TITLE | KILLZONE 2
PLATFORM | PLAYSTATION 3
GENRE | FIRST PERSON SHOOTER
DEVELOPER| GUERRILLA GAMES
PUBLISHER | SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT

RELEASE DATES | EUROPE FEB 25 | USA FEB 27 | JAPAN APRIL 23

RATINGS | PEGI: 18+ | ESRB: M (Mature) | OFLC: M (Mature) | BBFC: 18



METACRITIC | UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM

SKU | Standard Edition Only

PREORDER BONUS

BESTBUY Exclusive PS3 Killzone 2 Theme
AMAZON Exclusive Killzone 2 Character Costumes for HOME
GAMES.ES KILLZONE 2 Tin Case
EBGAMES Singleplayer Demo February 5th*
GAMESTOP Singleplayer Demo February 5th*
EBGAMES (Australia) Exclusive Killzone 2 Tin Case
PLAY (Europe) Exclusive PS3 Killzone 2 theme
GAMECRAZY Exclusive Killzone 2 t-shirt.
SHOPTO (Europe) Steel Cover

*Singleplayer demo will release Feb 26th to all on the PS Store and Feb 5th for EBGames and Gamestop pre-orders
(demo codes is being handed out now). In Europe the singleplayer demo will release to all on the PS Store on Feb 5th.
Demo consists of two first sections in Corinth River (level 1). Landing and warehouse (tutorial basically).

GENERAL STORY OUTLINE
Get ready to take on the full strength of the Helghast war machine from a dramatic first-person perspective with Killzone 2 for the PS3.
From Amsterdam based Guerrilla Games, this much anticipated follow-up to Killzone for PS2 and Killzone: Liberation for PSP drops
you right into the boots of the battle hardened special forces soldier Sev. Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA are
taking the fight to Helghan. Their goal: to capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt.
You assume the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



GENERAL

• First Person controls simulating real weight and heft heightening tactical approach. Every inch of the battlefield a gift.
• Two games in one. Campaign mode and Competitive modes (Warzone/Skirmish) realised with exceptionally high standards.
• 720p @ 30fps (also supports 1080i/1080p & SD).
• No install.
• Deferred rendering engine. Supports hundreds of lights in-view in contrast to other engines which have tens of light sources on an entire map.
• Hit-response system. Combining motion captured animations with physics impulses creates death animations and hit responses with very
• convincing weight and presence. Killzone 2 will bring this technique to the limelight.
• Special FX Tall order of additional high end effects. Per Pixel Motion Blur across entire screen resolution. Advanced shadowing techniques.
• MSAA. Noise filter. Volumetric clouds. Depth based color grading. Internal lens reflections. Normal mapping. Depth of field. Wind physics.
• Particle physics(!) and other impressive niceties taking use of the PS3 hardware like no game before.
• Advanced A.I. Face truly environment aware opponents who move and spread fast enveloping your position and flushing you out of hiding.
• They respond and adapt quickly to shifting situations with a high sense of self preservation. Combined with tens of thousands of recorded combat
• lines makes every encounter unique.
• Art and Assets from people with backgrounds in engineering, aeronautics and industrial design.
• 7.1 Uncompressed Native Surround Sound (up to four different filters per sound effect, distance to player, ray casting to mould reverbs, decays
• and enveloping according to closed/open space).
• Music by Joris de Man (KZ1, KZL), Live music for cutscenes (Abbey Road Studios), interactive music for gameplay. Standalone Soundtrack
• release hinted at.
• Over twenty on-foot weapons.
• Sixaxis features including Sniper steadiness (holding your hands still will prevent shake).

CAMPAIGN

• Story mode length ~10 Hours and ten levels.
• Four difficulty settings. Hardest difficulty (no HUD) unlocked when storymode is completed once.
• Vehicles. Tanks, turrets and more...
• Cover System. Campaign mode (only) features a "lean and peek" cover system which allows the player to take cover and then pop out to
• fire at enemies. The "lean and peek" mechanic stays in first person view at all times.
• Campaign exclusive weapons. For obvious balance reasons...
• Campaign exclusive Sixaxis functionality like twisting handles or placing bombs.
• Boss fights as well as mini-bosses.
• Intel and secrets to locate.

WARZONE | Online Multiplayer
Up to 32 Players

Warzone is not only the overall name for Killzone 2's online multiplayer mode, it's a feature that embed a variety of game types. It's all about
getting you into tailor built games and then keeping you there. Unlike other shooters, you don't exit a map in this title to change the gametype.
Warzone smoothly shifts between different goals of play within the very same fight. It may start out with bodycount but after a while you get
orders shouted at you to plant propaganda speakers in the oppositions area. If you succeed at this you might suddenly find yourself as the
assassination target of the opposing force. For each different gametype and objective thrown at you there's a point to obtain, the faction with the
most points in the end is declared victorious in the Warzone. Winners enjoy the sweet reward of a 50% XP bonus not to mention the glory. Matches
are therefor epic in size and dangerously addictive, you will wish for this to be the standard in all competitive games.

The competitive mode revolves around a deep class based system. As you earn XP and various ribbons, more and more classes and abilities as
well as weapons gets unlocked for you to use. Each class has both a primary ability as well as a secondary ability (refered to as badges
within the game). When you have two or more classes at your disposal you may choose to combine them into a hybrid class. For example, an
Engineers primary badge ability is to deploy automated Turret stations that pepper the enemy with lead. At the same time you wish to directly aid
your team mates. A good choice then would be the Medics secondary badge ability which is throwing health packs (bags of blood). By
combining these skillsets you now create yourself a new hybrid class which is the Engineer Medic. Within a team you may also set up Squads
consisiting of four players. HUD indicators will pop up showing the status of those team members and you may converse with them freely for better
on-foot planning.

In Killzone 2's online multiplayer you can quickly choose to join the battles your friends are fighting, there's no down time. Speaking of friends, Killzone 2
delivers the most hefty and in-depth clan and tournament geared competitive mode in any console game. Clans support up to 64 members (that means
up to four full teams under one roof). The game comes with a fully built in tournament system, there's no need to artificially arrange this outside of the
game as it's hard coded straight into the experience. You may also arrange matches via Killzone.com. Any tournament ladder may support as many as
128 clans at anytime. Each new clan starts out with 100 Valor points. Before each clan match you may bet Valor points on your team. The winner takes
all robbing the competition of theirs. If you think multiplayer wins and losses in other shooters have been an emotional affair you haven't seen anything
yet. Online drama in Killzone 2 will reach new heights, ultra sweet victories and truly bitter tear defeats. Your honor is at stake. This is all on top of the
downright brilliant gameplay and audiovisual feast that Killzone 2 delivers, the game will leave a hefty footprint in the competitive landscape.



SKIRMISH

For players who aren't interested in competing with other players or for folks without an online connection. Same feature set as Warzone
(minus community aspect). Supports 1 player and up to 15 A.I controlled Bots that uses the same abilities a human player enjoys. Bots
can be set to four different difficulty settings. Just like Warzone mode you will grow in rank over time earning new classes, weapons
and abilities. If your Warzone (online) rank is higher the Skirmish (offline) rank will be updated to that level of progress (but not visa versa).



TO SUM IT UP

WARZONE

• Dynamically changing gametypes/objectives during matches without the need to exit.

5 GAMEPLAY TYPES

• Assassination (kill or defend specific player target).
• Bodycount (team deathmatch).
• Search and Retrieve (find and place propaganda speaker).
• Search and Destroy (C4 a communication device).
• Capture and Hold (claim territories).

CLANS
Each clan supports up to 64 members which is four full teams.

Valor Points

• Each clan starts out with 100 valor points. These are permanent across all games. Do you feel lucky?
• Bet a high amount of valor points on your team prior to a match. Winner takes all. Online drama.

Tournaments
Built in toolset that supports 128 clans per ladder, tournaments started by individual users. Clan can
only be active in one tournament at a time.

Squads
Create squads when in a game for up to four players. Better communication as well HUD
indicators showing their status.

Bots
Not enough players? You only want to play with close friends? Add A.I controlled bots to online
matches. Takes use of the same abilities a human player enjoys and comes with four difficulty
settings.

Rewards

• Winners get 50% XP Bonus. Leveling up earns you new classes and weapons. Earn ribbons through
• various feats. A collection of ribbons earns you secondary abilities and weapons. You only get rewards
• for actions against human players, bots are not included.

32 Players

• Dedicated Servers. Both Worldwide & Regional play options.

8 Maps

• There are eight of them.

XMB music plugin

• Custom music in multiplayer.

Killzone.com

• Check heaps of personal or clan data. Set up clan matches and join tournament ladders remotely.
• Forums. News.

CLASSES

6 classes with a primary badge ability and a secondary badge ability each (+ Rifleman base class).
You can combine a primary badge ability and a secondary badge ability to create a hybrid class.
The classes are:



The default multiplayer character is assigned when no primary badge is selected. A secondary
badge may still be added. Riflemen can start with most weapons, except for the specialized ones.



Primary badge ability: Revives downed team mates.
Secondary badge ability: Throws a health pack, which can be picked up by other players.



Primary badge ability: Sets up an automated turret which targets the enemy.
Secondary badge ability: Repairs ammunition dispensers, mounted guns, and automated turrets.



Primary badge ability: Throws a coloured smoke grenade, which serves as a spawn point.
Secondary badge ability: Requests air support from a sentry bot which targets the enemy.



Primary badge ability: Dons heavy armour twice as strong as normal.
Secondary badge ability: Temporarily boosts running speed.



Primary badge ability: Assumes the disguise of a randomly selected enemy player.
Secondary badge ability: Throws a sticky, proximity-activated C-4 charge.



Primary badge ability: Uses a cloaking suit to become near-invisible.
Secondary badge ability: Tags all on-screen enemy players with a hidden marker, which
broadcasts their coordinates to team mates.

*Some of these classes enjoy specialized weapons.





Sergeant 1st Class Tomas Sevchenko

Having served less than a full term before retiring, Sev was drawn back into military life by the invasion of his homeworld, Vekta. After
distinguishing himself during the fighting there, Sev was promoted and assigned as Rico's second in command.



Master Sergeant Rico Velasquez

This dedicated career soldier has gone off the rails following the death of his squad at the hands of the Helghast and the survivor's
guilt that followed it. Rico's frustration with the rules and regs of Army life is tempered by his respect of CO Colonel Templar.



Lance Corporal Dante Garza

Abandoning his privileged upbringing to join the Army, Dante Garza has never looked back. Hiding his education with quips and
profanity, he lets his marksmanship and engineering skill speak for him.



Corporal Shawn Natko

Undisciplined, disorganised and lazy - these words have all been used to describe Shawn Natko. Another career soldier, Natko has
fought with Rico in the past, where he displayed courage, toughness and aggression in equal measure. Along with death and taxes,
the only sure thing is that Natko will bitch about wherever he is and whatever he's doing.



SCREENSHOTS

 

Finally the review!

For a game that was born into public consciousness as a mirage of graphical achievement and grew upon an obscure vocabulary
of rendering techniques, it strikes me as odd that, as I try to pinpoint the one thing that makes Killzone 2 standout in the crowded
FPS space, aesthetic considerations don't even come up as possible options. In fact, despite the onslaught of eye candy unleashed
by Guerrilla's latest, where it delivers is what ultimately matters the most: pure trigger-happy joy.

Some might say that Killzone 2 does nothing new, putting you in the shoes of an ordinary trooper engaged in just another "against odds"
situation, pushed on a route of common objectives with a largely abused selection of weapons as a means to a end. Seen that, done that.
But really, this is just a consequence of how little the basic mechanics of the FPS have changed in the years since its very conception.
We are so accustomed to how an FPS plays we expect it to evolve outside of its core. There is nothing wrong with this way of thinking,
but it is clearly not the thinking that moved Guerrilla Games.

While I wouldn't call Killzone 2 revolutionary (only time is credited to deliver such an acknowledgment), it's clearly different in the way it
emulates physical presence in a virtual space and rethinks the whole shooting process. You do still move with a stick, aim with another
and shoot with a shoulder button, but a clever management of camera movement, reaction times and animation routines brings an
unusual degree of physicality to the action. Your brain might initially reject this, but once it clicks you stop feeling like you are a hovering
crosshair on the screen and realize you are actually aiming. As a consequence of this learning process, every kill feels like a real accomplishment.
Those kills might be hard-earned at first, but by the end your survival is a true testament of your developed skills. By no means should we call
Killzone 2 controls "realistic" (as unrealistic constrains and concessions do still apply), but they do reinforce the impression of being
there more than the realistic graphics themselves. And this is all a result of a development process executed with the a dual stick
controller in mind. While years of FPS development on consoles have led to optimal translations of the mouse and keyboard lexicon
to the controller language, Killzone 2 natively speaks the latter, to the point of being unable to fit the former without losing what makes it special.

Besides the uniqueness of the interface and the immersion it brings, Killzone 2 excels in delivering ever-changing always-engaging
combat dynamics. The tactical thinking stimulated by juxtaposition of its cover mechanics with the brilliant foe's AI is deeply stressed by the
clever and varied level design, ranging from linear, horizontal shooting ranges to complex war zones with menacing verticality. While most
shooters provide a clear indication of where the enemies are, and which options you have in order to deal with them, most of the time Killzone 2
isn't as welcoming, punishing those who concentrate on the first target in sight without a proper understanding of their surroundings.
Basically, running ahead waiting for the game to put enemies in your line of sight usually leads you right into a shit storm.

Despite the risk of feeling "gamey", Killzone 2 isn't afraid to impose limitations to the otherwise free AI. Nor to decide whether or not enemy
numbers should be finite or infinite. Yes, there are situations where the Helghast hold their ground and don't attempt any flanking maneuver.
Yes, there are situations where they behave with such bravery as to run towards you holding just a knife. And yes, there are situations (3, to be precise)
where the flood of red eyes doesn't stop until you step on the notorious invisible trigger. But they all serve the purpose a given section was
designed for, creating situations impossible otherwise. Awesome situations at that. In a sense, despite the whole realism vibe you might get
from looking at Killzone 2, it's still fundamentally an entertainment machine carefully designed to explore as much of the possibilities allowed
by its core mechanics as possible. Despite its bosses, heavy armored special foes, tanks, mech and turret sections, it succeeds in getting the
most out of the simple joy of shooting, without abusing the memorable set-pieces to keep you interested.
This is not a sign of little imagination but rather one of focus.

And it is indeed thanks to this very focus that Killzone 2 is such a replayable rollercoaster of a shooter too. The Helghast themselves are like
toys designed to entertain. Both their emergent behavior and their reaction to bullets stimulates experimentation, to the point of
turning failure into an welcome occasion to try something different. Also, the higher the difficulty level you choose, the more the game asks
for new tactics to be formulated, changing significantly the whole approach to the game. Linear progression becomes more
problematic, and you are forced to be more subtle. The time you are allowed to stay behind cover is reduced by the increasing damage
of the grenades tossed at you. Downed Helghast might stand up and rejoin the fight if not filled with another dose of lead before concentrating
on someone else. The increased physical resistance of the Helghast creates a great deal of tactical consequences too, from using grenades
as luring devices (more than killing ones) to turning headshots into a very precious achievement. Lastly, your AI-driven companions become an
increasing useful presence. Looking at their behavior helps in arranging "passive" flanking maneuvers and having them by your side can save your
life more times than you'll be willing to admit.

Killzone 2 truly does deliver in areas very few expected it would considering its the technical achievement that is so immediately apparent.
As surprised as you will be over the polish of the single player campaign the multiplayer portion of the package surprises even more.
Its class-unlocking ranking system allows for a rich collection of extra abilities to be progressively introduced to the player, acting as
both a by-practice tutorial and a rewarding system. As you unlock new abilities and weapons, so do the others, and the game around you
changes significantly. Built upon the strong shooting core of the campaign mode (albeit missing the cover system), the online, team based
warfare is terribly addicting. By allowing the 5 rather standard game modes to be played as randomly selected missions of a whole
match, the unique, seamless solution called Warzone does wonders in keeping players on their toes. On the organization side of the
spectrum, the in-game clan challenging system and tournaments editor should assure a healthy community by removing the need
to resort to outside systems for arranging matches. Same with the Valor system and the in-game clan leaderboard it allows to compose
and update automatically. The great level design of the campaign mode is mirrored in the 8 maps, intricate arenas of various sizes and complexity
with about the same degree of visual and aural quality appreciated in the solo adventure.




Final answer:

Buy it, it's awesome! TeamSpeed Approved!

 

Amazingly detailed review thanks !

 

Although I don't own a PS3 I love the review!

 

Thanks, I'll try to do one for every big game coming out!

 

What would be your rating on a 1-10 scale?

 

That gets a big HOT DAYUM!

 

I wish all of those pictures on the bottom were what it actually looks like, but it is still impressive nonetheless. Thanks for the awesome review!

 

Woah! I really wish I had a PS3 right now...

 

Only 3,4 & 7 are artistic drawings. The game looks phenomenal, the lighting, dust etc really makes you feel this harsh world of "Helghan."


One cool thing I noticed last night, when you shoot bullets into water even the spray that comes up is affected by the wind. Then I fired some more and even the shell casings from your gun get picked up by the wind. Same with grenades, their trajectory will change.


Lots of cool bits.