Editoral: Killzone 2: Previews & Innovation

Killzone Unit writes: "Much love and much hate has divided many gamers over Killzone 2. Of course us fans of the series are eager to jump on any bit of news that seeps out of the Guerrilla wood works. But as always, we must remember that along with every game preview and hands-on sessions, there's good, as well as bad comments to be heard. Many previews which I've personally read bring up some real valid concerns regarding the PlayStation Day build of Killzone 2 and I think it's great that the Guerrilla Games has time to analyze and act upon each concern if they choose to.

Before I go any further, I'd like to mention that this isn't a name calling and finger pointing session, but rather an observation. In a guest Edge Magazine column, Level Up journalist, N'gai Croal wrote about the importance of game previewers writing what they see at the moment they preview a game. I have a similar belief, but when there are somwhat contradictory comments made within these previews, that's when we should start the questioning what we read."

[CViper]

No one attacked Halo3's Single Player Innovation.
No one attacked COD4's Single Player Innovation.

Everyone is attacking KZ2's Single Player Innovation, without even seeing the multiplayer.

Sony isn't allowed to release games that aren't innovative while Microsoft clearly is. I'm sorry but I'm fed up with every single sony title getting interrogated on Innovation.

Halo3 stole everything from PC shooters.
Gears stole from kill.switch and every other shooter out
Cod4's single player much like Halo3's was skipped by reviewers due to the strong multiplayer, and given passes for being entirely too short. I didn't see anything innovative in either title Single Player.

So where are all of these innovative titles? Since its always a problem for Sony's titles lacking it.

There must be a list or at least 10 AAA titles that have truly innovated this generation to where none of the features ever existed in gaming. If not, I'm sure as hell confused on what Innovation Sony is required to make, when no one else is.

[Silogon]

I agree 100% with what you said. Every time Sony has a game coming out the media jumps on it and starts picking the flaws intensly. They never do this with Halo or Gears or Mass effect or anything on the system really.

They even said Halo 3's sp was short and still adorned it with 10's.

[TheExecutive]

couldnt have said it better myself. Anyone who claims that KZ2 lacks innovation is just searching for something to hate on.

[darkshiz]

It's a industry double standard.

[The gaming GOD]

I mean come on, you think they don't know how critical the U.S. media is on ANYTHING Sony related?

They see how Sony games, ESPECIALLY exclusive games are treated like they ALWAYS have something wrong while Microsoft's games are made out to be perfect gems by the media.

Any flaw from Microsoft's games get overlooked while any flaw from a Sony game is WELL publicized.

But this goes to show how sheep-like the American public as a whole are. If you look at the rest of the world, they don't buy into this whole "Microsoft is God" scenario like the U.S. does.

And what name said below me is also true, it is like the media ONLY looks to Sony for innovation while they say it's ok for Microsoft to just follow the crowd and reap the rewards.

And yes I am American. I'm not trying to hate. But I'm just calling it as I see it

[Godoftheweek]

You have in one post showed without a doubt the BLATANT bias against the PS3. I am beginning to wonder if this double standard was decided soon after the 2006 E3. Up until then Sony was king, but after a forgettable and hugely underwhelming E3 2006, the press seemed ANGRY at Sony for "duping" them on the power of the PS3.

Nintendo can do no wrong even though the have not had a NEW IP since Pikmin in 2003. Microsoft showed a Halo3 trailer that was CLEARLY CG and yet when they showed what the game really looked like, NOT one thing was said about it.

Why the blogs want Sony to fail is beyond me. WE NEED SONY. Can you imagine a world of just Nintendo and Microsoft? No fracking way. A healthy Sony is good for ALL gamers, not the soccermoms.

I really do not care anymore about all the crap sites like Kotaku and Joystiq sling at Sony. As long as Sony keeps on constantly improving the PS3, I will be happy and eventually the rest of these "blogs" will finally pull the giant Mario/Gates Big Stick out of tier collective rearends and review games on an EVEN playing field.

RAmen to you sir and bubbles for you.

[Vojkan]

HARD GAY@

They know PS3 is not needed, or Sony as hardware maker is not a must and if Sony stops making hardware, they will still stay in software industry just like SEGA and this is where they will get Sony games on their xboxs and Nintendos.
USA is on Sonys neck and wont stop, not now not ever.

[SL1M DADDY]

I will have to say this however; let the media have their day, they hate on Sony and have nearly zero rights to do so these days, especially with what Sony is doing to make their console shine. No matter the mud they sling, I know better and as a Sony fan (a gaming fan at heart) I know that the games and the system are great. Those that fall for the medias over zealous scrutiny of the Sony games and hardware are simple sheep and have no mind of their own to deduce from their own reasoning what games and systems make them happy.

[Bolts]

There's a time and place for innovations, KZ 2 however is not the time nor is it the game for radically innovations. At this stage the formula for what make a good shooter has been perfected and rather than departing from that the fans are more focused on features, 32 players, dedicated servers, player customizations etc etc...

[Clinton514]

It would seem many journos are hanging onto their bitter believe of 4D and what the PS3 "should have been" and continuously judge games based on that.

As someone mentioned, they hold Sony exclusives to one standard and the other consoles at another. Hardly fair.

[name]

Basically the responsiblity to innovate is put on Sony's shoulders, while microsoft reaps the rewards for doing what's safe. Talk about a thankless job.

[pwnsause]

i laugh when someone says killzone 2 lacks innovation while watching the graphical achievement done in the game, and the first person cover view in the game HHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAH

[PoSTedUP]

very well put man that comment was amazing, bubbles from me. peace and god bless.

[funkysolo]

I see Killzone2 the way I used to look at gears of war preveiw. I'm excited everytime I see it and I hope it gets grittier. I almost would like less color and red would be the only colour palette like blood and red crosses I think it would define Killzone2.

[OOG]

meh cant truly judge a game until it is out...who knows could be great....could be a pile of crap....until it is released.....we will not know

[Bathyj]

So many are just waiting for this to bomb simply because it a PS3 exclusive. If it were on Xbox only they would marvel at what a technical masterpiece it was. Nit picking every little detail, its just getting old. And this guys is right too. KZ2 will be punished for KZ1's existence which itself was punish because some douche games writer labeled it a Halokiller. I repeat, Sony never called it that, but once it was out, they had to live with it.

And can someone tell me what so innovative about Halo, Gears, CoD 1, 2, 3 or 4, Crysis, yada yada yada. If fact HL2, PD64 and Potal are about the only games I wont put in that list. And as for linear. I think the only non linear FPS I can think of if Farcry, and even then you always had one place you had to get to. It was just up to you the route you took, so what wrong with linearity, it keeps the game flowing.

You guys should read the Hyper magazine preview. See what someone without a wedge up his arse thinks of the game.

And I said it before, I'll keep saying it if I have too, They never claimed they were reinventing the wheel, they're just trying to make the best damn wheel they can. Anyone with a problem with that doesn't deserve to game in this day and age.

[Godoftheweek]

Have not heard of that site, can you post a link please? Seeing how well put these responses are shows me that there are still plenty of REAL gamers out there who are not so hung up on a company. I want good games, and it appears that you people do to. Sony has for me had the most diverse gaming libraries of the last 2 generations. Until Sony proves otherwise, I will assume that the PS3 is going to be home to some GREAT franchises and new IP's. We have just seen a glimpse in what the Big Black Beast has in store for us. These next couple of years should yield some memorable games.

Bubbles for the 'lot of ya.

RAmen

[darkshiz]

While I agree with both of you. I believe some nitpicking is needed.

We don't want a good hyped game to turn out like crap.
For example Assassin's Creed was hyped to be the best game of 07 and look what happened. A repetitive, glitchy, slow framerate, and no replay value what so ever.

[Bathyj]

Hyper isn't a website. Its a magazine. Australia most respected magazine thats been running for 177 issues. (Nearly 15 years) Its pretty much the only mag I buy, its Australias Famitsu and alot of the Aussie writers you read from IGN AU or other Aussie sites made there bones or worked there at one point or another.
PS they score out of 100 and they dont give 100 to anything. Anything 90 or over is pretty much must have.

Anyway, since you showed and interest check this out, I hope they're readable. Sorry for the quality, i took them with my phone. Maybe you will have to save them and zoom in. If people are interest I will try and get some scans at work tomorrow.

EDIT
WTF, my attachments aren't working. My computer have not been saving Pix and is about to die soon, must be something to do with that. I will try again tomorrow from work. Sorry for the tease, it really is a good read.

[Chubear]

Yes but still given 9s by the likes of gamestrailers and gamespot. I've said it before and I trully believe had AC been a PS3 exlcusive it would have been ragged by the NA media (and Eurogamer) and slamed with 6.9s like crazy from these same sites that adorned it with 9s

[RememberThe357]

I think the bias toward Sony may indicate that Sony is held to a different standard. While MS gets the pass for standard games that do things well Sony is suppose to push boundaries. Game like God of War, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet and Clank, Final Fantasy, etc... have all defined and pushed genres. I realize that many game franchises that are released on the Sony platforms are on other platforms but the ones that make the most impact seem to be on the Sony systems. People are expecting Killzone 2 to define and push the FPS genre. I do not think that is a tall order. Playstation has a strong reputation, and as fans I think we have all the right to make sure they live up to it.

[The gaming GOD]

But that is still unfair

It's unfair to hold Sony to a higher standard than Microsoft. It's unfair because they are in competition with each other.

That's like telling one person they have to score at least a 70 out of a possible 100 to be accepted while giving another person the same test and telling them they have to at least score 90 or above to be accepted.

[RememberThe357]

Good point. But a lot of these journalists play way more games than most people. So they are starving for something new. When something gets hyped up they want to know that they're going to have a new experience that will set the game apart from all the recycled bullsh*t they've played. However for the average gamer we don't need things to be new. We need thing to be good. COD 4 didn't really do anything new, it was just put together so well no one cared. The point is that as long as the game is immersive, intense, challenging, and has good controls, most peopel will be perfectly happy.

[Bathyj]

I'd bet that if the latest version of GTA or CoD, good as it is, had been PS3 exclusive, sites would not be chucking 10 at it with gay abandon. They would save about GTA that more could have been done with the BR, (which is true) and it would have got 8's. CoD would probably still get 8's and 9's but maybe complaints it was too similar to Resistance. How ironic would that be?

[yanikins111]

Bubbles up bud.

Ive been thinking the same thing for a while. There are definately higher expectations placed on ps3 games.

IMO, Sony seems to get more "art" coming through on their consoles. Games like the original Wipeout, G-Police, MGS series, God of war, Devil may cry, Gran turismo, Uncharted, GTA3, Killzone1, Shadow of the Colloseus, N20. Games that while they might not always rate as 10/10, there is more to them if you take the time to look. Honestly, I love haze for this very reason. On the surface it looks like a bog standard FPS, but there is more to it than that. The way the camera moves, the way the weapons fire, the way the smoke whisps off the end of the barrel, the destructable assets in game. And its the first FPS to make me actually feel sick because of what it showed.

Games like this, even if they are not the best, are sonys biggest asset imo because they provide a depth of variety that other consoles haven't been able to match. Hell im a gamer, so i do love my perfect 10/10 games, but sometimes its the roughness around the edges that give a game its character.

I think his is the reason behind slightly lower scores than what we expect for alot of ps3 games. They seem to have nuances that not every one likes. And thats fair enough because as art, not everyone sees it the same way.

[ALIEN]

This is one of the reasons why i never come here (n4g). I used to come here every F'kin day, some of u remeber me from back in da day, im talkin about... 2 or 3 years ago when i was here 24/7, then after E306 i said "F this". Now i just come by n say "Hi" n then leave. This SONY-HATING thing has to stop man! It's been around for along time Man! this is sad, it feels like half of AMERICA is againts SONY for no reason. But this is how it is man! we (ps3fans) have to support SONY till the end.

Yo SONY!!!!! im wit ya!

List of SONY haters

1up
gamespot
kotaku
joystig

[ALIEN]

Someone has been taking my bubbles why? i had 5 bubbles n i've been here for like 30 minutes and i only have 3 left? WTF!!!!!!! $hit, im out!

[RememberThe357]

Heres some bubbles my friend.

[ALIEN]

Thanks bro!!! u must be new, i've never seen u before.

[RememberThe357]

You know it! And dude this place isn't that bad, it's pretty equal when it come to hate. Oh and Kotaku ain't that bad, it's the most civilized gaming blog I've been to. But that just me.

[crippler666]

It's okay they are entitled to their own opinion, they can slate the unfinished game all they want, do the same to the finished product. But it will not change the minds of people who play it. There will be a demo on the PSN and pretty much 90% of people will download it and play it. Then people can make up their own minds.

The guy from Edge went in wanting to hate Killzone 2, once he got there he could find nothing substantially wrong with the game to hark on about, so instead opted for the most easiest cop out - no originality.

IMO remove the graphics and plot and most FPS would be the same, you are limited with a controller by number of buttons, movement and precision in aiming. Yes there has been odd little bits of innovation, but the majority borrow from each other and if we were honest, so do most other genre's.

[Sanhlami]

There can be only so much differentiation in FPS games until it doesn't make sense. Most games today take older game ideas and revise it and add more to it. These guys are expecting things that are beyond this generation. I don't see COD4 or Halo3 revolutionize anything. KZ2 has First Person Cover system, hit response, unbelievable lighting, a storyline particularly divergent from competitors, and a multiplayer supposedly worth 50% of the game. Sheesh what more do they want, good games don't grow on trees.

I would say the breaking factors are implementation of cover system, multiplayer, and colors/environment.