So, I played it. What did I think? Well...
Going in, I had heard that the controls of Killzone 2 were somewhat “floaty”. To me, that suggests that the aiming is imprecise and not particularly sensitive. I didn’t find that, though maybe I just misinterpreted the word. Anyway, I found the aiming tight and easy - especially after knocking the sensitivity up 2 Notches above standard.
The button controls are another matter. I would sorely love to shoot with the R2 button, but the only setup which allows this maps Zoom to R3. I found that fiddly and annoying in my first play-through, so I switched to a More CoD-like setup in subsequent plays, which maps Fire to R1 and Zoom to L1. Much less fiddly - made killing dudes much easier.
Visually, I don’t think there’s any need for comment. Everyone’s seen the videos - this is a gorgeous game. The models and textures are wonderfully detailed and the particle effects are superb. Credit is also due to the superb animation. The presentation is truly cinematic, and it seems like Guerilla considered everything in making the experience of playing like no other FPS I’ve ever seen.
Part of that might be the low-key HUD. It’s visually very attractive too. HUDs aren’t thought of too much, but so many are done wrong that it’s worth mentioning when one is done correctly. Top marks.
The loading screens are also pretty awesome, as I commented in the Video. Jeff Gerstmann was totally right, best use of SIXAXIS ever.
The sound too contributes to an awesome experience. The guns have a really intense sound (Particularly the Helghast’s primary gun) and the chatter is some of the best I’ve heard. Halo has better Enemy Chatter occasionally slips in some hilarious lines, but Killzone 2 has some great faux-authentic SoldierSpeak.
Final thoughts then go to the experience of shooting and getting shot. Taking hits in Killzone 2 is an intense experience. It’s as threatening as it is in CoD 4, but it’s worlds more visceral. Shooting dudes too is a powerful experience. All the accuracy of Half-Life 2 is paired with the glorious destruction of Gears of War.
Very nice. Totally looking forward to getting this game and forming a Clan with my mates. Think I’ve finally found an FPS I can spend a ton of time online in - I love Halo 3, but not enough of my real-life friends have Xbox 360s.
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