Killzone 2 and Its Effect on Future Shooters

Killzone 2 is here, and it's excellent. It has the potential to be one of the best things to happen to shooters on the Xbox 360, and shooters in general.

If other games follow in its footsteps, there could be many top-notch FPS titles on the horizon.

[forthegamergood]

Killzone 2 is the first step in a new level of graphics, though from what I've read, a lot of the gameplay is debated as either fantastic or very generic and poor.

Great article, really well researched, you should read into the Halo 3: ODST stuff more, as it gives you a breakdown of new weapons etc, but the hypothetical questions you ask about it are valid, and well thought-out :)

[MrJack]

The graphics are top notch, and it has better gameplay then CoD.

Only noobs complain about the sensitivity, I haven't even knocked it up a single notch and ALWAYS come first or second online.

[OGharryjoysticks]

I've played it. The gameplay is rock solid. If anybody is actually claiming the gameplay is generic or poor they are just hating on the game and fooled you.

[italianbreadman]

With all the conflicting opinions of Killzone 2, I feel like I just have to play it myself.

I thought the first Killzone was "generic and poor," but I have a feeling this one is actually going to be innovative and excellent... not to mention gorgeous.

[el_bandito]

Arguably its the year's best shooter/game as of the moment, and most technically and graphically advanced game to date. Effect? Of course the great great effort to beat this game in its glorious aspects; yep its competition amongst all developers to create a game of the same caliber----everyone wins!

[JsonHenry]

I personally think the game looks great for a console. Much better than what I thought was possible (even though textures are all washed out and bland).

However, lack of an invite system, no way to check the ping of the server you are on/connecting to, and very small amount of variety of weapons leaves a lot to be desired.

However, future patches, and add-ons through DLC should fix these problems. This game will tide me over until the new CoD ships later this year.

[Ju]

This game does for me for the MP what Resistance did for me for shooter genre in general back then. It got me into the game. I really didn't like competitive online play to much (and I have really tried a couple, and the only thing I could come up with is Bad Company, and R2 co-op). But this game gets you hooked and is very addicting. You want to progress because you want to unlock these damn special abilities to make you even more deadly. The rank progression is very well balanced and the XPs do the rest. The pace is slow, maybe just right for an old guy like me. At the same time turn around within the game is fast, action packed, never gets bored.

[CobraKai]

The gameplay is just as tight as any fps. I don't know what their expecting in terms of innovation, but I'll be damned if this isn't one of the most intense fps I've ever played. Seriously, I felt that Modern Warfare was intense, but this just outdoes it.

[Gorgon]

"
Arguably its the year's best shooter/game as of the moment, and most technically and graphically advanced game to date"

You forgot to add "on consoles" there.

[xboxlj]

I honestly cannot get into Killzone 2 for some reason. I know people are going to claim I am a fanboy, but I am being honest. I really do wish I could find a truly excellent game for my ps3. So far MGS4 is the only game I would put in that category on the ps3. BTW, I was also very disappointed with Halo 3, but I do like the series overall.

[solidt12]

Killzone 2 puts tremendous pressure on Halo 3: ODST. It better not look like Halo 3 or people will be disappointed. With it only being an expansion and not a full game I think it will look better than Halo 3, but not as good as Killzone 2.

[xboxlj]

I don't expect for it to look nowhere near Killzone 2. I am not really expecting much from it. I do however hope that they make a Halo 4, with a better story and varied gameplay.

[y0haN]

KZ2's online shows that you don't need a massive ranking system to keep players happy, but you do need an elaborate reward system. People can get to the highest rank in say 15-20 hours, but gathering ribbons and therefore new abilities is where the fun is at, and all of that comes afterwards. The ranking system is obviously just there as a sort of training program, so that players of better skill aren't playing with new people (like Bootcamp, on Call of Duty.) The fact that you earn skills not for random feats, like any form of kill, such as in CoD (earning new weapons or skills at a level), but for actually completing tasks creates a more involving experience and more determined players.

The fluidity of the gameplay, such as when a game mode has ended and the next one begins immediately, as well as the ability to join squads, communicate within them, and spawn on your leader, as well as a tactician's (one of the unlockable classes) ability to place mobile spawn points helps players keep the action going without ever zoning out.

The apparent "laggy" controls were never felt by myself, but I have read many complaints of it online. I can only deduce that these people are too used to twitch shooters like CoD/Counter-Strike. The purpose of the controls being more relaxed is that you are meant to feel like your arms are, well, arms. You're meant to have a sense of weight in the world and not feel like some camera-controlled gun.

These are the reasons I like this game.

My 2¢.

[italianbreadman]

Yeah, definitely a good read. The more that competition spurs creativity and refinement, the better.

[mint royale]

but I doubt developers would have just suddenly realised what they have to do in order to create awesome games. The next huge blockbusters are already in development :)

[italianbreadman]

Haha, true. There's no "light switch" necessary to realize that great graphics, sound, gameplay, etc. makes a great game.

[Chubear]

they'd said "hahaha!!! you cant' even hope to do those kinds of graphics even on the PS4!" and we're seeing this in essentially the first 2 years on the PS3.

With about 5 more years to go before the PS4 launches (and that'll need about a year to get going) isn't it funny how upcoming games are now expected to look like KZ2 even though it was said it could never happen this gen.

[Socomer 1979]

Always innovating the industry and having others follow in thier footsteps. Its so cool that this company and the people who work for them are making videogames for us. I appreciate everything & will always buy a PS3 exclusive before any multiplatform game to show my support. Sony you are Awesome.

[jBat17]

unlike those complaining noobs, i did my time to play a lot of MP and got used to the controls in a day or 2.

here's why it's not broken: the sniper gun. it's accurate and responsive. no "deadzone". plus the motion sensing is perfect.

every gun handles differently. get used to it.

the only glitch is with the shotty. it auto-aims too easily for an instant kill. but the guys using it aren't complaining.

[Chubear]

KZ2 has spoilt my arse rotten. I have to jolt myself to ignore my thoughts of going "wtf, this looks like last gen" when I play other FPS now.

[Pennywise]

I'm with you. I feel sorry for console devs now... they have high standards to meet.

[Chubear]

not if they come to their senses and make sure they get their hands on the Edge Engine used in KZ2. With Sony's customer support, they could do great things with this engine.

[Close_Second]

...with Gears on the 360. Was easily the best looking game that came out for quite some time (may still be the best on the 360!!). I started comparing everything post Gears to Gears and nothing quite hit the mark as well as Gears.

Killzone 2 is a visual feast and although it can be improved (i.e. the little things such as being able to shoot the flags that litter the landscape, residual bullet holes, etc) its going to be hard to play anything else. For instance, Resistance 2 (albeit a great game) looks positively last gen compared to K2. It also makes the COD games look old and dusty.

K2 is going to be one hard act to follow.

[solidt12]

Yeah Im with you guys. I feel sorry for Infinity Ward because they are a top class studio when it comes to FPS games, but since Modern Warfare 2 will be Multi-platform I don't think it will get close enough to Killzone 2, but of course it will still sell well.

[CobraKai]

There has been far too much work done for this engine that it would be a total waste just to have it be used on only Killzone.

[Xbots]

Killzone 2 best FPS & MP this Gen, FACT...

[Chubear]

FACT!!!!!!

[Hallucinate]

did he say kz2 was on the xbox? or was he saying its good for the xbox cause they gotta step up there game

[Chubear]

the latter

[solidt12]

They gotta step it up Brother!

[Socomer 1979]

the controls:

The analog sticks have rings. the small ring is where you lightly hold or tap to guide the hand for the shot.

the mid ring on the analog sticks is where you move the arm for your shot.

the outer ring is where you hold to move the upper body in the direction for your shot.

and thats just the looking aspect of your controls. now figure it out.
if you are tapping to much or making hard pulls and fast looks when you dont want to, its because you are dancing in between the 3 different radius of the controls and it makes you look STUPID.

lol. Does anybody understand what im saying?
is anyone old enough that has play killzone 1 online?
remember how the avatar looks when the camera is pulled to 3rd person when you die?
upper body and lower body are independant from eachother. it was and still is like controlling a running back in a football game. aaarrrrhh, here i go over explaining it again. disregard the football statement and remember this: Its simple! stop jerking around and guide your shots and your feet.

[DJ]

and programmers confidently stated "Killzone 2 isn't possible on this generation of hardware" when the trailer came out, particularly citing the animation and lighting quality.

I expect auto-aim (it's subtle, but most FPS titles use it) and twitchy controls to quickly disappear from the scene, with spread and recoil making a gradual return.

[shawnsl65]

there's an auto aim option in this game? Well i haven't seen it. Although i haven't played multiplayer yet.. still trying to unlock all trophies in the single player campaign.

[DJ]

Killzone 2 doesn't have auto-aim, which is a bit jarring at first. Forces you to be a better player.

[decapitator]

The thing that impresses me the most about all this thing is the fact that Sony is slowly but surely creating an ultimate line up of AAA first and second party studios like Nintendo.

At the same time, they are setting bars in some aspect with various games which are also available exclusively on their console.

Kudos to them. Imagining the team they will have assembled as time goes on just blows my mind.

[Ldubbz]

While it looks pretty good, this game does nothing new gameplay wise that any other game would use. The game itself to me...the AI reminds me of FEAR (and the Helghast even look like the guys in FEAR, plus the red eyes), an the game itself honestly reminds me of Gears meets CoD.

I have only played thru the first level, but it really surprises me that no one else gets that too. Maybe its just me, but I swear it feels like Gears and CoD had a love child. Not that that is a bad thing necessarily.

but when you look down the gun sights it definitely is CoD, and the gameplay itself is very Gears like, with a lot of stop-and-pop. I also feel the cover mechanic feels clumsy, but maybe I just need to get used to it more.

First level was pretty fun, but not inspiring. Will play some more today...and try the MP

[Ju]

"Will play some more today...and try the MP"

I'd recommend that. If you haven't touched the demo and the first level is all you have played, then I could imagine it might take some time to get used to.

I was impressed by the visuals from the start, but I had high hopes and was possibly excited to get my hands on the game.

None the less, the game started to sink in after I played the demo 2-3 times, to be honest. And after that it creates this, "damn how could I ever have it done any other way" feeling.

[Ldubbz]

Yeah, I played the demo, and received the full game from Gamefly yesterday. The game definitely plays different than the demo, because I boosted the difficulty. The controls feel clunky to me though; Im currently trying the Alternate 2 setup, and I have my sensitivity jacked all the way up as well, and it does feel better than in the demo, but still takes getting used to.

Graphically, it is a very clean, very good looking game. I suggest taking the PS3 off of the "Full" setting (which isnt good for TV's anyhow), and leaving it at 720p.

I think the argument that this is the best looking shooter (on console) is valid one. I will be honest. That doesnt mean its the flat out best, because I honestly think Gears 2 is damn impressive, but as far as FPSes go, this just might take the crown from COD. The only thing is COD is 60fps, so with that in mind its a tossup for me. But it looks very good nonetheless.

[nycredude]

You're just stating what reviewers have been saying. It doesn't do much new but what it does it perfects it. Seems to me like you are fighting the way the game plays cause you think it's like your favorite games. Just give in to the controls and eventually everything will click and you will realized how the game is meant to be played. you just can't play this game with sensitivity all the way up! Also it took me 3 levels for it to "click for me" so be patient as it will be rewarded. the latter levels gets much better!

[Why dis]

LOL

[ActionBastard]

I wonder if Halo 3: ODST will up the ante any? Surely MS is going to want to release a "WOW" FPS. Killzone 2 has definitely set the bar pretty damn high.

[Ldubbz]

They definitely have to come out swinging with ODST. I dont think they have to set out to be the best looking game necessarily, but it will have to be able to stand with the current cream of the crop.

Very interested to see what they can do with that engine after a couple of years time.

[CobraKai]

I hope it's something that's really different. Not just HALO sans Master Chief.

[bviperz]

Becuase it levels up the playing field somewhat. You actually have to aim to get most kills. Spray and pray only works if the dude is in front of you reloading/afk. Run-and-gun/twitch gamers you have met your match.

[edgeofblade]

Then we will buy and play games that appeal to what we want to play. That's Guerrilla's and Sony's loss.

All I ask is that they have some consistency in the control style. It's like a cross between Halo's controls and COD's accuracy model. Choose one, already! We should be sighting our guns with a trigger, not a stick click.

[nycredude]

have you even played the game? You "can" change the controls to pretty much COD's!

[bigboss911]

i wish they would go in the direction of K2. Not be copies of it but try and perfect perfection. Dont just spew out the same crap all the time. we can only fight in Middle east, Russia, Storm Normandy,and so on. Scifi shooters are cool but push out in other directions. If you read the back story of killzone, how we had to leave earth in search of new planets. how we still are the same screwed up selfish people billions of miles from home. it kind of a sad story<- to all the people that complains about the sp. Also developers need to work together to achieve greatness. yes you have to compete but friendly competition is better than this flamebait fanboy garbage that makes me want to kick my fellow gamers in the groin. to anyone who feels the same, agrees would be nice

[bonesmccoy]

I think K2 has definitely set a new standard for:

Immersion: The graphics and sounds are perfect. The level design is grea. The only minor gripe is the amount of swearing - it gets old really fast.

Gameplay: Everything in this game works. There isn't an idea/concept you'll encounter that feels that it should have been fleshed out differently, or is incomplete. The controls are fine.

Story: It's a love it or hate it affair, but it's far from the tired and derivative narratives we've been force fed by Bungie, Epic, Infinity Ward and Insomniac for the last 3-4 years. The story isn't deep, but it's effective.

It's not a perfect game by any means, but it's by far the best *new* game we've seen on a current gen system since Gears of War came out in 2006.

[edgeofblade]

Killzone 2 is going to make the multi-mission-in-a-single-sess ion gametype a standard. That's my prediction. That's one of the innovations I truly appreciate. Beyond that, I really hope the tilt sensor gimmick doesn't stick...

[coberste]

I've played about 14 hours of Killzone 2 and found it to be a total clusterf*** more often than not. Guys spawning everywhere running around with a shotgun trying to shoot the same guy 3 or 4 times dancing around a room. Its totally retarded to watch. No tactic involved. The larger maps are great. The smaller maps mixed with the objectives create mass hysteria and a massive headache. That's when I hit the off button. I'm done.