In case you haven't checked GameTrailers recently, they have three new videos of Killzone 2. It is a developer walkthrough at a recent Sony press event. After E3 '05, I think everyone has been paying attention to this game. I think one of the main reasons many people are watching this game closely is to see if it comes close to what was shown at E3 '05. After a less than averaging showing last year, I think that the game is actually shaping up pretty nicely. I don't think it is going to the best FPS ever like many people are making it out to be, but I think that it might turn out better than the first one.







Things I like:

- Graphics look nice. I like the dark, grey look it is going for. It has sort of a Gears style of art, but a little more grainy I think.

- The gunplay looks pretty fun. And that is the most important thing with a FPS. While I do prefer the 360 controller for shooters, it doesn't take that much time to get used to the PS3 controller.

- I like how Guerrilla Games didn't include a cover system, but more of a lean-and-peek system. It keeps you in the first person view the entire time. While most shooters don't include a cover system, it is the new trend in this generation. I like it when shooters don't include a cover system because I feel it makes it more realistic. You have to find your own cover and get behind it, not press X when the prompt comes on the screen.

- The wide open environments look great. They have also implemented a pretty good particle system, as well as a physics engine. The animation is spotty in some areas, but I think that it will smooth out with time.



Things I didn't like:

- The AI needs a lot of improvement. While they do maneuver around the battlefield, I didn't notice them trying to flank you or really pose a threat. Sure they shoot at you, but most of the time they were just standing in the open, or popping in and out of cover. I wish that someone would develop an AI system that doesn't include an enemy just staying in cover, and you just aim at them until they pop their head out. The AI for your teammates look like any other shooter. I don't like how when they are behind cover, it looks like they are just relaxing there.

- The developer mentions their attention to detail, and the game does have great detail. But there are some things that I think they need to work on. For example, when the main character reloads the assault rifle, it looks like those two clips taped together have unlimited ammo. I would like to see the character throw the clips away after both of them have been depleted. Also, when you heal a teammate, he just pops back up. It would be nice to have a healing animation, but again, its a minor detail that I'm sure they can fix before the game ships.

- Sixaxis bullshit. It is cool that they are trying to incorporate the Sixaxis functionality, but I think it is just a nuisance. And plus it looked like their was a crazy amount of lag from when you turn the controller to when your character moves.

Overall I think that this game may live up to the hype. I'm looking at getting a PS3 soon, so I'm definitely going to be paying more attention to the game now. It won't be the Halo killer, or make people stop playing Call of Duty 4, but it looks like it may be a good addition to your game library. Here is a tip for Guerrilla: If you want a game to meet expectations, don't show a CGI trailer for your first video of the game.