Killzone 2 Preview

The original Killzone (PS2) was largely criticized for having several blatant flaws, such as serious AI issues among other glaring technical glitches. Hell, the entire game was smacked for its slightly repetitive gameplay. On the other hand, the game's unique storyline, noteworthy design and decent online experience helped improve the situation. Due to its advantages, the franchise managed to garner a solid fan base, which is why the game's approaching full-on sequel also generated much attention during the E3 2007. Killzone 2 is, at present, a PS3 exclusive and is scheduled to ship some time during 2008.

Much like in the spirit of its predecessor, Killzone 2 relies heavily on art direction, which was more than obvious judging form last month's E3 trailer. Other visual aspects certainly hold more promise than most recent announcements for the PS3. When compared to the previous installment, the game boasts numerous improvements, from highly detailed soldier models to meticulously designed backgrounds. Each character is high poly and animated realistically, on top of featuring a set of convincing facial expressions, which all come together to make for a unique look. They are working on a few cool-looking death animations as well - soldiers may crawl on their hands and knees before drawing their last breath and so on. Impressive lighting effects contribute even more to the in-game action, judging from what was shown during a 15-min. presentation at the E3.

Even with all the next-generation visual splendor thrown in, the aforementioned art direction and design remain crucial in the process of bringing Killzone 2 to life. Realism is all part of the design process too. Guerrilla Games worked hard on implementing a decent damage model, which means you'll be able to blow up most of the objects in the environment. Damage stays true-to-life, while the extent of the damage varies depending on the materiel each object is made of.

The slickness of design and the attention to detail are what keeps the game's visual appeal unique. For example, the main character's weapon is blurred, ever-so-slightly, while the distance is razor sharp. It's really a different ambience than what we're used to seeing in typical modern-day shooters.

Concerning the gameplay, we've learned a number of preliminary details to satisfy our journalistic curiosity. Certain segments of the game involve the player heading on deadly missions. One of these missions takes you on a military maneuver, as your squad crash lands deep into a war-torn city. From what we've gathered, you must make your way up to an arc tower with what's left of your team. The tower represents some kind of lightning-based weapon that keeps zapping friendly airborne carriers into oblivion. Destruction of this electrical canon is your ultimate goal. The Helghast (the enemies you'll be up against) rely on weather manipulation and that appears to be their main source for powering their tools of war. The electrical canon, for instance, absorbs lightning and employs that huge amount of energy as highly destructive offensive weapon.

Killzone 2 should also feature a decent assortment of weapons, most of which remain undisclosed for the time being. We do know it's possible to pack two weapons simultaneously and swap between them at any time ('Halo' anyone? -Ed). Additionally, it's been mentioned you'll be using a selection of automatic weapons, including a handy 'little' rocket launcher causing a bit more destruction. Naturally, lobbing a few grenades should also be right up your alley - just lean around a corner and toss a grenade to clear the way. In order to ensure that players stay focused on the actual gameplay, the team at Guerrilla Games kept the design simple. For instance, when you move around without firing your weapon, there isn't any HUD. Also, your character starts taking too much damage, everything turns black and white, which lets you know it's time to find cover.

In relation to how players control their weapon, a few details have been revealed. Instead of a scope, every weapon in the game features an aim function, enabling you to look down the sights of your weapon. Certain weapons are equipped with the typical rifle sights. Also, a great deal of weapons are fully automatic, so aiming won't be 100% accurate all the time; another move towards more realistic weapon handling.

When working on the overall in-game ambiance, it's pretty much clear Guerilla Games is working towards the sort of chaotic action we've seen in games like Call of Duty, with intense battle situations. A large part of the development time has been spent creating suitable atmosphere with visual appeal, on top of assembling first-rate music and sound effects (as promised by the developers).

Although the original Killzone on the PS2 may not have struck a cord with most shooter fans, it appears SCEE and Guerilla Games are angling for the right thing this time around. From what was shown on the E3, things are shaping up quite nicely. Additionally the developers didn't hesitate to praise Sony's console, saying that the scope of the game is huge and creating it would never have been possible if it weren't for the Blu-ray technology. Hey, a little PS3 advertising won't go amiss, right?

Now, all you need to think about is purchasing a PS3 console. Well, the 80 GB version now costs $600, so you can at least think about it. Or you can just forget the whole thing and go buy an X360 120GB Elite for $449.99 (But you won't be able to play Killzone 2 if you do - Ed).