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Joystiq gets some hands-on time with Killzone 2, Dead Space and more
Our archenemy friend with the coolest name Xav de Matos attended the Sony Holiday event in Toronto, Canada and has written up impressions of upcoming PlayStation 3 titles on our sister site Joystiq. The Killzone 2 hands-on even includes a little bit of cam footage. And best of all, because it was a Sony event, all multiplatform games played were the PS3 versions, so it is definitely worth checking out: 30 minutes with Prince of Persia Killzone 2 The beginning of Dead Space Revisiting the Quantum of Solace
Joystiq hands-on: Killzone 2
It is nearly impossible to introduce any feature that references Killzone 2 without mentioning its infamous first showing at E3 2005. After an internet fury over its controversial trailer, the shooter from Guerrilla Games was presented at Sony's annual Holiday Preview event this week in Toronto, Canada. Impressions after the break.%Gallery-4719%
Europeans: Check your emails for a Killzone 2 beta key
Forum goers all over the internet are reporting that Killzone 2 beta invites are being sent out to lucky European PSN users today. As if we weren't busy enough with the LittleBigPlanet beta. What's next? Resistance 2 beta starting early next week? Still, better to get these betas going before the huge rush of games this holiday. Our thumbs are already starting to get tired.Did you manage to get hold of a Killzone 2 beta key? Let us know and, if you can, be sure to tell us what you think. If you didn't, better luck next time. Try to find someone who did and live vicariously through them until the beta ends.
What's it like to go hands on with Killzone 2 multiplayer?
It's funny you should ask, because Joystiq just posted a hands-on report of Killzone 2's Multiplayer from Leipzig. So if you're as intrigued by this game as we are we suggest you check it out and see what they thought. By which, we mean us. All this third-person talk is starting to get a little confusing, so just click the link and be done with it.Killzone 2 is shaping up to be an incredible game, and not just graphically. While we didn't originally expect the multiplayer to be a big draw for the game, it's definitely now the most exciting aspect. If Guerilla Games succeeds in giving us an awesome single player campaign too, Resistance 2 will have to make the most of its few months head start, because Killzone 2 has the potential to flatten it.
Joystiq hands-on: Killzone 2 multiplayer
Killzone 2's multiplayer gameplay was shown off behind closed doors at the Leipzig Game Convention this week and we were there to get our hands well and truly on. As is customary for these breakdown sessions, we were given a short presentation by members of the development team. We were told about the Squad system, which allows players to form 4-man groups mid-game. Doing so will show your squadmates' health bars, allow you a private headset channel and let you use the squad leader as a spawn point, keeping you together constantly. Setting up squads is easily done in the spawn menu. When a player receives a squad invite, they will receive a flashing notification. Accepting or declining takes only a couple of button presses from that point, making sure you're kept in the game at all times.Guerilla Games also ran through the extensive community features found in the game. Full clan support, featuring 64 players each, 16 vs 16 clan challenges, four separate leaderboards, a mind-boggling array of stats being tracked and a clan currency system. "Valor" is wagered by each clan at the start of inter-clan skirmishes, with the total being awarded to the winner. Earning valor will propel you up the leaderboards and the intention is to host official clan tournaments, made up of 256 clans, with the entire valor pot going to the overall winner.%Gallery-30087%
Killzone 2 co-op to be patched after launch, bots confirmed
After watching the Killzone 2 multiplayer trailer, we wondered how much more fun the game's online mode would be without your typical multiplayer douche. Well, now we can find out! The upcoming FPS will, indeed, feature bots. These will be fully customizable difficulty-wise, and can fill in for players either online or offline, allowing any Billy-No-Mates to enjoy a friendly match every once in a while.Additionally, vehicles are currently only available in the single player mode. Multiplayer vehicles will be patched in after the game is released. Also being patched post-launch is a co-op mode for the story. Whether this will be online or not, we're not entirely certain. Considering the long delay Killzone has suffered enjoyed, we're surprised this won't be included from the get-go. Perhaps we'll have to pay for it, but we're used to that by now, right? Be sure to check out our full Killzone 2 hands-on impressions, coming soon.Update: Guerrilla has a history of making free DLC with Killzone: Liberation (PSP). It released an Infrastructure multiplayer mode and an extra single-player level months after the game's release.
GC 2008: New Killzone 2 footage shows game is 'pre-beta'
While not as high quality as the falsified chat multiplayer trailer, the Kizzy Dos (remember, that's our nickname for Killzone 2) footage from Leipzig GC 2008 above does reveal that the game is now in pre-beta. When we last saw the game about a month ago at E3, K2 was rocking a pre-alpha build. We're happy to see the game progressing smoothly, even if we have to wait until February to play the final build. Here's to hoping developer Guerilla Games follows in the footsteps of its peers and opens a public beta for the game.%Gallery-4719%
GC 2008: Killzone 2 multiplayer trailer looks good, sounds too real
Sony, Guerilla – our hats voice headsets are off to you. After all, you tried to deliver the total online play experience with your official Killzone 2 multiplayer trailer at Leipzig. The only problem is ... well, it sounds too much like real mutiplayer. Or maybe someone's polite approximation thereof. Oh, we like what we see (and say, are those auto-turrets from Aliens?) but the "radio chatter" not only sounds forced – it's totally free of racial slurs and/or comments regarding the sexuality of those playing. Now, how can we expect to take that seriously?
GC 2008: Killzone 2 says, 'Hey, look at me!'
click for maximum ogle Perhaps "pretty" isn't the most appropriate word to describe Killzone 2. But if Guerrilla's shooter keeps showing up to the party looking like this, well, then what choice do we have? We're hot for you, Kizzy*. Three spooky red eyes and all!(*Yup, official Killzone pet name confirmed.) %Gallery-30087%
LGC 08: Killzone 2 screens
Click for high-resolution image. What else could we possibly say about Killzone 2 that we haven't already said? We're sure you've heard us say words like "amazing" or "visceral." With that said, we're sure you have your own words to describe how you feel when looking upon new screens like these. So use your own words (even made up ones) like ... Helghast-a-licious and check out these images.%Gallery-4722%
Killzone 2: the Leipzig trailer
The Killzone 2 trailer from Leipzig is all about multiplayer -- and that's a good thing, because we're absolutely psyched to go online with the game. If you haven't read up on Killzone's various multiplayer modes, here's a chance to brush up on some of our previous coverage: E3 2008: Single Player impressions E3 2008: Multiplayer impressions E3 2008: The multiplayer class system Also, download the HD trailer from Gametrailers here.
Have another look at Killzone 2's multiplayer mode
You can't really see it in our tiny screenshot above (you'll have to check out the high res version here), but this screenshot details one's personal dossier for the online mode of Killzone 2. It's looking like quite a comprehensive list as you can check out the ribbons and medals you've earned, your attained military rank, and your badge usage in addition to the traditional leaderboard rankings and total games played. It's all really just stuff we've discussed before in our hands-on with the multiplayer mode. So, you'll probably want to read that again perhaps, but this time with the extra visual aids. To see more shots of the multiplayer mode, click here.[Thanks frankym and raj!]
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Killzone 2
Click for higher resolution What can be said about Killzone 2? I'm not sure whether people are looking forward to it for its gameplay, or because it's a graphical powerhouse. If the latter, then people are going to be pleased -- this game is the most graphically impressive I have seen. Sure, the levels we've seen so far are very grey, with a hint of green, but this is permeated by the bright orange of the Helghasts' eyes and those glorious, glorious explosions.What impressed me the most was the attention to detail in the animation and modelling throughout Killzone 2. It's completely cosmetic, but this is the first game where I felt that the gun pointing into the screen belonged to me. That the arm swinging to-and-fro as I run across the battlefield was an extension of my own. When I reload, the animation is so detailed and the attention to weight almost allows you feel how heavy your gun is. All of this, coupled with the graphic style and quality makes Killzone 2 incredibly atmospheric and immersive. Does this add to the gameplay? Of course not. Does it add to the game? Substantially.%Gallery-4722%
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Killzone 2
How did Killzone come to carry such a burden? I asked myself this as I slogged through an early level in Killzone 2. PlayStation 2 wanted its "Spartan" and the original Killzone was called to task, failing miserably. And then, almost forgotten, Killzone emerged again through a dazzling display of smoke and mirrors at E3 2005. Three years later, we're inching ever closer to Killzone 2's release in February 2009. Now that the smoke is settling we wonder if a true "Halo killer" stands before us.The E3 2008 demo begins with a beach landing (what else?), and continues with a crawl up into the bowels of a hellish place. This is a gray and lonely world, an industrial city of towering steels and concrete. The views are beautiful though. This is a gorgeous game -- Guerrilla has delivered on that promise. Where Halo offers relief from the horror of its subject matter with rich, 'toonish colors, Killzone plunges your senses deep into the despair and grotesqueness of a world at war. The stark environments are enriched by a distinct art design. There's cinema here. But we're not idly watching, are we?%Gallery-28043%
Famed Nintendo designer Miyamoto checks out Killzone 2
Nintendo's famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto may be known for his involvement in casual games, such as Wii Sports and Nintendogs. But, let's not forget his involvement in hardcore series, such as the original Mario and Zelda games. It looks like he made his way over to Sony's E3 show floor and checked out Killzone 2. Considering the amount of hype Guerrilla's FPS has received, we aren't surprised that a man like him would take some time to see what the PS3 is capable of doing. We wonder if he walked away impressed. [Thanks, Fernando R.!]
Impressions: Killzone 2 multiplayer
While single player has always been the focus of Killzone 2 at its various press showings, today was all about one thing: multiplayer. Too bad we have to wait until early 2009 for its release, because what we've seen looks like everything PS3 fans have been waiting for. We don't want to use the phrase "Halo killer," because that's not what it is. It's something entirely different; we can't help but think that Killzone 2 may become the definitive PS3-exclusive shooter. Killzone 2's multiplayer experience is something entirely different ... by combining the best aspects of multiplayer gaming from Call of Duty 4, Battlefield, Team Fortress Online, Metal Gear Online and even the upcoming Resistance 2. Firstly, we have to note the visuals of Killzone 2's multiplayer mode. Even with support of up to 32 players on the PSN, Killzone 2 looks just as good online as it does in the single player campaign. The character models still look incredible, and the game's stellar use of motion blur and lighting still carries on into the online mode. The experience of Killzone 2's multiplayer offerings is all about leveling up, introducing players to new features. Newbies to the game's online mode will find themselves limited in the options they can access, as they learn the basics of the gameplay. With each kill, headshot, heal, and objective, players inch closer to increasing ranks. Ranks will unlock various things in multiplayer, like the ability to start a clan, or switch to a different, more customizable class. There will be twelve ranks in all, and players will learn new tactics and strategies along the way. %Gallery-4722%
Killzone 2 multiplayer: everything you need to know
Guerrilla hosted a Killzone 2 "online" (what else?) multiplayer tutorial at E3 today, detailing the ins and outs of the experience. What we saw borrowed much from recent efforts, including Call of Duty 4, Team Fortress 2, Metal Gear Online, and even Battlefield Bad Company. Player progression is at the core of Killzone's multiplayer, which supports up to 32 players and features 8 maps of varying sizes and 5 missions (game modes).Player progression is divided into 12 military ranks and 46 ribbons and medals, which, once earned, unlock game features. The key game feature is the badge (think: character class). There are six badges, unlocked through progression (except the default Rifleman), each possessing a primary ability and secondary ability, and linked to certain weapon groups. The badges are: Rifleman: default badge; no special abilities Engineer: erect automated turret (primary); repair skill (secondary) Medic: revive teammates; deploy health packs Scout: cloaking suit; tag enemies with hidden marker (they become revealed on team radar) Assault: heavy armor; sprint boost Tactician: green smoke grenades (they're spawn points!); AI sentry bot (it's the COD4 helicopter but cooler) Saboteur: enemy disguise; proximity-activated C4 charge Badges can be combined in order to merge two abilities from two different badges, creating a new class. For example, players can create a Medic Engineer possessing revive and repair abilities. (PS3 Fanboy has more on multiplayer classes.)%Gallery-28040%
The multiplayer classes of Killzone 2
Click for high-resolution image. We may have seen mostly single-player content of Sony's upcoming Killzone 2, but Guerrilla Games is promising a full-fledged multiplayer experience. Online play will allow players to customize their own characters by applying various traits, or "badges," from different multiplayer classes. There will be a primary and secondary badge available from each class to choose from. Also, although the Helghast and ISA look very different from each other, the effects of these badges are the same, regardless of which side you're playing on. The full list of multiplayer classes can be found after the break. %Gallery-4722%
Killzone 2 = pretty explosions
Sure, Sony didn't show this new Killzone 2 trailer off at their press conference, but instead snuck it up onto their press site after the show. Why? That's a good question, but don't worry your pretty little head about it. Just check the video out for over a minute of new Killzone 2 footage, including some more gorgeous explosions. We don't mind seeing grey and green 90% of the time when these super-colorful explosions are our reward. More explosions please.
Extended Killzone 2 footage
If you saw last week's Killzone 2 footage on vehicles, then suppose you may have been left awed and craving for more. If so, look no further as Gamekyohas posted an extended version of the in-game portion of that former video, giving a better look at KZ2's gameplay. While the game looks great, we're sadly reminded that we won't be able to play this until early next year. For now, just watch the video and dream of blowing Helghast to bits.
