10/16/2004 11:43:16 AM
Killzone PlayStation 2 PreviewBy Zach Rosenberg
This November, a first-person shooter is going to give console players a taste of futuristic combat where you will lead a team of underdogs through unbelievable circumstances against an army of unstoppable monsters. And it's not "Halo 2." Neither is it "Ghost Recon 2." From Guerrilla (formerly the Lost Boys) comes "Killzone," a PS2-exclusive title that aims to give Sony's console players the kind of FPS fun that they've been missing since that OTHER console's release of "Halo." Already planned are an extensive single-player mode as well as online multiplayer. In this demo, we got a chance to check out some of the single-player campaign. And though it's not the H-word, it's a fun game in its own right.
One of the demo levels was a previous attraction at this year's E3. It saw the player alongside other soldiers, holding Helghast advances back. Oh, the Helghast, that's your enemy. They're like a dirty mix of anime soldiers and Nazis. Their glowing eyes help discern them from members of your squad, refugees, and other members of your own army. The best indicator? The Helghast are the ones shooting at you. In the trench level, I started out pinned down at one location, fire coming from one side, barbed wire on the other. So, as the Helghast tried to outflank me, a supporting character helped me outflank the Helghast. It's a very linear level, but it is, of course, just a demo, so I'm sure not every level is as linear and direct. As I moved across a bombed-out field, I ducked back into another trench that followed deeper into the battlefield. Small Helghast-filled rooms along the way helped me hone my hand grenade skills, and Helghast advances along the top of the trench helped me get an idea of weapon ranges.
Some things I noticed: your armor will be able to take a few shots, and it will actually regenerate (I know, I know, the "H" word again). And the enemy's armor is just as tough, though putting a bullet right between their eyes would usually take them down quickly. That's why I favored the handgun over the other weapons. The two machineguns I was able to try had nice firing rates, and, just like real weapons, sent shots basically all over a small radius on the screen. Both guns had secondary firing; one of them had a grenade launcher and the other one (that I had stolen off of a dead Helghast soldier) had a shotgun-like buckshot blast. In light of other games' weapon-carrying limitations, "Killzone" lets you carry three weapons at a time. We'll see if that's a limitation or an overgenerous edge.
Another demo level had a small team of specialists moving with me through dilapidated building hallways, as we mowed down any Helghast in our way. We walked down some steps and moved across an open area between two buildings, facing off against enemies at every turn. There was plenty of cover behind the rubble, so I got a chance to try out my peek-and-shoot technique. I quickly found the best way to take an enemy out was to move from cover to cover and get as close as possible before opening fire. My team moved back into another building, and the most striking thing about the whole scene was the creepiness of the hallways. The environments were done very well, and though the previous trenches level looked good, it seems like Guerrilla's forte is modeling these post-apocalyptic buildings and rubble-filled urban settings.
In fact, that's what makes me the most excited about "Killzone." Frankly, I've seen jungle battles, futuristic military base battles, open-field battles, trench battles, fort battles...I've seen them all. What I think "Killzone" will succeed in is offering a creepy post-apocalyptic urban environment that convincingly inspires a sense of immediate danger in the player. Hallways were claustrophobic, and when moving across that open area between buildings, I got the feeling that an attack could come from anywhere, and so I found myself swiveling around and covering myself from every angle. The supporting characters were able to help the mood, but unfortunately they repeated themselves too often (something that will again probably be changed by the final version). In fact, I hope the AI will be completely reworked for the real game; in the trench demo, my team seemed a little clumsy, sometimes to the point of standing directly in front of me as I fired.
So will "Killzone" be the "Halo-killer"? Nah. "Halo" is a phenomenon that no one can define. But that's not to say that "Killzone" won't be loads of fun. The single-player levels I played offered a nice variety of close and long-distance combat, as well as some good combinations of open and closed spaces. The control scheme felt natural, and I had no problem knowing where I was and was not supposed to go. But the main attraction for me was the creepy post-apocalyptic environments, especially the urban surroundings. When "Killzone" hits stores, we'll see if the single-player campaign will play as nicely as it looks like it will, and we'll also see how the multiplayer pans out. In my humble opinion, PlayStation 2 owners have a great new reason to rejoice. I mean, even if it is for an explosion of chaos and hostile planetary colonization.
Ratings (1-10):
Graphics: 9. The people look like...people! Dark and dismal, but hey, that's war.
Sound: 8. Environmental sounds create a great depth, the in-your-face yells and gun blasts sound good too.
Gameplay: 8. Linear single-player that some people are saying is better than "Halo." Some people.
Story: 7. In many ways, the same old thing we expect from an FPS. But it's still not bad.
Replayability: 8. The full game will include an impressive multiplayer mode.
Overall: 9 (not an average). Sure, it may not be "Halo," but it should be a great FPS.
Killzone PlayStation 2 Preview
