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Joystiq hands-on: Killzone 2 single-player campaign
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 was 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.Obviously, a lot must be said about the visuals in Killzone 2. The debut CG trailer was supposed to be representative of what the PS3 could possibly do. While perhaps not as flawless as the original trailer, Killzone 2 is without a doubt one of the most beautiful games ever created. The attention to detail is quite impeccable: textures are crisp; character models move with complex, lifelike animation. Gallery: Killzone 2
Hands on with Killzone 2's single player campaign
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. Obviously, a lot must be said about the visuals in Killzone 2. The debut CG trailer was supposed to be representative of what the PS3 could possibly do. While perhaps not as flawless as the original trailer, Killzone 2 is without a doubt one of the most beautiful games ever created. The attention to detail is quite impeccable: textures are crisp; character models move with complex, lifelike animation. Continue reading Hands-on with Killzone 2's single player campaign on Joystiq
No hard drive installation for Killzone 2
ADD sufferers who happen to be Killzone fans can rejoice! According to Seb Downie, the QA Manager at Guerrilla Games, Killzone 2 won't have any sort of install on the hard drive, even if you wanted to! "No install. Optional or otherwise." Good to hear -- at least it is one less thing the naysayers can complain about. Now we have a new dilemma: what to do with the extra ten minutes of your life? Play more Killzone 2, duh. [Via VG247]
Killzone 2 beta ends this Sunday
The Killzone 2 public beta is drawing to an end this weekend. Guerrilla will use this final phase of testing to implement tweaks and features from feedback received during the beta test. For example, the Revive ability and Shotgun range will be changed before the game launches next year. There's still no word on when a Killzone 2 demo will be available. However, stay tuned as we'll have impressions of the full game in December.
WRUP: Killzone 2 box edition
Here's the official European box art for Killzone 2. Just because. Majed Athab - I was going to play Call of Duty: World at War this weekend, but I finished it yesterday. I also finally picked up Dead Space, which I'm hoping to finish. Then, if time permits me, there'll be some more Resistance 2 somewhere in there. Oh and the "packing game" because I'll be traveling on Monday. Jem Alexander - Mirror's Edge is ridiculously addictive, so no doubt I'll be continuing with that this weekend. After that? God knows. Still got a million games in their shrink wrap to play, but I'll probably keep playing Valkyria Chronicles and maybe some multiplayer Quantum of Solace. Alan Tsang - I may unwrap my copy of Resistance 2, maybe. But I'll definitely be playing more Dead Space and LittleBigPlanet. Andrew Yoon - Killzone 2. And not the beta. =D (Embargo ends December, folks. Can't talk about it until then!)
More recruits dropped into the Killzone 2 beta
"Look into my eyes ... you will beta test Killzone 2 multiplayer," the above image seems to say. Actually, the text that accompanied it – and went out to lucky PlayStation Underground members – said basically that (without the "Look into my eyes" part).According to the email – which may be in your spam folder right now – beta testers will be able to play 'round the clock, in addition to participating in scheduled test sessions with production team members from Sony and Guerilla on hand to kill you in an online zone. So, check your email. There may just be a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at you ... or at least a good deal on pet medications.
A whole new batch of Killzone 2 beta invites go out
It's time to play "check your email," kids! It looks like members of the PlayStation Underground have started to receive invitations to the Killzone 2 beta. With R2 now on store shelves, Sony's starting the hype machine for their next big FPS game, due in early 2009. It'll be interesting to see which game PS3 fans will align themselves with. Once again, take a look at your e-mail for an invite looking like this. Scour through your spam folder if you have to! [Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Apocalyptic new Killzone 2 trailer takes us to Helghan
Resistance 2 is only weeks away ... Which is why the hype machine for Killzone 2 must gear up! This new trailer of the hotly anticipated PS3-exclusive FPS looks incredibly epic. The visuals look spectacular, thanks to a great art style that blends bleak grays with some surprising bursts of color. Are you ready to wage war against the Helghast? Good. You'll want to check out the trailer, after the cut. [Thanks, Bryan!]
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
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 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%
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.
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%
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.
Killzone 2 vehicles on display
The latest episode of The 1UP Show features an exclusive first-look at Killzone 2's vehicles. Every bit of info that comes out for this incredibly secretive FPS gets us a bit more excited, and this impressive preview from the 1UP doesn't change the trend. We're going hands-on with the game at E3 next week -- let's hope it plays just as well as it looks. [Thanks, frankym!]
Killzone 2 featured in August EGM
EGM subscribers are going to have quite a surprise waiting for them at the end of this week. The cover story for this August's issue is none other than the PS3 exclusive FPS, Killzone 2. It's a project shrouded in mystery, and we're glad that (in spite of its 2009 release), we're going to learn more about this hotly anticipated game. 1UP, EGM's online counterpart, will have a few teasers online. SCEA's Mike Graham also promises that "as we get closer to E3," we'll start seeing more of the game. Can't wait! We're proud to say that once this issue comes out, we're heading straight to the bathroom and making a killzone of our own. (That pun didn't work as well as this, did it?)
