Killzone 2 Demo Impressions

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Killzone 2 Demo Impressions

Submitted by Richard Windsor on February 5, 2009 – 5:41 pm7 Comments

killzone2 The Killzone 2 hype has begun to slow down now that reviews from almost every media outlet have come out. The press is obviously in love with the game, and for many reasons they should be. However after playing the demo several times I can say that Killzone 2 lacks one major thing that keeps it from being a true gem. That one thing is decent controls. How can a company spend so much time making the game look this good and then forget to work on what really makes the game fun…playing it! Now I am not saying that Killzone 2 has horrible controls, they are mostly workable, but in terms of benchmarking it with other console shooters like Call Of Duty and Halo it fails. I think the failure in the controls is half due to the controller itself. I have not been shy in stating that I think the PS3 controller is rubbish for shooters, and with Killzone 2 it is no different.

Every truly great FPS has a great feel about it when you first pick it up. The controls work fluidly and make the game feel smooth and fun. Killzone 2′s controls make you feel like your fighting waist deep in pudding. Even after my sixth go round with the demo, and after trying to tweak the controls, I could never find one that made me happy. Control is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to first person shooters, which is a shame, because it seems like they got everything else right this time. I might just change my plans and make Killzone a rental, but don’t change your mind based on my opinion. Just don’t go in expecting a revolutionary game, because Killzone 2 is not that game. What it is, is a solid FPS with some nice visuals. Although I have to say that the game did not really blow me away with its graphics. Where Killzone 2 shines is its lighting and animation, besides that the game doesn’t look much better then most. I think the game looks much better when seeing it in small scale on a computer monitor, it just loses something once you see it for real. Textures are a bit muddy and the environment lacks depth. Everything is just metal sheets and falt walls. I hope that the rest of the game expands on this a bit and we get to see some environments with more depth.

P.s. Once you download the demo make sure to watch the CGI trailer and then play the game. You will notice that the CGI trailer looks way way better then the game does, but kudos to Guerilla Games for coming as close as they did. Now I must go download the Halo Wars demo and see if it is any good. Please leave a comment about how you felt about the demo, that is if our comment system is back up and running again.

Tags: fps, impressions, killzone

kyle

Just switcht he controls to the excact controls of call of duty its in the options
kyle

Just switch the controls to alternate 2…excact controls of call of duty pretty much
Richard Windsor

I tried all the settings and none of them got rid of the slow gameplay. I let 3 friends play it as well and they all said they would not buy this game because of how awful the controls are. An FPS is supposed to feel smooth, but this one is clunky. I can’t believe that the game is getting 10′s with such bad controls. It just goes to show how many graphic whores are out there.

I was looking forward to something I could play on my PS3 quite a lot, but I think I would be mainly frustrated playing Killzone 2 for a long time. I still plan on getting it, but now I will rent it first.
Bobby

Alternate 2 is more or less the industry standard for console FPS controls…I would have personally preferred to have seen this as the default option, but it does at least exist. The option could be overlooked by a casual gamer, but I generally appreciate when writers place a little more investigation into a topic before focusing their primary argument upon something which is easily remedied.
nobody

It's like you read my mind. Graphics…yeah it looks great but no other game has had so much hype for the graphics that I wasn't wowed like I heard I would be. I own a ps3. I need to say that to explain my next comment so I don't sound like a fanboy even though I'll be accused of one. When Gears of War first came out all the ps3 fans were critisizing it about how bland and colorless it was. Guess what…so is Killzone 2. Don't confuse great graphics for looking bland and colorless. For those saying “get over it” about the controls, it is a problem. When enough people complain about control problems, and many have, then it's a problem whether you like it or not. I don't find getting lucky enough to finally zero in on my target a fun experience. When I see a target, I want to zero in on it without it being a pain in the ass. I've played enough games to not consider myself a dumbass moronic twit when it comes to point and shoot. Like I said, too many people have complained so I'm not the only one. Everything about this game is great…except the controls. Unfortunately the controls are a big deal. I don't even own COD4…yet, so don't bother telling me to go back to playing COD4. Fear, Crackdown, GTA4, Saints Row 2, both Resistance games, and many others, no one complained about the controls. That's why it makes the controls in this game less forgiving. There have been too many other games that didn't have this problem. Shame this game is tainted because of something that shouldn't have been a problem. I tried tweaking the controls too and never felt satisfied enough with anything I tried. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact others share. I wanted to love this game. Maybe Killzone 2 is just not for me.
nobody

Ummm…yeah. I'm replying to myself. I went on the internet and found a much better control scheme from the default from someone. I tweaked the x, y axis bars in options. To anyone that didn't like the controls and is frustrated, try this. Move both x and y axis down to nothing. Move the x axis up one notch and the y axis up 4 notches. I found the response really good for how I like it. I'll say it for everyone else…I'm a dumbass, well…maybe I just spoke too soon. My other comments were unfair as well. I was so frustrated with the controls, I was blind to the rest of the game details. I spent some time really examining the physics, lighting, smoke detail, and it is very very impressive. Very cool just seeing the feathers fly out of the chair when you shoot it. Nice touch. The attention to detail is very impressive. Once again, next time I'll take my time before I speak. This game will be the standard by which all other shooters will be measured. It's not easy to admit being wrong…but I was very wrong about this game and I'm glad I was.
nobody

Ummm…yeah. I'm replying to myself. I went on the internet and found a much better control scheme from the default from someone. I tweaked the x, y axis bars in options. To anyone that didn't like the controls and is frustrated, try this. Move both x and y axis down to nothing. Move the x axis up one notch and the y axis up 4 notches. I found the response really good for how I like it. I'll say it for everyone else…I'm a dumbass, well…maybe I just spoke too soon. My other comments were unfair as well. I was so frustrated with the controls, I was blind to the rest of the game details. I spent some time really examining the physics, lighting, smoke detail, and it is very very impressive. Very cool just seeing the feathers fly out of the chair when you shoot it. Nice touch. The attention to detail is very impressive. Once again, next time I'll take my time before I speak. This game will be the standard by which all other shooters will be measured. It's not easy to admit being wrong…but I was very wrong about this game and I'm glad I was.