Killzone 2

[nilihanth]

I know there are a few PS3 owners here on MG but I've never really heard any mention of Killzone 2. I personally very much enjoy the game, as it's class based and unique enough to separate it from TF2.

Anyone else enjoy Killzone 2?

[Jason]

I have this, but don't play it all that much. I really didn't get into the campaign, although I do remember quite enjoying the multiplayer. Not sure why I stopped playing it.

Certainly a good game - I'll download the patches and try and catch you next time I see you online playing it. :)

[CemeteryGates]

I've been curious about it since before I got my PS3, and I'm seriously considering it as my next purchase.

[Rob]

Killzone2 looks like a great game but I never got around to buying it. I'm considering renting it just to try the campaign if it's coop.

[Jason]

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if the Campaign is co-op. If it is, I haven't been able to find the option for it.

However, I'd still recommend the game if you can pick it up on the cheap - the multiplayer game is severely underrated, and in my eyes at least, trumps that of Modern Warfare 2. The way most game modes work is one match consisting of a variety of modes (IE: flat out team deathmatch for a few minutes, then whichever team has more kills when the time's up scores a point - the game mode then switches to Assassination (one team has to kill a nominated player - the others have to defend him) until either the target is killed, or the timer runs out - then it would switch to single flag capture the flag and so on) - it really keeps the game fresh, and the squad system means that you can spawn straight into the middle of the action, which often means some seriously intense firefights.

Let me know if you get it, we'll see if we can get a squad going. :)

[nilihanth]

Squads can be really fun if there is good communication. You don't have to be a skilled player to have fun in a squad.

For those that don't know, KZ2 is a class-based game. Classes include:

Soldier - no skills but access to more weapons
Medic - Can drop health packs and even revive teammates
Engineer - Can repair turrets, mounted guns and ammo crates. Also deploys sentry turrets
Tactician - Can deploy mobile spawn-points and call in flying sentry bots
Assault - Armed with rocket launchers or grenade launchers. Has a speed boost and added armor
Saboteur - Can disguise as a player on the enemy team. Also can plant proximity explosives
Scout - Sniper class. Can shroud in a nearly perfect cloak when not moving. Also has a "mark" ability that spots enemy players in-range (including other cloaked scouts) and projects their locations onto the team's radar.

There ya go. The online matches can get pretty chaotic and the aiming controls are different than most speedy FPS games.

[Jason]

Yeah, that's the one thing I struggle with - the aiming is a little over-sensitive for me. Even with 'high precision' mode turned off, I tend to find I'm coming off worse in close-range firefights. Still, I think it's just a matter of getting used to it more than a potential issue.
The default controls I had to grapple with for a while too, but quickly found an alternate that suited me.

[nilihanth]

Yeah, the controls are most people's biggest hurdle. I often ponder on Killzone 2's success and what it is and could have been. The controls got such a hugely negative response that I believe it is the single reason for the game's underwhelming performance in sales. Not to say that it didn't sell well, but it didn't do as well as projected.

The thing is, the controls are not bad, they're just different than everyone's used to. Even though I don't mind the controls I wish they had just let their ego take a hit and make the controls like Call of Duty or other similar FPS games. Oh well, when you play the game enough you get used to them and everything's fine.

[Jason]

Yeah - I have to say, whether they like it or not, the 'call of duty' controller configuration is more or less the standard now. It's simple, easy to remember, and anything deviating from it is going to have to have a DAMN good reason to.

Interestingly, one of the alternate configurations is almost identical to the CoD configuration, with the exception of the crouch button being L2 instead of circle. That's it, everything else is the same. I have to say, I switched to that one pretty sharpish. :p

As for the sales, my personal opinion is that as a single-player shooter, it's pretty derivative. In fact, I've referred to it on several other sites as Killzone: Gears of Halo - it's the same square-jawed machismo-with-legs types you see in all games, except that this bunch are even more difficult to like than normal.
The game has a lot going for it. It's still arguably the second-best looking game on PS3 (behind Uncharted 2), the multiplayer is excellent, and the mechanics are pretty solid (slippery aiming aside).
However, the straight-laced FPS campaign is on the decline. No longer can game developers just drop a load of faceless macho stereotypes in a futuristic war, add hype and expect sales by the bucketful, and I think Killzone 2 was the first to find that out the hard way. Gamers are getting evermore demanding as games improve, and you need to innovate to truly succeed now. On the bright side, this means higher-quality triple-A titles. On the downside, I think it means we'll see a lot fewer developers and publishers with the resources to put these kind of games out.

[Rob]

I already played Gears of War 1/2 so thanks for saving me the time on K2.

[Jason]

Don't get me wrong, KZ2 is still worth playing, but I wouldn't recommend paying store prices for it. Grab it used or on sale - that's what I did - it's worth about $15-$20 of anyone's money. Any more than that, and you'd probably be paying over the odds a little.

[CemeteryGates]

Well, I just decided to try this last night. It did remind me a lot of Gears of War. :p
It's fun so far, but I'm with everyone who says the aiming is weird. Either it's too sensitive or too slow. I think you have to develop a perfect sensibility of the thumb to master this game's aiming mechanics.

I have yet to try it online. I wanna beat the campaign first... I'm on the fourth mission and it doesn't look like it's very long anyway.