Kotaku: Killzone 2 Impressions

Kotaku writes:

"Yes, impressions. Not the review.

We decided to hold off on our formal review until we can play the Playstation 3 game online under more typical conditions. Instead I've written up some of my initial thoughts from playing through the entire single-player campaign on the average difficulty setting.

It's easy when playing a game in an over-saturated genre, like first-person shooters, to judge the title not by what it is, but by what it isn't. Games like Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 both suffer from that same problem."

[LSDARBY]

Graphics too clean lol....what does he mean by that. This is one of the grittiest looking games ive ever seen.

[xwabbit]

lol kotakus a joke, they don't even get the game cus Publishers know they r all fan boys and nub journalist

[MAR-TYR-DOM]

i dont know about killzone 2 but this is the pinnacle of gaming right here, and deserves a ten. http://ca.youtube.com/watch...

[LoVeRSaMa]

*YAWN*

*Rubs eyes*

gosh I am sleeping, how could I get so tired from just clicking a link.

*Looks at clock*

[Tony P]

It was actually an overwhelmingly positive 'impression' for anyone who cared to read it.

Of course the official review will decide if Kotaku's actually gonna be fair or just blackball the game altogether.

[Sitdown]

How can you say you don't know what "too clean" is...but then turn around and try to refute it by saying the game is one of the grittiest that you have ever seen. I actually can understand what they mean by too clean. Most of the time when I see a scene in a video game that looks too clean, it usually is in the level where you are inside or around some steel or metal structure. The surrounding just seem to have this extra gloss and polish to it...the environment seems sterilized....like chrome. I feel like most fps I have played have this look in it....I remember it in Resistance. Its like you see a steel beam...but it does not really look like it has texture to the surface. Another example would be Master Chief from Halo...at times his armor looks to clean...overly polished.

[SupaPlaya]

He's is making a statement. It'a not question of what "too clean" means, it's a question of how a game he had personally experienced as the grittiest game can be called "too clean".

From what I seen from KZ2's videos and even some cons from reviews, Killzone 2 definitely isn't "too clean". However, the preview does get a few things right.

[DeadIIIRed]

Too clean? I'm with LSDARBY, I have no clue what they mean by "too clean." If that guy considers Killzone 2 "too clean" I would love to see how "clean" his home is. Other than that, shockingly positive tone.

[Maddens Raiders]

PERMA - FAIL

nuff said.

[SL1M DADDY]

Translation:

"We have yet to actually get a review copy from Sony due to our pathetic journalism skills and the fact that Sony has blacklisted us from any perks so... We are going to have to wait until we can purchase the game ourselves and play it online with all of you. At that time we will give the game an unfair look and score it with the likes of Barbie's Adventure and that My Little Pony game."

- Cheers

[chidori666]

*********kotaku is fails in hard life***********

[IcarusOne]

This is a fair assessment of the game. You guys are looking for reviews on majesty, divinity, perfection, which, despite how good KZ2 may be, it's still JUST A GAME.

It's refreshing to see some media outlets treating it as such.

Seriously, the only way you guys wouldn't be b*tching is if it scores perfect 10's across the board.

And yes, the fact that this game doesn't have co-op is a HUGE oversight.

[xg-ei8ht]

Abit to clean for my liking,ROFL.

Here we go again.

Doesn't have co-op.

Doesn't Look like a cartoon (halo3)

Doesn't Have look rez textures (Gears of War 2)

Doesn't Make me feel loved.

Doesn't allow me to run around like a nub without being shot at.

[Afterburn]

I refuse to give these idiots a hit. The game is going to be fantastic and everyone knows it. Let the haters hate, their tears are like 20 year old scotch to me. :)
Pre-ordered, day 1 buy and I took off from work to play it all weekend.

[REPLOID24]

that is just classic! lol!

[DutyCalls]

.....
i'm only here to read the comments, since i know where crataku stands.
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[Hot_tea]

Still nearly a whole month to wait! :(

[ALIEN]

"What do these games do that no others before it have? What do they deliver to gamers that is unique to the genre? On their surface, nothing. Killzone 2 also brings nothing new to first-person shooters" You're not serious? right?

I mean, the game is not perfect, but i think that it does bring some to the table. People are being so hard on SONY these days, are'nt they?

[Sabre_G]

Oh my, its like, Killzone 2 NEEDS to be perfect in every single attribute and be flawless, then they can consider giving it a 9.

I know the fps genre is constantly be used and maybe can do with with innovation, but how can you complain so much if the games does what all others do better than any else ever.

Bioshock, no mulitiplayer, no problem. COD4, no co-op, no problem. Halo 3, no innovation, no problem. Killzone 2, not the second coming, 2 points off

[HDgamer]

They have to reserve and wait like everyone else. I think this pretty much says what credibility that Kotaku has. Let's see who follow this trend.

[slave2Dcontroller]

For I have just given Kotaku a VERY RARE hit, only to find a comment from someone FAAAAAAAAR from a Wiseman and it read; "graphics are a bit to clean for my liking"

Lord, why must these idiots exist? I know I shouldnt question your will, as it WILL be done. But why Lord??? WHHHYYYYYYYYYY????

[LittleBigKillzone]

Kotaku lol, I think Kotaku and Edge need to join forces, they would make a great couple.. Come on guys, atleast be greatful that Kotaku doesnt use numercial scores when rating games, it would just be another fanboy site giving Killzone 2 a 7 or 8 for hits and to bring down the metacritic score..

I dont care what kotaku says, aslong as they dont give out a score to bring down the metascore im fine.. Besides, all the big guys have already reviewed the game and gave it praise like Gamepro, IGN, Gamedaily,Gamesradar etc im just waiting on Game Informer, Game trailers and Gamespot and ill be good

[PotNoodle]

I agree with the line:
"It's easy when playing a game in an over-saturated genre, like first-person shooters, to judge the title not by what it is, but by what it isn't. Games like Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 both suffer from that same problem."

People should seriously start reviewing the game itself, not what it hasn't got or whatever.

[Surfman]

kotaku is a real joke, guys.. dont even give them hits by clicking on the link.

[NegativeCreep427]

I can imagine what they will complain about though:

Graphics are too good. It burns the retinas.

Sound is too realistic. It doesn't sound like a "videogame"

Gameplay is too intense. Enemies don't throw themselves at you.

Game controller is totally weird. Why are we not playing this using an XBOX 360 controller?

[Fishy Fingers]

"Or one of your rockets glance off a railing and instead of exploding, spiral out of control and off into the sky."

Sounds amazing! I know everyones concentrating on the one "negative" comment but over all he seemed really happy with it.

[Ashby_JC]

Its amazing to see ppl get SOOO defensive about a game THEY have not played.

If you took the time too READ his preview he gave alot of POSITIVES. He gives one opinion that is construed as negative and everyone is all over Kotaku like there HATING on the game.

Have you EVER read a preview or preview that the ONE person who is writing it didnt state his opinion.

If he the writer feels it was TO CLEAN...then thats HIS opinion.

I liked what he had to say about the rocket hitting the railing....that sounds AWESOME!!

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

I lost interest after reading that bit!!! ;-D

KillZone 2 is a 10/10;)

[Unicron]

It sucks because I love Kotaku's review system, how it's done, but I can't help but feel their opinions are just as biased, hypocritical, and double standard based as any other sites.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

"Or one of your rockets glance off a railing and instead of exploding, spiral out of control and off into the sky."

This will be the cause of many interesting videos to come.

Imagine some dude shoots a rocket, it bounces off a railing, and destroys another guy simply walking down the road :P

[dar36]

typical kotaku, i can't wait to see their review.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

One of the comments sums up what I thought when Brain said "too clean".

"For me (and other people I've spoken with), the Star Wars prequels were "too clean". In the original trilogy, when most of the sets were actually constructed and built, the vehicles and buildings looked used -- a little grungy, dirty, dusty, etc. The three prequels, on the other hand, with their elaborately blue-screened backgrounds and settings looked "too clean" to be real. In one sense, they looked much better (greater sense of scale, more interesting architecture, etc.), but, on the other hand, they didn't exactly look real -- one of the many things that gave the OT a certain charm that the prequels didn't achieve."

Of course if you are too young to have watched the Star Wars movies before the prequels then this will probably go over your head.

I know many want to condemn Kotaku but it sounded like a well rounded impression and the most important part was he was very impressed.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

In response to the Star Wars comment, I believe that the buildings were clean because the war hadn't actually gone to those places.

In the OT every place in the universe was affected by the war.

[Pixel_Addict]

It's funny how the reviews with the back-handed comments clock the game below 8 hours, while IGN and Gamepro says atleast 8 hours.

Even when Kotaku give their 'impressions', they still manage to be completely assinine. If you haven't already, DO NOT hit their site and waste your time reading this mess.

Kotaku's 'impression' is nothing more then a impotent attempt at insulting the game and sweeping those lies under the truth.

[Ashby_JC]

"Kotaku's 'impression' is nothing more then a impotent attempt at insulting the game and sweeping those lies under the truth."

Care too list where he insilts the game K2??

And what truth would that be??

He gave his opinion on the single player...and from what I read he enjoyed it. He gave some things he liked and didnt like....

....so based on your comments. Is it wrong for him to write anything he didnt like???

[Black Maverick]

Here's the whole "preview" so you don't have to visit the site.

"Yes, impressions. Not the review.

We decided to hold off on our formal review until we can play the Playstation 3 game online under more typical conditions. Instead I've written up some of my initial thoughts from playing through the entire single-player campaign on the average difficulty setting.

It's easy when playing a game in an over-saturated genre, like first-person shooters, to judge the title not by what it is, but by what it isn't. Games like Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 both suffer from that same problem.

What do these games do that no others before it have? What do they deliver to gamers that is unique to the genre? On their surface, nothing.

Killzone 2 also brings nothing new to first-person shooters. Instead of providing gimmicks to try and separate itself from the pack, the game wades into the thick of things and proves that you don't have to be unique to deliver an engaging experience.

There are certainly differences in Killzone 2.

The graphics, while a bit too clean for my liking, still capture the pivotal moments of the game with an almost cinematic flare. Details make the game pop. Like when you're ducked behind a concrete barrier and a chunk of cement blows off next to your head from a near-miss round. Or one of your rockets glance off a railing and instead of exploding, spiral out of control and off into the sky.

I'm still debating whether the artificial intelligence that controls your squad mates, and the Helghast you take on, is very good or sketchy.

Typically, I found the Helghast surprisingly realistic. They try to out maneuver you, even calling out to one another in battle. Enemies scramble away from you when you pop around the corner, or quickly try to slice you with a knife. When a grenade hits nearby, they fall to the ground temporarily stunned, but then slowly climb to their feet to take you on again.

But at other times I found enemies standing nearby seemingly oblivious to my proximity. Maybe I'm over thinking it, making excuses for bad AI, but it was almost as if that in the heat of battle this one didn't see me run behind him or that one didn't notice me round a corner. The thing is, the graphics, the responsiveness, the seeming humanity of these digital automatons make it easier for you to forgive the occasional tactical stupidity.

The story? The story is light, but not so light as to be distracting. There are no love interests. No hidden sub-plot. But in real war there rarely is. So I can overlook that. And what the game seems to be saying about modern warfare, about the complexity of morality in a fight, is grist for thought. I'd even argue that Killzone 2 drew some of its deeper, more subtle meaning from what's currently going on in our world.

The experience of playing Killzone 2 ping-pongs between the ordinary and the sublime. There were moments when I paused in mid-play to take in what was happening around me. I wasn't just playing out a pre-determined role, triggering events by pushing forward, I was engrossed in a battle. Bullets zipping by. Friends and foe falling on either side. The intensity, the mayhem of war, perfectly captured.

It is at those moments that Killzone 2 is fully realized, when it delivers not a single-player experience, but an experience that despite it's solitary nature, makes you are part of something larger. You aren't the hero in this game, you're one of the grunts and it's just as likely that any one of you will die.

Killzone 2 is a tightly-paced shooter that walks gamers through an eclectic mix of levels in an experience that comes in at just under 8 hours. But it's also another one of those games that, because of its relatively short length and its perfect pacing, can feel more like a movie or a book than a game.

That's one of the funny things about video games. Despite their increased level of interactivity, many of them fail to be as immersive as a good read or a fun movie. But Killzone 2 dances on that line between disposable entertainment and time well spent.

Look for our full review later this month."

[Fishy Fingers]

Don't do that. Don't like Kotaku don't click on it.

[njr]

Sadly they deserve treatment like this, I won't give them a hit even for exclusive news.

[SupaPlaya]

thought the preview is not heavily biased like some of the review out, even though it sounded a bit negative in the beginning. It at least acknowledges that it has good pacing, while conceding that most shooters do nothing new (instead of saying Killzone 2 does nothing new, while praising another shooter that it innovates the genre). It also give props to one of Killzone 2 's greatest strength (in my opionion from watching the videos online), the war atmosphere and that you are not an invincible hero. It gives you a realistic feel, not just from the graphics alone. This combination of atmosphere and top notch graphics is where I think Killzone 2 differentiate itself from other shooters at first glance.

[Aclay]

"Killzone 2 also brings nothing new to first-person shooters."

Killzone 2 does bring something new to FPS games and it's the cover system. I seriously can't stand it when people continue to say that KZ2 doesn't do anything different or new because it does.

The Lean-and-Peak mechanic and the Cover System that lets you pop in and out of cover just like Gears of War or Uncharted was Guerrilla's own creation and their own idea. What other FPS game has a Cover System like Killzone 2's?..... NONE of them. I rest my case.

[mastiffchild]

It also innovates with the hugely well implemented sixaxis controls. TThe holding steady while sniping is genius but apparently it's old hat and I just missed it in every ither shooter I played. You even get thrown off by the nearby bangs and flashes meaning the sniping is the most real in any game yet. Very few have even mentioned this(GR did and slagged it off(shocker) in preview("real-maybe-fun-m eh")yet all and sundry, esp Kotaku blared forth about Gears(and both gears games are great-ad 2 might even be playable oline one day;)) innovations(which even Cliffy B states were stolen fom Kill Switch and a few others).
No with Kz2 either Jesus turns up to help smite the Helgast or it's a blowout-a lot of these people have spent the last three ears laughing at Sony and GG but now it isn't funny but they haven't got the nuts to say "sorry we were wrong" and congratulate GG like men. No, they have to nitpick like schoolkid fanboys even though we know where they stand and their backtracking to find faults that L4D, Bioshock and COD4 all had at least one of then only notice any of them if it's possible to shoehorn them into a dig at Killzone2-and that's even when the scores are 9s.
Jeez, the news is out-had been since the beta-GG and Sony did it(by and large) but to some folk it just sticks in the throat too much to say they might have got things wrong by doubting the game since E32005.Not much laughing now is there? No, but there's no class or contrition either-and that's just sh1t journalism from a bunch of sites too full of themselves to put real value in the efforts of any other group of people.From the G, to the u, to the t, to the t, to the e, to the r, to the gutter-sad.

[Rangitahi]

people need stop flocking to sites that deliberatly give ps3 exclusives bad reviews cos it gives their websites page hits which determines adverrtising revenue

[Spike47]

and the cons are easy to just ignore not serious at all

[Jrome]

Reviewers need to stop comparing games to other games and actually REVIEW THE GAME.
And by review the game I mean give your impressions on how fun it was to play...not on how it compares to another game...that's not review that's comparison.

[Narutone66]

Brian C actually liked the game. He's just nit picking the game because Kotaku's been favorable to xbox 360 games though.

[Bathyj]

Why did I read that?

My eyes feel dirty, (unlike the CLEAN graphics), I guess it just doesn't have the grit and realism of some graphically superior titles like say, Halo.

Yes of course I'm being FKN sarcastic.

[Lombax]

WTF? o.0

Lets try this out, just to maybe figure out what they're saying.

The Corvett, while a bit too clean for my liking...

The Picture, while a bit too clean for my liking...

The Album, while a bit too clean for my liking...

The Kitchen, while a bit too clean for my liking...

The Case of Beer, while a bit too clean for my liking...

Nope, still dont get it.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

The prostitute, although a bit too clean for my liking...

I just don't understand it, man.

[electricgta]

some guy said this.
13 -
"Or one of your rockets glance off a railing and instead of exploding, spiral out of control and off into the sky."

This will be the cause of many interesting videos to come.

Imagine some dude shoots a rocket, it bounces off a railing, and destroys another guy simply walking down the road :P

imagine if it bounced off a railing went through the random guy walking down the road flew up to visari in his hiedout went through him, so far 2 people stuck on the rocket.. went through osama binladen and then.. yeah u get my point ;)

[bassturd]

mentioned 2 xbox games before I was able to even click the link.

uhhhh no thanks then...I'll pass on these "impressions"

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Graphics are "too clean"...

QUOTE OF THE CENTURY!!!

[SupaPlaya]

It's like saying the water is too blue...

[SupaPlaya]

it makes me want to swim in it! Wait, scratch that, otherwise it may get a point off for not allowing the player to swim... kekeke...

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Just under 8 hours...

When did that become short?

Call of Duty 4 was 5 to 6 hours. What is this guy's problem?
I beat Crysis in just 6 hours.
I also beat Gears of War 2 in 6 1/2 hours. I didn't see any complaints there...even WITH the terrible multi-player.

This is just not freakin' fair.

[Miraak82]

wow talk about nitpicking , most of u r nitpicking his words even though he gave a very positive review , u guys need to read all of it instead of judging a few parts of what he said. but but kotaku blah blah blah oh grow up ppl

[Benke]

... he's not writing about your mothers. It's a video game. It's going to have flaws or elements some people enjoy more than others. Overall I felt it was very positive regardless.

Good on Kotaku for holding back a bit on the review until they have had time to play multiplayer online outside of the beta.

[SupaPlaya]

And I think that the people that disagreed with you does not necesarily disagree with the fact that every game has its flaws, they are just tired of seeing 1 game getting free passes, another similar game being picked on and with it's flaw magnified.

Overall this is a positive preview with useful insight. I like it. Let's just hope that the review is consistent with the preview, and if they take points off for this game, it is at least consistent with how they score other similar games in the same genre.

[Ashby_JC]

You would think that he was talkin bad about a family member.

He gave his impressions. Some good some bad....but OVERALL it was a good impression.

Maybe the ppl who are crappin on the site and such should wait and play the FULL single player themselves.

It seems that any PS3 game that anyone has something bad to say about it is BIASED or whatever. How about maybe they are being honest about what they didnt like about a particular game.

Another thing that I have never seen before is how early the reviews are out for this game. its gettin 9s and 10s. So be happy and I hope the game lives up to the hype for the ppl getting it.

[Helghast Slayer]

"It's easy when playing a game in an over-saturated genre, like first-person shooters, to judge the title not by what it is, but by what it isn't. Games like Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 both suffer from that same problem."

Yeah but it didn't stop them from getting a plethora of undeserved 10's huh? Get f#cked you stupid biased f@gs. Killzone2 kills both those games and is in a league of it's own.

[macalatus]

"The story? The story is light, but not so light as to be distracting. There are no love interests. No hidden sub-plot. But in real war there rarely is. So I can overlook that. And what the game seems to be saying about modern warfare, about the complexity of morality in a fight, is grist for thought. I'd even argue that Killzone 2 drew some of its deeper, more subtle meaning from what's currently going on in our world."

Granted, I'm not a big fan of the Kotaku and I somewhat loathe them, BUT of all the reviews and articles about KZ2, Kotaku got at least the story part right. Killzone 2 talks about what war really is in it's vaguenesss of "who's really right or wrong in a conflict" instead of being "another epic fight with a super-human and an advanced alien species" story.

[dukadork2]

otherwise, you get the sh!t and they get the dough

[xg-ei8ht]

Yet Rez evil 5, will get 10/10's for nothing new, just polish.

I actually enjoyed the demo, but the control scheme, while still more or less how it always was, does nothing new.

It feels to stiff.

This is the perfect game that needs a cover system.

[Lombax]

Uhm... I have never seen a cover system like this in a FPS.

Other FPSs may have a cover system but they pull you out to 3rd person view while in cover, therefore its not 1st person. KZ2 is the only FPS with a truly FPS cover system.

So? New? Yes?