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Killzone 2

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  • UK: February 27, 2009

Killzone 2
Developer(s)Guerrilla Games
Publisher(s)SCEE
Designer(s)Mathijs De Jonge
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
Genre(s)First-person shooter, Tactical, action[2]
Mode(s)Single-player, online multiplayer

Killzone 2 is an upcoming science fiction first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3, currently in development by Guerrilla Games and to be published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the third installment in the Killzone franchise that began on the PlayStation 2 with Killzone and was continued with Killzone: Liberation on the PlayStation Portable. First announced at E3, 2005 in Los Angeles, California,[4] Killzone 2 is set to be released on 25 February 2009 in mainland Europe excluding the UK and Ireland. For the UK, Ireland and the rest of the world the release date is 27 February 2009. On the 21st of January 2009, SCE announced that Killzone 2 had gone "gold".

Plot

Story

In time line, Killzone 2 follows Killzone: Liberation, and Killzone, and appears to take place entirely on Helghan, the home-world of the Helghast who invaded an Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony in previous Killzone installments. Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as Legion go on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. During the invasion of Helghan, Sev's unit is deployed behind enemy lines to assist the main invasion force. Tasked with securing the enemy capital of Pyrrhus, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a more formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to Helghan's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA - the very planet on which they live. A barren, unforgiving world, Helghan provides a ready defense with thick, acidic air, dust clouds, and violent surgical lightning storms. Sev discovers his squad is not just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.[citation needed]

According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, one of Killzone 2's primary objectives is to "disarm a stockpile of seized nuclear weapons."[5]

Additional details on the backstory to the game can be found here.

Characters

Main article: List of characters in Killzone

Sgt. Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko

Sgt. Tomas Sevchenko is the main protagonist of Killzone 2. He is described by Electronic Gaming Monthly as “a hard-working, by-the-books leader who exudes quiet professionalism.”[6]

Cpl. Dante Garza

Cpl. Dante Garza is described by Electronic Gaming Monthly as “a wisecracking smarty from a privileged family; his parents sent him to a military academy at a young age to straighten him out.”[7]

Sgt. Rico Velasquez

Rico, who allied with Cpt. Jan Templar in the first Killzone returns as a commander for Sgt. Sevchenko in the invasion of Helghan.[citation needed]

Gameplay

Killzone 2 at Sony's press conference at E3 2007.

With Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games aims to provide the player with an immersive and cinematic gameplay experience that is grounded in reality with what they call "Hollywood Realism". The game is almost entirely presented from a first person point of view, through Sev's eyes. Killzone 2 features a cover system named "lean and peek" which allows the player to take cover behind an object, and then pop out to fire at enemies. The "lean and peek" mechanic stays in first person view at all times. Killzone 2 will also support PS3 Trophies. It has also been announced that Sev is able to pilot vehicles, in an interview with the Dutch site www.gamekings.tv for instance, one of the developers has confirmed the player will be able to take control of a tank. Many Killzone classic weapons and vehicles such as the M82-G and the StA-52 LAR will be returning.[8] The six-axis will also be utilized in performing certain actions such as turning a wheel, arming an explosive charge and sniping(the more you move your controller, the less steady your aim will be).[citation needed]

AI-Bots

Killzone 2 has been confirmed to be supporting AI bots in multiplayer, both single player and online. These bots are drones in the beta version's multiplayer mode.[citation needed]

Multiplayer

Killzone 2's multiplayer component has been developed by Guerilla Games in parallel with the game's single-player campaign.[9] The multiplayer gameplay is class-based, meaning the player can choose a class of character which is specialized for a specific role to better suit the player's needs in battle. There will be 16 abilities in total in which the player can mix and match 2 of them according to their playing style, and can switch abilities upon death.[citation needed]

Up to 32 players can connect online, and group into squads of up to four players. Furthermore, two squads can group together as a faction of eight players. Killzone 2 also offers a clan system, which allows clans of up to 64 players to compete for "Valor Points", an in-game currency that clans can use to bet on tournaments.[citation needed]

In the level Corinth River, Sev is partnered with Garza, a fellow member in Sev's special forces squad. Garza is AI controlled, which has led to speculation towards the possibility of co-operative gameplay, where Garza's AI could be replaced by a human player.[10]

Vehicles have been confirmed to be part of the multiplayer experience and are to be patched after the game releases.[11]

Development

File:Killzone 2 E305.jpg
Killzone 2 at E3 2005.

2005

At E3 2005, Killzone 2 was debuted with a trailer depicting soldiers landing in a hostile war-zone on Helghan and fighting Helghast forces. Critics in the media argued that the trailer shown at the E3 2005 trade show did not show actual gameplay footage, as its high level of visual detail has been argued to be impossible to render in real-time on the PlayStation 3 and the audio mix of the trailer was slightly delayed. SCEA's Vice President, Jack Tretton, was quoted as saying that the Killzone footage, that was believed to be pre-rendered CG,"is definitely real" and "that is real gameplay everybody's seeing out there.quoted" Several days after the demo, Phil Harrison, SCEA Europe's VP of development, stated in an interview that all of the PS3 game footages at E3 2005 were "running off video" which was "done to PS3 spec" using "in-game assets" and "some things were rendered".[12] Tim Miller of the CG studio Blur stated in 2006 that they had turned down the offer to create the Killzone 2 clip, and that "a company in Scotland had worked on it".[13]

2007

At the Game Developers Conference in 2007, a Killzone 2 teaser was shown behind closed doors, and was never released to the public. It featured various battles, destructible environments, and lighting effects among others.[14]

Killzone 2 was shown to a panel of journalists at a special pre-E3 2007 event in Culver, California, and then the next day to the public at Sony's E3 press conference.[15] An in-game trailer showing real-time gameplay of Killzone 2 was also released,[16] along with several videos of extended gameplay.[17] A number of media outlets since E3, such as the BBC,[18] have referred to Killzone 2 as being "one of the most cinematic and immersive games ever produced on a console."[19]

File:Killzone 2 PS Day.jpg
Three screenshots of Killzone 2's "Corinth River" from Sony's PlayStation Day 2008

At the Games Convention in 2007, Killzone 2 was presented in playable form to the media. It was the same demo level as shown at E3 2007, although journalists were allowed to play it hands-on.[20]

2008

At Sony's PlayStation Day 2008, the first level in Killzone 2’s single-player campaign was presented, named "Corinth River".[21]

Beta access was given to a limited number of selected North American and European PlayStation 3 owners. The beta consists of online multiplayer mode server testing on three maps "Blood Gracht" (Small), "Radec Academy" (medium) and "Salamun Market" (Large), with unlockable ranks and character classes ("badges"). Beta testers have their own statistics and have the ability to enter clan competitions. Beta access is private hence it cannot be shared with other PSN accounts. Also, Beta testers are tied with SCE by a non-disclosure agreement, therefore they are not allowed to reveal contents of the beta experience. A demo card, granting access to the Killzone 2 demo, was also offered to those who Pre-Ordered Killzone 2 at Gamestop and is available for download on February 5th, 2009.[citation needed]

Technical information

The Killzone 2 beta version was displayed in high definition 720p, locked at 30 frames per second. However in Game Reactor magazine Guerrilla Games QA Manager Seb Downie revealed that the retail version will also support 1080i natively.[22]

Michal Valient, a Senior Programmer at Guerrilla Games, presented details of their Killzone 2 Engine [23] at a Developers Conference in July 2007. Like an increasing number of Sony-published titles, including LittleBigPlanet and inFamous, Killzone uses a deferred rendering engine which enables far greater control over the game's characteristic lighting palette, while maximising processor throughput and limiting shader complexity. Other games to use similar approaches include Rockstar Games' GTA IV and GSC Game World's Stalker.[citation needed]

However, the approach does create some additional problems; notably with respect to anti-aliasing and transparencies. The former was solved using a MSAA Quincunx (multisample anti-aliasing) solution, and the latter by the addition of a standard forward rendering path.[citation needed]

Reception

In Issue 27 of the Official PlayStation Magazine - Australia, Killzone 2 received a 10/10, and the game was said to have "amazing, fluid graphics and animation" as well as "beautifully constructed levels and intense sweaty-palmed action". The review concluded saying "Killzone 2 is the best console first person shooter ever made."

In their February 2009 issue, the US version of Official PlayStation Magazine gave Killzone 2 a score of 5/5, stating players "will instantly tag this sequel as a powerful contender for best game of 2009."[26]

In the February 2009 issue of the Official UK Playstation Magazine, they awarded Killzone 2 a 9/10 with the editor Tim Clark stating, "The most surprising thing isn't the visuals - anyone who's seen recent footage will know it's the most handsome thing on the system - but the fact it's got the gameplay to match. Killzone 2 is without question the most exciting release due in the first half of 2009."[27]

Based on four reviews, Killzone 2 currently holds a 97 Metacritic score[25] and 95% on Game Rankings.[24]

References

  1. ^ "Europe Gets Killzone 2 First". Gamezine. December 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  2. ^ "Killzone 2 Page". GamePro. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  3. ^ "Killzone 2 to natively support 1080i". PSX Extreme. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  4. ^ Sulic, Ivan (2005-05-16). "E3 2005: First PS3 Game Confirmations". IGN. Retrieved 2007-07-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "ESRB: You Will Disarm Nukes in Killzone 2". GameCyte. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  6. ^ Shane Bettenhausen, “Meet Alpha Squad: Killzone 2 debuts three fresh faces…and one old favorite,” Electronic Gaming Monthly 231 (August 2008): 61.
  7. ^ Shane Bettenhausen, “Meet Alpha Squad: Killzone 2 debuts three fresh faces…and one old favorite,” Electronic Gaming Monthly 231 (August 2008): 61.
  8. ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34201.html GameTrailers.com Interview with Steven Ter Heide
  9. ^ GameTrailers interview
  10. ^ computerandvideogames.com Killzone 2 co-op speculation
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ Gamesindustry.biz. E3: SCEE's Phil Harrison talks PlayStation 3. May 19, 2005.
  13. ^ SpikeTV. Interview with Tim Miller.
  14. ^ GameSpot Killzone 2 GDC 07 Impressions
  15. ^ E3 2007: Killzone 2 Impressions. IGN
  16. ^ Killzone 2 E3 2007 Trailer
  17. ^ Gametrailers.com - Killzone 2: Reviews, Trailers, and Interviews
  18. ^ State of Play: Killzone 2 hands on [2]
  19. ^ BBC NEWS | Technology | State of Play: Killzone 2 hands on
  20. ^ Killzone 2 impressions at GC '07 by IGN
  21. ^ Corinth River: Killzone.com News
  22. ^ Killzone 2 To Natively Support 1080i
  23. ^ 2007 Killzone 2 Deferred Rendering Engine Presentation (PDF File)
  24. ^ a b "Killzone 2 on Game Rankings". Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  25. ^ a b "Killzone 2 on MetaCritic". Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  26. ^ "Metacritic: Killzone 2". Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  27. ^ "dlb-network Killzone 2 OPM UK Review". Retrieved 2009-01-18.

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