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Killzone 1 goes HD in PS3 'Killzone Trilogy,' packing all three games together this Oct.
Everyone's favorite yellow-eyed flunkies are returning to the PlayStation 3, albeit this time in a re-release of their greatest hits. Yes, Killzone's 1-3 – which aren't places, but games – are getting boxed and bundled for the PlayStation 3 as "Killzone Trilogy," arriving this October. The first of the three games is even getting an HD makeover for its re-release, and all the multiplayer content for the latter two games is included in the package.The whole shebang will run $39.99/€49.99/£40.84 when it arrives on October 23 in the US and October 24 in Europe. Head past the break for all the specifics on those bonus maps.%Gallery-164530%
Fan transforms Killzone into a card game
Love the Helghast, but hate getting schooled in Killzone's online battlefield? Then you may want to try your hand on a fan-made CCG adaptation, instead. Created by "thepineapple1," the Killzone card game has you dueling one-on-one against another player. With your "Action Points," you'll be able to command and promote soldiers, equip weapons, and even use vehicles. But don't expect to jump into the game immediately. Like many other games in the genre, you'll have to sit down and learn the rules; the downloadable starter kit includes a detailed nine page rule book. With some patience (and a decent color printer), the Killzone card game looks like a rather interesting diversion. Download the Helghast starer pack here, and the ISA starter pack here.
Amazon selling three PS3 Greatest Hits for the price of two
Let's face it -- cases from the PS3 Greatest Hits collection just look great on a shelf. That tiny, elegant package. That deep, crimson hue. Today, Amazon's offering a pretty efficient way to spruce up your library: Purchase any three Greatest Hits titles, and you only have to pay for two of them.
What Killzone looked like before it was Killzone
The E3 2005 trailer for Killzone 2 quickly became well-known (infamous, even) for its supposedly unatainable levels of in-game graphical prowess. But the initial trailer for the game that would become the original Killzone has been much less well known ... until this past week at GDC Europe. Guerilla Games Managing Director Hermen Hulst showed off the circa-1999 concept video in a keynote speech in Cologne earlier this week, calling it a "showcase of technical competence" prepared for their first meeting with Sony. Even though Hulst admits there's "nothing really 'Killzone' about it" at this early stage (for instance, the Helghast and their glowing eyes don't even make a cameo appearance) we thought it was an interesting look at the pre-history of one of Sony's biggest exclusive franchises. To see the video in full, follow us past the break.
Guerrilla Games managing director keynoting GDC Europe
Organizers for the Cologne-based gaming industry get-together, GDC Europe, have announced who will deliver this year's keynote address: Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst. According to the press release announcing Hulst's keynoting duties, his speech will focus on "how the studio has matured, which obstacles had to be overcome and what some of the ingredients behind the success of the Killzone series are." The presser also mentions Hulst's speech "will be located somewhere in the field of tension between hardware and software." We thought we were familiar with the Cologne Congress Center, but we have no idea where that is. Is it close to the cafeteria? Maybe?
Killzone 2 soundtrack wins first Ivor Novello award for gaming
Although Killzone 2 didn't win many Game of the Year awards from gaming sites, it has managed to garner a number of other noteworthy nods. In addition to winning a Roses Design award in November, Guerrilla's PS3-exclusive FPS has now won a Ivor Novello award for "Best Original Video Game Score." Composer Joris de Man has the special honor of not only winning the award, but winning the very first award given to a video game in the organization's 55-year history. Should you want to re-experience the now-award winning score, the soundtrack can be found on iTunes for $10. [Via CVG]
$60 PS3 Greatest Hits & DualShock 3 bundles on Amazon
First-party PS3 controllers are still retailing at the relatively lofty price point of $45 (plus tax!) -- wouldn't you rather pay just a little bit more and get a game to go along with your peripheral? Amazon will give you the opportunity to do just that with a selection of $60 bundles, which include a DualShock 3 controller and your choice of "Greatest Hit" in LittleBigPlanet: GOTY Edition, Resistance 2, Killzone 2 or inFamous. These pairings seem to be an extension of the Uncharted/DualShock bundle offered last December. Like the Uncharted deal, these bundles will likely be available at a number of other retailers -- but we've highlighted Amazon because it offers free shipping! [Via CheapCollegeGamers]
10 games added to PS3 Greatest Hits lineup, Sony confirms
Looks like the Walmart ad we posted yesterday actually undersold the number of PS3 games that Sony will soon add to the $30 Greatest Hits collection. The following 10 titles will be decked in red and reduced in price in the U.S. and Canada within the next few weeks: inFAMOUS (Sony Computer Entertainment) God of War Collection (Sony Computer Entertainment) Killzone 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year (Sony Computer Entertainment) Resistance 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment) Dead Space (Electronic Arts) Fight Night Round 4 (EA Sports) Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) Soulcalibur IV (Namco Bandai Games) UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ) That's a pretty good assortment of quality titles -- assuming, of course, that this isn't some kind of horribly distasteful April Fools' Day joke.
Rumor: inFAMOUS, LBP GOTY and others joining Greatest Hits
According to a recent Walmart ad dug up by NeoGAF user ghostmind, a whole slew of new PS3 titles will soon be added to the $29.99 Greatest Hits collection. Featured on the ad are five games which will apparently get the red box treatment: LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition, Killzone 2, inFAMOUS, Resistance 2 and UFC 2009 Undisputed. Actually, according to the flyer, the games are being offered for $29.83. That, dear readers, is the Walmart difference. We've contacted Sony America to find out if the Walmart ad is authentic, but we have no reason to believe it's a mock-up. We mean, all those games are "hits," and they're all pretty "great," right? [Via 1UP]
Sony's Jack Tretton: 'I can promise you a Killzone 3'
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/sonys-jack-tretton-i-can-promise-you-a-killzone-3/'; He doesn't know exactly when the third Killzone game will be announced, but SCEA prez Jack Tretton does know that it's gonna happen. When pushed by GTTV host Geoff Keighley about a sequel to last year's Killzone 2 on last night's episode, the Sony exec openly answered, "You know, we own Guerrilla Studios, and uh, they did a great job on Killzone 1 and 2 ... I don't know when you'll see announcements about it, but I can promise you a Killzone 3." Pretty straightforward, Jack! Though he didn't make any promises regarding Killzone for E3, he did additionally note that the news from Sony out of GDC was "the icing on the cake," referring to big announcements at E3 this year as "the batter." And if there's one thing we really, really like, Jack, it's cake batter. You've won this round.
Uncharted 2 demo, DLC climb onto PlayStation Store on January 28
Chances are, you've played Uncharted 2 by now. Wait, you haven't? Why? Do you not trust us?! If the lack of a single player demo has turned you off Naughty Dog's latest adventure, worry no more. A free Uncharted 2 demo is making its way to the PlayStation Store next Thursday, January 28th. In addition, premium DLC will supplement its release for fans that are still making their way through the online leaderboards. As previously mentioned, the first DLC pack will add Sev and a Helghast soldier from Killzone 2, Nathan Hale and a Chimera from Resistance 2, and Cole (both good and evil variants) and Zeke from inFAMOUS. This first set of DLC will be available for $4.99 in the US.
Best of the Rest: Justin's Picks of 2009
Time Gentlemen, Please This was hands-down the funniest game released in 2009, and 2009 was a year in which we got a new Tim Schafer game and the return of the Monkey Island series, so that's saying something. If you missed out, please go buy it, it's cheap as can be and a true delight.
Best of the Rest: Kevin's Picks of 2009
Halo Wars Yeah, that's right, Halo Wars. I've already caught enough flak for putting this on my best-of list for 2009 (it's hard to even remember that it came out way back in February), but it deserves to be recognized ... so pay attention once your laughter has died down. Ensemble Studios (RIP) proved that you could bring a real-time strategy game to a console, and still make it enjoyable. Sure, you'll never have 1:1 parity mapping everything a full-sized keyboard offers onto a controller, but this game came close. It's a pity Ensemble closed, since we'll never see any expansion packs or a sequel. The good news is that, since it wasn't received with blaring trumpets and the sounds of cash registers ringing, you can pick this up for under 20 bucks for some good fun.
Best of the Rest: Andrew's Picks of 2009
Flower This year had a number of terrific downloadable games (this list is a testament to that), however no game -- retail or digital -- connected with me like Flower. Jenova Chen's flOw was an interesting experiment, but Flower is an actual game. In fact, Flower is one of the few experiences I can think of that show the true potential of games as a unique storytelling medium. No other non-interactive art form will ever be able to replicate what thatgamecompany has managed to create.
Army of Two: The 40th Day multiplayer inspired by Counter-Strike, Killzone 2
While Army of Two's focus has always been cooperative gameplay, EA Montreal's Eric Chartrand is responsible for designing the competitive multiplayer aspects of The 40th Day. In an interview with with That VideoGame Blog, Chartrand notes that one of the big changes for the AoT sequel is to adapt the multiplayer aspect, and make it play differently from the campaign mode. Whereas the story can feature designed bottlenecks (such as doors that require both players to open), multiplayer cannot, simply because humans play differently than AI. "The toolset we use in single-player has to be different from the one we use in multiplayer," Chartrand explains. Interestingly, Chartrand notes two games as his main inspiration for The 40th Day's multiplayer offerings: the decade old Counter-Strike and the recently-released Killzone 2. "What works in Counter-Strike is that you don't get progression," a stark contrast to the level-up gimmick common in most online shooters. "So why it works is because the gameplay in it. The second-to-second, the movement of the character, the shooting, the intensity of the combat is still fresh, even ten years after. So that's why we wanted to craft an experience that is as close to this as possible." Chartrand has even more praise for Guerrilla's FPS. "Killzone 2 has great maps, probably the best maps out there," he admits. However, what inspired Chartrand the most appear to be the game's community features, particularly its stats-laden website. "This link between stats, profile, friends, leaderboard ... all the community aspects, I think the Killzone guys did a very good job and we strive to imitate them."
Guerrilla compares Killzone 1 and 2, side-by-side
It's been five years since Guerrilla released the original Killzone on PS2. Five years, one console generation, and seven PPEs later, Guerrilla crafted what remains one of the best looking games to date: Killzone 2. In its retrospective piece, Guerrilla compares how the tech and characters have changed in the five years spanning the two console games. Perhaps most surprising about the comparison is not how improved the PS3 game is -- rather, we're impressed at how well the PS2 game has stood the test of time. Perhaps it's time to revisit the PS2 original, for those of you lucky enough to own a backwards-compatible PS3.
Be thankful, Killzone 2 double XP multiplayer starts this weekend
Just in time for your Turkey Day weekend, Killzone 2 will be activating double XP on all multiplayer games from November 27th to November 30th. In addition to double XP, Guerrilla will host a Killzone 2 "retro tournament" using only the Beach Head and Southern Hills maps from the second DLC pack, both remakes of Killzone 1 maps. If you don't have the DLC yet and don't want to drop "money" on it you'll want to check out Killzone.com -- free codes will be given away later this week.
Killzone 2 soundtrack assaults iTunes
Do you want to transform your boring morning commute into an epic war set in an alien battlefield? If the answer is "yes," you may want to pick up the newly released Killzone 2 soundtrack from iTunes. The 29-track digital album can be downloaded for $9.99 and includes composer Joris de Man's orchestral accompaniment to warfare. With titles like "Heavy Resistance" and "Nuked," you can expect every piece of this score to be quite rousing.[Via PlayStation.Blog]
Killzone 2 CG intro wins Roses Design award
The Roses Design Awards have recognized Killzone 2 with six nominations and one award, according to a report by GI.biz. This is the first time games have been allowed to compete alongside graphical, visual design and architecture categories. Axis Animation won a gold award for "Best Use of Animation" for its work on the Killzone 2 CG intro (embedded above). Described as one of the studio's "most ambitious projects," the intro features over three minutes of footage from Vekta to Helghan in one seamless sequence that's free of cuts until the final climatic shot. Director Stuart Aitken is certainly deserving of high praise for setting the stage for one of the PS3's most visually involving games to date.
SCEE Platinum line expands, includes Resistance 2, Killzone 2
The European budget line of "Platinum" titles has expanded quite significantly, adding four new titles for the low price of £19.99 / €29.99. The collection now includes Metal Gear Solid 4, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2.We're a bit jealous of our European friends, as games rarely get the "Greatest Hits" label so soon. Killzone 2, for example, released just a little over six months ago. However, it makes sense to drop the price of these games, especially Killzone 2, so soon -- there are a lot of new PS3 owners out there, hungry to try out the system's greatest games.
