With the wait finally over, both Sony and Microsoft fans alike can rejoice. Killzone 2 is finally here. Sequel to the lauded Playstation 2 game by devlopers Guerrilla. The Helghast are back, and ready to tear into you. I got a chance to sit down with the demo tonight, and was pretty blown away by it.
The first thing I noticed right off the bat, was how different this game felt from any FPS I had played in the past. The physics on my rifle and animation as I ran had a heavy feeling to them. My gun actually felt like it had weight to it. Turning and aiming have a tiny lag to them like they would in real life. Slammed into the heat of battle against the Helghast on their home world, suddenly I had to be very aware of where I was aiming. In a game like Call of Duty, one could get away with shooting a little bit to the right or left and still hit their mark. It's hard to articulate with just words how the difference feels until you have the controller in your hands. I liked this change of pace, it feels like I was provided with an actual challenge instead of having the game aim for me. The AI is sufficently decent, at one point while trying to destroy a bridge I was surprised attack from all sides. It made for an interesting gaming experience not plagued by stupid opponents.
Now, how does it look? While graphics aren't essential to gameplay, this game is beautiful in motion. How does it compare to the trailer released back at E3 2005 that astounded gamers? Well in this girl's opinion Guerrilla has certainly surpassed it. Probably my favorite aspect is the color pallet chosen for the demo's beach level. Everything is mute, but in soft shades of blues with contrasting reds. It's a breath of fresh air from the brown, brown, and more brown of other games. Certain details were a nice added touch, like how you can watch blood from a fallen enemy dry and turn to disgusting brown right in front of your eyes. The faces and voice acting of your comrades is excellently executed, and definitely makes for a great experience.
Not too much more the can be commented on with a demo as short as this one. While first person shooters usually aren't really my forté, giving this game a shot was well worth it. Killzone 2 is something I believe actually does live up to the hype it's built up over time. It's challenging, looks good in motion, and most importantly it's fun. -Baroness out
