifies it. I haven't reviewed many games on GAF (usually do them on IGN instead), but from what I can remember here are some scores I gave other games. I kind of go by an IGN (lame I know) score metric.

MGS4 - 9.6
LBP - 9.2
COD4 - 9.4
Halo 3 - 9.3
Gears 2 - 9.3
Uncharted - 9
NG2 - 8.2
SF4 - 9
Motorstorm PR - 8.5
Valkyria Chronicles - 8.5
Resistance 2 - 8.8
Fallout 3 - 9.4

For me, the main reason I scored KZ2 so high was the multiplayer. It's the most fun I've had online in a long while. So that's what propelled it for me. I know some people didn't enjoy COD4, but I loved it, and played the MP for several months (almost every day). The extra point to KZ2 is my way of saying, I enjoyed Killzone 2 that little bit more. It has a more meaty SP campaign and a more comprehensive online mode. Not as many weapons, unlocks and what not, but it's more tactical, realistic and offers more team play because of the badges. I'd say that once you get above 9.0, each point should be a lot harder to gain.

Does anyone know at which time the MP servers will go online? They should go online on 25 february (UK Timezone?)

1 hour away from Killzone 2! Oh and three hours more until I can leave work. Then its ON!

Wow Nib, really amazing job with the write up. And I think I value your opinion more since I know that you enjoyed COD4 as much as I did (the MP at least). Your review just makes the wait seem even harder.

One question: How much does the weight of the game affect the turning speed of the character/aim while moving? And I'm asking the question in comparison to COD4.

Anyone order from Amazon and know when we get the stuff for Home? I assume it just comes with the game but I'd like to know for sure.

Damn i bought KZ2 yesterday. AWSOME GAME.
Im from Holland and we got it on 24 feb. I was realy surprised.

Can someone tell me why i cant create a new topic?

Azzwanker said:

Damn i bought KZ2 yesterday. AWSOME GAME.
Im from Holland and we got it on 24 feb. I was realy surprised.

Can someone tell me why i cant create a new topic?

Click to expand...

Yous a juniorz.

Azzwanker said:

Can someone tell me why i cant create a new topic?

Click to expand...

To new to the forum?

Azzwanker said:

Can someone tell me why i cant create a new topic?

Click to expand...

Azzwanker
Junior Member

When will i be promoted

Azzwanker said:

Damn i bought KZ2 yesterday. AWSOME GAME.
Im from Holland and we got it on 24 feb. I was realy surprised.

Can someone tell me why i cant create a new topic?

Click to expand...

Because you're on too many website active ?

Azzwanker said:

When will i be promoted

Click to expand...

The elderly will decide.

Azzwanker said:

When will i be promoted

Click to expand...

You're halfway there.

Azzwanker said:

When will i be promoted

Click to expand...

3,500 posts. Images are double.

oh jeez

bishoptl said:

oh jeez

Click to expand...

Your avatar works well with that post

So anyone see those Killzone 2 bundles yet?

exarkun said:

Wow Nib, really amazing job with the write up. And I think I value your opinion more since I know that you enjoyed COD4 as much as I did (the MP at least). Your review just makes the wait seem even harder.

One question: How much does the weight of the game affect the turning speed of the character/aim while moving? And I'm asking the question in comparison to COD4.

Anyone order from Amazon and know when we get the stuff for Home? I assume it just comes with the game but I'd like to know for sure.

Click to expand...

It's certainly a lot slower than COD4, but not so bad that you can't turn around and kill someone who spotted you before you spotted them (if you're very skilled and they aren't). The way to make up for the slower turning speed in KZ2 is to move whilst you are turning. Instead of spinning in the same place, move (strafe etc) whilst turning. That usually gives you better momentum and because you are moving, an enemy who's already spotted you has a harder time keeping aim. Unless of course you are in a tight nit area, then simply turn as you would normally. That's my tip anyway.

Loudninja said:

So anyone see those Killzone 2 bundles yet?

Click to expand...

Yeah yesterday in Holland, they were soldout in 2hours.

Azzwanker said:

Yeah yesterday in Holland, they were soldout in 2hours.

Click to expand...

How many did they shipped I wonder?

Azzwanker said:

When will i be promoted

Click to expand...

Not reading the FAQs is a bannable offense, Jr.

Saw this other user review at the Playstation forums. Thought I'd post it here. Quite informative.

iamcool said:

Note: This is a review I did for my fellow clan members of THE SYNDICATE. I have finished the single player, and have played all objectives of MP in all maps with bots. I will also try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. I hope you find this informative. Please let me know what you think, i'll be happy with either comments or brickbats. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I was not sure how to add a review on the KZ2 page, or to my own page, so I thought i'd put it up here. Thanks.

----------------------------------------

For the last 4 years, Killzone 2 has been the subject of great interest and intense speculation in the media. People have held widely divergent views on it (sometimes depending upon their console of choice) ever since that infamous E3 2005 reveal video. PS3 owners have assigned unimaginable hopes to it... Xbox 360 owners have reviled it as being nothing more than a pretty boy. Who is right? Have Guerrilla Games broken the bank, or have they fallen short? Read on to find out.

I have played the retail version till completion, and can unequivocally state that this game will have the majority of my playing time for the foreseeable future. I cannot speak for anyone else, and reviews are an inherently subjective vessel through which to channel our thoughts, but Killzone 2 has satisfied every craving I have felt. Killzone 2 fully satisfied my already high expectations, and then proceeded to beat them into a bloody pulp with an overwhelming deluge of quality. Everything from graphics to gameplay, from the single player set pieces to the multiplayer maps, from the character classes to the Helghan planet, is well realized and tweaked to perfection.

Presentation:

Killzone 2 blows the competition out of the water. Nothing on the PS3, or any other console (except arguably Crysis on a high end PC) can match the graphical power of Killzone 2. It is an absolute beast in this department, chugging along at an almost perfect 30fps framerate. There is a minor loading time, generally a second at best, for new sections of the level. People can always argue that having an install would have solved the problem, but we cant be sure about that. Either way, this is the system that GG went with, and for those who arent completely nitpicky and just want to enjoy the game, this shouldnt be a problem. It wasnt for me. For those who have played the demo, I envy you, because the beauty of the environments ratchets up considerably after that. Your eyes will bleed tears of joy.

Two levels in particular, Suljeva Village (towards the middle) and Visari Palace (the last level), are so incredible to look at that I had to remind myself again and again to stop staring at the vistas and start shooting, or I would be Helghast fodder in no time. Nothing can prepare you for the first time you see the wind blowing through the village level in multiplayer, with the dirt in the air swirling around you. It completely blew my mind. The urban levels are rich in level design, with many set pieces having multiple paths which can be taken.

Also, if you do not have a surround sound system yet, you should definitely think about getting one. I use a Logitech z-5500 myself, being a poor college student and all, but it does the job admirably, and can be found cheap online. Playing Killzone 2 in surround sound actually reminded me of the brilliant 5.1 usage of MGS4. While there arent as many distinct sounds coming from various speakers, the feeling of dread which they are able to generate, or the feeling of adrenaline rushing through you as you hear the music ramping up in an indication of the coming battle, the clangs all around you which signify the beginning of the battle with the Heavy... This game is truly worth playing with a 5.1 (or if you can, a 7.1!) system in place.

Gameplay:

Dear God... How do I even begin describing the gameplay? It is one of the most fun fps experiences I have had till date. The weapons variety is great, though if you are like me, you will find yourself coming back to the default M82 assault rifle, as it is so balanced yet powerful at the same time. The grenades have a visual indicator as well as a sound to notify you of when its cooked, or when one has been thrown near you (this is again one of the places where a 5.1 system is mighty handy). From beginning till end, the action never stops, though there are subtle ebbs and flows in the game design. The checkpoint system is quite forgiving (except at the end... grrr), and you dont find yourself having to play through the same thing over and over again that often. There are 10 levels, each decently timed, and you could probably finish the game in about 7-10 hours, depending on which level of difficulty you play at. I played at the easiest, and it took me around 7 hours and 18 minutes.

This game takes stat tracking very seriously... You can see at a glance which level you died most in, how many helghast did you kill with each weapon, how many helghast soldier types have you meleed etc etc. Of course, as Nukewarm posted earlier, the MP is also getting its own set of stat tracking features, including Battle Replay, which should make for some extremely fun and engaging clan fights! But all this is absolutely pointless. These are just bulletpoints at the back of the game. I could talk about the checklist to be ticked all day long, and it would mean nothing if I didnt tell you about the biggest, baddest feature of the gameplay of Killzone 2. The one respect in which Killzone 2 is heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd of FPS shooters is its sheer... INTENSITY.

You will not be able to put the controller down. You will not be able to let go. You wont be able to stay in cover too long, because the AI of the Helghast is superb, and they will flush you out with grenades and shock troopers who charge directly at you, taking you completely unawares. I cannot stop raving about how incredible the fights are... each one different... each fight has something special... sometimes the helghast will do something which might shock you... During one of the fights, I was pinned down behind cover with 4 Helghast shooting at me. I was expecting them to throw a grenade at me to make me get out of my cover, but they didnt. Two Helghast kept alternately shooting at me, with one shooting till his clip was empty, then the other shooting while the first reloaded. After about 10 seconds of this, the sudden realization hit me! Holy **bleep**... they were using covering fire... but that must mean... By the time I figured it out, I was dead. Another helghast had sneaked up on me, going from cover to cover, and I was so engaged with the other two that I didnt pay him the attention I should have. As I fell down after being knifed... I could see his glowing eyes... and I heard "**bleep** you, ISA scum!"

I was floored. Here was a game which was actively thinking and coming up with new strategies. No two firefights ever play out the same, because the Helghast have amazing AI, not only individually, but also apparently as a group. There was another instance when I was forcefully reminded of this, of helghast with different weapons working together (two with LMG's, making it difficult to get out of cover, one with a flamethrower, making it impossible to dash to a different cover, and another taking pot shots from far away with a mother**bleep**ing rocket launcher, making it impossible to survive.) It was draining, it was incredible, it was exhilarating, it filled me with a joy that I cannot express. It made me glad to be a gamer again.

Multiplayer:

As the servers are still offline, I have only played the skirmish mode (same as regular warzone i.e. online multiplayer, only its offline and played with bots.) Its feature set is brilliantly conceived, and should provide months of replayability. There are different character classes (assault, medic, engineer, saboteur, scout etc) and they all have primary as well as secondary abilities. The more points you score, the higher your ranking, and the more classes you unlock (I believe the highest is Scout, at 2800 points). The best part is that you can mix and match the abilities. So you could be an assault class with the secondary ability of a medic, or a saboteur with the secondary ability of a scout. The possibilities really are endless.

The maps are a sight to behold. They are vast, with lots of nooks and crannies, yet none of them big enough to qualify as a campers paradise. Good snipers will enjoy the maps, but they should watch their back, as the maps are really well balanced and good camping spots might have 2 or even 3 ways to reach them. Almost all maps have a lot of verticality to them, which adds a lot to overall enjoyment. The changing of the objective on the fly is also a brilliant addition to this genre, as it forces you to come up with a new strategy in seconds. Good clans with well oiled squads who compliment each other will absolutely love this. Think of Killzone 2 as the perfect balance between Resistance 2 and Socom... fast, yet tactical. I cant go back to either of those games now, because Killzone 2 has spoiled me rotten.

Oh, and did I say that there is pretty much no downgrading of graphics when you go from Single Player to Multi Player? Yeah. There isnt. Same graphics quality, rock solid frame rate, 32 player mayhem going on. It will melt your face.

Negatives:

No game is perfect (unless we are talking about MGS4, hehe) and Killzone 2 has its fair share of problems. The biggest concerns might be about its control issues. There is a certain weight attached to the gun and to the player, thereby making aiming and moving a little sluggish. If you are used to COD4 controls (I was), you will certainly face some difficult and disorientation the first time you play Killzone 2. I would suggest going with the default control set up as well as the default sensitivity, as they seem best suited for the controlled burst fire and precision shooting this game will require, but if you simply cannot adjust, then the Alt 2 configuration might work for you. Those are COD4 controls. You can also toggle the hold-to-zoom option if you so prefer. But take my advice, at least try out the default setup. Having played with both setups, you will find yourself getting more and more comfortable with the default setup over a period of time, and soon it will become second nature. Aah... the joys of perfectly placing a shot and seeing a Helghast soldier get decapitated.

Another area in which Killzone 2 seems lacking is the lack of co-op. Now I know the developers have said time and again that they werent looking at it, but it still seems like such a no-brainer to me. Most of the campaign is played with one or more of your ISA buddies, so why not just let another player join in? I understand the concerns of rendering another screen for the new player, but how about Online only Co-op? Even that would be preferable. My mind explodes at the possibilities of playing with another player and taking on the boss fights. Its a missed opportunity in my opinion, but I certainly dont think it is big issue for me. Finally, the dialogue and storyline could have used some streamlining. The actions of a certain individual (who shall remain nameless, as I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible) will infuriate you. I would also have loved to see the Killzone 2 time line and story line on the disc. The backstory of the game is absolutely brilliant, and it will make you see the game in a new light. The ISA arent all good, and the Helghast arent all evil. The extremely rich and layered backstory for the Killzone universe would have been a welcome addition to the disc, and should have been tied in more into this game. But again, this isnt really a game breaker. I just think it would have made the experience more immersive, and its another missed opportunity by the developers. (If you havent yet read the backstory to the Killzone universe, I sincerely urge you to do so now. You will be pleasantly surprised at the depth of the conflict, how it began, the various twists and turns. It is truly some incredible writing by Iain Howe.)


Final Thoughts:

If you own a PS3, you owe it to yourself to buy Killzone 2. It is the true standard bearer for the next generation of FPS games. It raises the bar not only in terms and graphics, polish and presentation, but also in its gameplay and MP features. The negatives dont detract from the main game in any sense, and it is definitely worth paying full price. This is the best game to come out so far this year, and is doubtless going to be the main contender for shooter of the year. If this is the quality of titles which are going to come out for the PS3 in 2009, I think we are all going to have an absolutely amazing year. Killzone 2... You have completely won me over.

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Loudninja said:

How many did they shipped I wonder?

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One of the biggest retailers here in Amsterdam had 120 of them.

Azzwanker said:

One of the biggest retailers here in Amsterdam had 120 of them.

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Damn and they sold out all of those?

Sorry for asking so many questions.

I canceled my Amazon order due to the Visa card confusion it had. Same happened when I tried to order SF4 but KZ2 was on preorder so I guess they didn't check the card yet. Whoever hacked Visa I, I.. I hope you break a fingernail or something bad like a papercut. Screw you buddy! I'll try to grab it at walmart in another city on the weekend.

Store opens in 15 minutes.
Tenkai Star AWAY!!!!
*swoosh*

Hurraaaaaay for meeeeeeeee! Status on play just changed, seems they've posted mah Killzones today!
Going by recent deliveries, I should expect it ... mondayish :\

My Shop-To order has arrived...:lol

I wasn't expecting it to arrive till tomorrow...I won't be able to play it today...

Tomorrow my local shop should get this in. See you suckers friday. HAHAhahaha.

Americans that is.

the servers are online!

Blablurn said:

the servers are online!

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o/

Blablurn said:

the servers are online!

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:O

Time to pop my KZ2 multiplayer cherry