Killzone 2 Demo Impressions - 9/10

Ever since THAT E3 trailer back in 2005 we’ve all been wondering if Killzone 2 could live up to the hype. Well, early this morning the Killzone 2 demo was made available to the Australian public and suffice to say, it wasn’t too big, and it wasn’t too small. It was just right.

So what’s on the menu?
Well, right from the start Killzone 2’s menu grabs your attention as it flickers in and out as you switch between screens, it’s a nice effect which just adds that little extra something to the menu system. The menu’s themselves are presented in a nice clean style that makes everything nice and easy to read and navigate.

The loading screens for Killzone 2 also benefit from a little extra somethin’ somethin’. They’re a pseudo 3D screenshot, which can be manipulated via the use of the Sixaxis motion sensing. It’s a neat little addition that gives Killzone 2 the coolest loading screens in a long while.

Yeah, yeah okay. But what’s actually in the demo?
The Killzone 2 demo runs for around 15 minutes and consists of the first 2 sections of the first mission ‘Corrinth River’, which are the beach landing and subsequent warehouse shootout. This level has been seen countless times in various videos over the last 4 years. The important thing though, is that no matter how many times you’ve seen this level before, nothing compares to actually seeing it with your own eyes, on your own TV, with the controller in your own hands.

So it looks good?
Good is an understatement, and a big one at that. Killzone 2 is an utter visual bombardment from the moment you start playing. Smoke, wind, explosions, rockets, grenades and bullets buffer you every step of the way.

We all know how good this game looks in general but it’s the small details that really push this above anything I’ve ever seen on any other console so far. Things like the debris from shooting at things and the ways it varies. From bursts of glass when shooting lights, to sparks on metal, and puffs of dusts and rubble when shooting concrete.

The lens flares also deserve a special mention. Oftentimes they are a maligned part of a games presentation, a generic lens flare tacked on to look ‘cool’. In the case of Killzone 2 however, the lens flares are anything but generic and all kinds of cool. The flares themselves are dynamically generated and accurately represent the light from which they are coming. The best example of this is in the warehouse section, if you look up to the roof you’ll be able to see the shape of the opening in the flare itself.

But I think the most impressive thing graphically, is also, at its base, the simplest thing of all. The whole graphical presentation just blends perfectly, nothing looks out of place. Everything just looks like it could exist and should exist, and as far as the player is concerned, it does exist. There is no screen tearing, frame rate drops (only a split second when loading the next section) or noticeable pop-in, there’s just nothing to really single out as a graphical ‘flaw’.

Plays like a dream
It really does, provided you have it set to the ‘Alternative 2’ control scheme with aim hold on. That way it controls much like any other FPS released in the last 2 years, which most people will be used to.

What people won’t be used to (and some are already complaining about), is the physicality of the movement in Killzone 2. Guerrilla Games have set out to create an authentic soldier movement experience, and I think they’ve succeeded to a high degree. They realise that a soldier is not a floating weightless gun, and that there is actually a soldier attached to that gun and that they both have weight.

The player moves at a deliberate pace, not the constant run of other FPS games, but at a realistic pace that a solider weighed down with 20 odd kilo’s of kit would move. They emulate things like leaning into corners when you turn sharply, and walking slower backwards than you do forwards (which I can’t think of any other shooter doing). Jumping is also handled well, with a buildup and then the jump, which should help to eliminate the ‘bunny hopping’ phenomena. Overall the movement of the player feels organic, it feels truthful and it most importantly it feels real.

The gunplay is also good, moving away from the trend of ‘lock on’ aiming established by Call of Duty 4, and returning to a more traditional ‘point and shoot’ method with more user control over your shots.

The one gameplay mechanic which could be called ‘innovative’ in Killzone 2 is its ‘Lean and Peek’ cover system. I was initially worried about how this would be implemented and if it would be a hindrance to the game. I was wrong. Basically nearly everything can be used as cover, with some things obviously providing better cover, it’s just a matter of holding L2 down. From there you can move left to right behind cover, hold the stick left or right at an edge to ‘lean’ out for a shot, or up to ‘peek’ over the top. You can also quick fire, which pops you out of cover for the least amount of time required to get a few shots off.

Gameplay-wise, the cover system is the only real innovation in Killzone 2, but that doesn’t mean the rest is bad, quite the opposite. Killzone 2 sits firmly entrenched in the FPS genre, and by following the conventions of the genre and not trying to do anything ridiculous, Killzone 2 cements it’s spot as one of the finest shooters we’ve yet seen.

Sounds pretty good too
It sure does. From the emphatic score on the games main menu to the sounds of explosions and bullets flying around you, Killzone 2 never lets you go. There’s always something happening, whether it’s your squad mates yelling for you to move, or the enemy swearing the head off after they’re hit with a grenade blast . There’s enough variety in the sound effects and events that it stays interesting right the way through the demo.

You got all that from a demo?
Well…yeah I did. Sure it’s only a 15 minute demo of a game that will run 10-11 hours but I feel like what we’ve been shown and allowed to play is indicative of the quality of the rest of the game, which is why I may have elaborated on a few things more than I may have normally for a ‘demo’ review.

Overall the Killzone 2 demo lived up to what I was expecting and has left me in even greater anticipation of the full release. Guerrilla Games, you’ve done the gaming community proud.


My Rating: 9/10 (for the demo only)

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robo3687 06/02/2009

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