PLAY preview: Killzone 2
For a game that wasnt particularly innovative or competent, Killzone was heaped with an unwarranted amount of praise. Inexcusable technical issues were blamed on the PS2 hardware, instead of the developer, while the slightly hammy premise was praised for being kitsch, rather than embarrassing. With Killzone 2, similar questions hang over its quality although its fun to believe that the second instalment could be the triple-A FPS that the fi rst game failed to be, its diffi cult to see how Guerrilla will actually achieve that. To be fair, though, a solid FPS that borrows from every other title is probably what PS3 owners need, right now, and the thick layer of gloss that runs over everything doesnt hurt.
Much of what Sony has released so far looks like average FPS fare, in spite of this thick coat of polish. The action in Killzone 2 takes place on Helghan, in the midst of the ISAs invasion, so theres a real business to the ambience of the world. Ships fl y overhead, while explosions can be heard in the distance. Guerrilla wants to create a focused, war-torn atmosphere that will remind gamers of the Vietnam confl ict. With a range of extreme weather conditions thatll apparently affect certain levels, Killzone 2 aims to push the fi sh-out-of-water tone to the fore.
The gameplay doesnt look particularly innovative, in basic terms, but the cover system in Killzone 2 is looking rather substantial. It reminds us of Rainbow Six Vegas, in the way it works, but Killzone 2 will benefi t from the fact that each level is heavily populated with that in mind, cover is likely to become an integral aspect of the gunplay.
We know thats hardly a revolutionary take on the FPS, but its still a signifi cant addition. Useful cover spots are prevalent in Killzone 2, and due to the large, open environments, theyll be as essential to survival as they were in GRAW 2. The environments in Killzone 2 will vary between the sizeable, freedominvoking battlefi elds, but also the more standard-sized arenas, like warehouses and corridors.
We have a lot of hope for the battlefi eld sections, especially if Guerrilla manages to cram entire armies on screen at once. Killzone 2 just has to capture that feeling of war, so accurately. They came close with the fi rst game, but the onslaught of bugs completely derailed any potential realism, while the visuals and compressed sound couldnt quite capture the atmosphere that was necessary.
With 7.1 surround sound, however, and the massive capacity of the Bluray disc, this shouldnt be a worry. It doesnt look like every part of the game will push the PS3, anyway. Some of the gameplay footage weve seen looks very clichéd, resembling just about every FPS released in recent years a warehouse, for example, isnt the most thrilling venue for a shoot-out. Enclosed spaces like this are a particular worry, since Killzone 2s bland colour palette prevents them from having any impact. Theres no visual fl air in slow, quiet environments like this, whereas the full-on war sections look absolutely thrilling.
Adding variety to proceedings will be a number of vehicle sections, which are still an untested quantity. More information about them is likely to surface at E3, but the idea alone is worthwhile, since the constant cover-shoot-move mechanic is likely to grate. Another item looking to mix things up is the Sixaxis feature
uh-oh! It doesnt look terrible, but its used for inane tasks like twisting valves. We dont fi nd this particularly interesting.
Still, Killzone 2 might prove itself to be a next-gen extravaganza. Granted, were annoyed that its slipped from 2008 into 2009, leaving the PS3 with a repeated Christmas line-up from 2006, but maybe the wait is justifi ed. Killzone 2 looks cinematic, bold and entertaining, though standard in many ways. It still has a lot to prove.
http://www.play-mag.co.uk/ps3/games/killzone_2/killzone_2_preview2.html