One pre-rendered trailer, 135 developers, 40 million dollars, a typhoon of internet abuse later and Guerrilla have finally done it - they've proven to the world that Killzone on PlayStation 3 not only exists in playable form, but looks just as good as the 'target footage' shown at E3 2005. At an exclusive unveiling in Los Angeles, we were treated to a live 30-minute demo of the game in action, with director Mathijs De Jonge and producer Steven Ter Heide playing a level in real-time, with a Sixaxis, on PS3.
The rest, as they say, is history. From the instantly gripping descent on the Vektan dropship - tinged with the fear that somehow this might still be all pre-rendered footage - to the frenzied landing and shiver-of-relief comprehension that, no, this is real, as bullets rain in with terrifying intensity; to the rifle's jaw-dropping HDR and zoom effects, to the dazzling rain-lashed rooftop where we're unnaturally thrilled at the sight of windswept wires: we were gripped in our seats, absolutely, honestly, astonished - and, well, more than a bit relieved. The E3 2005 trailer was a lie, but PS3's power, and potential, is faith re-affirmingly real.
As we shuffle out of the theatre, we find ourselves drawn to Sony Worldwide software boss, Phil Harrison, and - despite our default inclination to cynicism and crap British reserve - find ourselves garbling, "That was incredible, seriously," leaving Phil standing there like a proud dad, softly - and, we think earnestly - whispering "Thanks". Outside the demo theatre - think the trailer looks good on a PC monitor? Wait until you see it on a 15-foot projector screen in 7.1 Dolby Surround - we're dismayed to hear one or two journalists muttering indifferently or lamenting the lack of 'set-pieces'. So much so, we start poking one magazine editor in the chest and bark "If you don't like games, stop writing about them," before a colleague tells us to calm down.
And we know we've gone a little bit mad. But it doesn't really matter. Because if a game, however briefly, makes you think that the medium - the passion to which you dedicate a large part of your life - is capable of experiences, of new worlds, of visuals you never thought possible, then surely it's worth dropping the cruddy natural cynicism and just revelling in the frontier of possibility. Inner child - give me five.
Highlights? Watch it. In fact, watch Gundam: Target in Sight first, then Killzone 2. Are they really running on the same machine? The demo begins in the realistic, intricately-rendered clouds high above Helghan, the home planet of the evil Helghast army. You and your squad, a troop of ISA Special Forces soldiers called The Legion, are flying towards the planet's surface on the back of a Vektan cruiser. The scene is almost identical to the one shown in the 2005 trailer and it looks absolutely incredible. The soldiers are particularly impressive, with detailed clothing textures and expressive facial animations. You can actually see them psyche themselves up for the battle ahead and, according to the developers, a single character model has the same amount of polygons as a level in the first Killzone.
Calm before the storm But of course, this being a war game, the peace doesn't last. Suddenly one of the cruisers flying alongside you is struck by a lightning bolt and explodes, evaporating the soldiers on board. Your squad springs to life and the clouds below you part to reveal the Helghan capital city of Pyrrhus and its war-torn streets. It's an imposing sprawl of burned-out buildings, storm clouds, explosions and smoke stretching endlessly into the distance. And while all of this is happening, your team prime their weapons and prepare to land. It's like Saving Private Ryan meets Blade Runner.
When your cruiser hits terra firma the level begins proper. The transition is seamless and the game looks just as good from a first-person perspective as it does in the intro. The Legion charge into battle, running down a wide road scattered with debris, dodging gunfire from entrenched Helghast troops. A vehicle explodes and its driver spills out engulfed in flames and lightning bolts tear through the sky. It's utterly chaotic, and the game's 7.1 surround sound support makes it overwhelming not only for your eyes, but your ears as well.
Less haste, more speed It's here that we begin to understand how Killzone 2 works. The player cautiously makes his way up the street, taking cover behind anything, slowly but surely making his way towards a commander up ahead to receive his orders. He safely makes it behind a barricade and 'objective completed' flashes at the top of the screen, confirming that this is in-game, real-time, and with zero lull in intensity when you're being given orders by lavishly animated comrades. You find the commander crouched over a map. He orders you to push ahead and take out an anti-aircraft gun called an 'Arc Tower' that's blasting ISA cruisers out of the air before they have a chance to land. It's familiar first-person shooter fare, but the atmosphere and visuals make it a lot more interesting than another gloomy trudge through wartime Normandy.
Cover me You break your cover and continue, only to be immediately confronted by a Helghast hopping over a wall. The animation is scarily realistic; with motion-captured movements so natural, you almost can't believe he can be shot. But, as dazzling as it is, you have to ventilate the masked swine with your M-82 assault rifle. Zooming through the rifle's emerald-tinged sights, the depth of field effects are amazing. Everything around the reticule blurs and it mimics the behaviour of the human eyeball remarkably well. Fire the rifle and the muzzle flash lights up the walls around you, sending the Helghast tumbling backwards in a macabre dance of death, blood exploding from his chest. It's some of the most vivid and intense FPS action we've ever seen. From what we've seen, there are dozens of different Helghast types, ranging from the familiar black-helmeted variety to enormous heavy duty chaingun-toting guys whose hefty armour seems impossible to penetrate.
The next level It's instantly clear how different Killzone 2 is from most other first-person shooters. Not in terms of concept or gameplay, but in that it's so robust and dynamic. Surfaces shatter and crumble when your bullets hit them, characters move realistically through the environment with weighty animations and the levels are densely packed with detail and spot effects like power lines wobbling in the wind. While a lot of the set-pieces in Resistance and Call Of Duty 3 were amazing, it felt like more like you were a spectator rather than actually taking part. Killzone 2 changes all of this.
Guerrilla aren't focusing entirely on flashy visuals - they've also released details about Killzone 2's story. Not only will heavy weapons expert Rico Velasquez be returning, but special ops lady Lugar and Evelyn from Killzone: Liberation also show their faces. The plot focuses on the ISA taking the battle to the Helghast's front door after weakening them in the first game. You could also hear Scolar Visari's rousing speech from the first Killzone's intro movie blaring through speakers on the streets. He's the Helghast's evil dictator and we'd be very surprised if he doesn't return to cause us more bother in KZ2.
The beady-eyed Helghast are more inventive than the ISA could've anticipated. Somehow, they've managed to harness Helghan's atmosphere and, amazingly, use it as a weapon against invaders. Those Arc Towers we mentioned earlier play a key role. They use them to, we think, pull storm clouds from the sky, absorb their power and use the collected lightning energy like a laser beam. At the end of the demo we watched the developers destroy one of the towers. First, they fought their way through lines of Helghast to reach it, again showcasing the fluid animation and muzzle flash effects. When they reach the Arc Tower they push a button to open hatches on its side. This exposes a glowing red core, which is fired upon resulting in the tower's epic, fiery destruction. And then nothing. The demo... ends.
Setting the standard Killzone 2 was almost everything we'd hoped for, and miles ahead of what we secretly feared - not bad, for a relatively tame third level. The primary emotion, relief, was soon replaced with a tingling delight that Sony had lived up to the standards of that E3 2005 trailer. In 30 minutes, Sony transformed the perception of PS3 from an overpriced extravagance populated by me-too Xbox 360 ports, one of the most exciting, important consoles in the world. It doesn't have any gimmicks - time travel, performance-enhancing drugs, or gravity guns. Its 'novelty' is good looks, intensity, and how it single-handedly shames absolutely almost everything rival consoles had to offer. That said, it's the second time a Killzone 2 trailer has ruined E3 - this time for making almost every other game look so terrifyingly ordinary.
It doesn't have any gimmicks - time travel, performance-ehancing drugs, or gravity guns
you spelt enhancing wrong anyway back on topic how was the gravity gun a gimmick when it completely changed the way we play first person shooters and introduced proper physics into games and made it a standard for almost every game and even though i've only played the demo the 'drugs' in Bioshock made me approach the enemies in a different way instead of run and gun
im sorry to break the news but one game cannot make the ps3
one of the most exciting, important consoles in the world
also the bad thing about killzone was the gameplay and you havent talked about it much
How can a game whose primary "novelty" is its graphics, make everything else look ordinary? Aren't people moaning more and more that everything is same these days, only with prettier graphics??
It does look like a pretty sweet game, don't get me wrong, but I don't think its a show stopper. Graphics are awesome, but its still essentially an action-orientated FPS at heart, and I can't help but feel that the writer is a tad biased, if only because he got up in the face of some random strangers who were merely voicing there opinion. Thats fanboy behaviour if you ask me.
I'll wait for a more balanced opinion if its all the same.
And for a second time, the gaming media is being shammed and buying it. Did you use the controller your selves, guys? Did you play it yourselves? What a bunch of chumps. You can buy what ever Sony spoon feeds you if you like, but I'll believe it when I see it for myself, in my PS3. I hope it's true, believe me, but I've been duped by Sony too many times to simply "take thier word on it".
Tabloid journalism that. I'm sorry but the first game was completely average. Haven't heard any 'revolutionary' gameplay details to back this up as the killer app it thinks it is.
And that guy writing the preview sounds completely desparate for this game to be good. I'd have a lot more respect for these platform specific mags (oxm is the worst corporate bullcrap I've read in a long time) if they remained at least a little bit impartial. I'm not asking for cynical journalism, just someone to look at this game logically. A very pretty game with a very mediocre prequel with still a lot to prove in a very crowded genre.
I may be excited about Halo 3 but then I loved the prequels so at least I'm going on prior experience and a proven developer track record.
We haven't seen anything but tech yet, lets see it put its money where it's mouth is.
I agree to an extent about the quality of the article. It was very gushing and overenthusiastic. On what was largely a further tech demo.
Although most people doubted anything close to the trailer would be possible graphically. It says something about how the machine can be used at least. I cannot see this being anything other than light years ahead of the terrible prequel.
Waiting for some proper hands-on and more info though. The environments are the biggest turn off thus far.
I am envisioning a good, but not quite, reaction when it releases....A resistance sequel appeals to me a lot more though.
"It's instantly clear how different Killzone 2 is from most other first-person shooters. Not in terms of concept or gameplay, but in that it's so robust and dynamic"
this is why i hope the developers don't (but fear that they may have) lose sight of what makes a game truly great; its gameplay. no matter how many cans of gold paint i slap on a Pinto, its still a Pinto. the developers need to switch focus to gameplay, otherwise this will be a shallow-effort wasted big time.
Ummmmm you guys do know that video was all in game? And also the game will look better than that by the time it hits the shops. F*cking fanboys need to get a life!
what gets me so confused is why everyone is so exited, has anyone actually played it? does anyone know if it will be anything but the better looking, but still as dumb younger brother to a very average game? looking at the ps3 release list there are a lot of better games than this on the horizon.
funny, i don't hear anyone say that halo 3 is awesome or played a single palyer game - yet no one criticizes taht. so why negative spin on k2 android-sheep? can't u xbots stay on the 360 forums and go lick some m$ ass? if u don't care about the ps3 get outta here! i don't go to the 360 forums and start critisize that pile of crap!
All that this game had going for it ,was what was shown on a video,over a year ago,but now games have caught up with that level of pre rendered detail,in game,kill zone 2 has nothing to make it stand out from the crowd.
It will most likely be a continuation of the hyped halo killer ,that the first game was ,quietly disappearing (like kill zone did)under the true technology pushing,headline grabbing titles that are soon to open for pc public beta testing .
......................................
This is a topic which is open to disscussion,from anyone,wishing to voice their oppinions on the "unbiased,anus sniffing statement" from PSW,and just because said oppinions don't follow those of psw,doesn't mean they support one system over the other , so can't be voiced (but as a fan of the PS3,surely yyou can see how over stated/over the top,comical even, the PSW article is(if this appeared in C+VG from old,i would know it was some of their crack potted staff ,doing their usual mad malarky type of antics,but it's not))!
It's journalism that's on a par with the BBCs (blatantly biased corporation) best !
Remember people that the story quoted is from the "Official PS3 Magazine"! If that is not a reason to take a hefty and unhealthy pinch of salt while reading it, then I don't know what is.
Make no mistake though graphically the game is OMG good! But as previously stated before the bad taste left by the original still lingers!
Hopefully lessons have been learnt and this will be a little more intelligent and original then the first game.
Please don't make it a very pretty but also pretty average FPS. Just because it has next gen graphics doesn't mean that it will have next gen gameplay!
If this game has good gampley as well as graphics I'll eat the crow. That said this guys story was so f-ing over the top you would think he had just see the second coming. My concern is he is now counting his Sony money for writing this article.
funny, i don't hear anyone say that halo 3 is awesome or played a single palyer game - yet no one criticizes taht. so why negative spin on k2 android-sheep? can't u xbots stay on the 360 forums and go lick some m$ ass? if u don't care about the ps3 get outta here! i don't go to the 360 forums and start critisize that pile of crap!
I'm not gonna bother pointing out irony here. But can I just say that journalists HAVE played Halo3 (single player) and theres plenty of articles all over the interweb and in high street publications. They seem to all say the same thing, its reassuringly Halo, but with better graphics, and more cool stuff.
I think there has been some brief play sessions on this. Comparing Halo 3 which is less than a month from release to this is a touch unfair. Positive reactions are not just exclusive to the OPM. Most websites seem very impressed with what they displayed thus far. I agree fully that the reaction is largely to do with the graphics. But it was actually a big talking point between gamers for the best part of two years as to how likely it was the gameplay would actually resemble the trailer. To be honest this got a much better reaction from both press and gamers than I expected.
Journalists hype things..especially cross format...it is a good way to get people arguing on their sites.
hmmmm I might click on that P&O Dover to Calais advert....only £35 each way!
funny, i don't hear anyone say that halo 3 is awesome or played a single palyer game - yet no one criticizes taht. so why negative spin on k2 android-sheep? can't u xbots stay on the 360 forums and go lick some m$ ass? if u don't care about the ps3 get outta here! i don't go to the 360 forums and start critisize that pile of crap!
I don't own a 360, you need to lean how to spell, and also to stop having a go at anyone who says anything negative about playstation games, what did sony ever do for you to deserve such loyalty? there is no need to stick up for them, they are just a heartless company out to get your money in any way they can, they don't care about you as long as you buy their products just the same as nintendo and microsoft. I also played the original and it was crap (IMO), sequels to poor games rarely do much better than the original.
Does anybody remember what score psm gave the original killzone,the uk ops2 mag gave it 9/10,Went out and bought it only to discover it was s**t more like 5/10 its only obvious there going to big it up
Killzone 1 wasnt half as bad as most people make out. It was quite linear, and there was a lot of glitches and bugs. but apart from that i thought it was a pretty good game.
If they sort out the above problems and make it a bit more up to date, then why would it suck as much as everyone thinks it will?
At worst itll be an average game that looks amazing.
And to the guy questioning if its real (haha!), will you only be happy when theres a demo up for download!? if someone is clearly playing the game right in front of you i dont think it will be pre rendered...
It doesn't have any gimmicks - time travel, performance-ehancing drugs, or gravity guns
you spelt enhancing wrong anyway back on topic how was the gravity gun a gimmick when it completely changed the way we play first person shooters and introduced proper physics into games and made it a standard for almost every game and even though i've only played the demo the 'drugs' in Bioshock made me approach the enemies in a different way instead of run and gun
im sorry to break the news but one game cannot make the ps3
one of the most exciting, important consoles in the world
also the bad thing about killzone was the gameplay and you havent talked about it much
Back to the fanboys: At least try and make a good, valid, unbiased argument about why the game didn't impress you.
It doesn't have any gimmicks - time travel, performance-ehancing drugs, or gravity guns
you spelt enhancing wrong
*sighs*
anyway back on topic how was the gravity gun a gimmick when it completely changed the way we play first person shooters and introduced proper physics into games and made it a standard for almost every game and even though i've only played the demo the 'drugs' in Bioshock made me approach the enemies in a different way instead of run and gun
They meant the game doesn't have any usual gimmicks and plays FPS like its supposed to play.
im sorry to break the news but one game cannot make the ps3
one of the most exciting, important consoles in the world
They said this game showed the PS3's potential of becoming "one of the most exciting consoles in the world".
Anyway, what does the 360 have other than Bioshock, Halo, and the "best game ever"-but-now-like-an-out-of-fashion-trend Gears of War?
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