'BioShock,' 'Fallout 3' Creators Discuss 'Killzone 2' Review Reaction

Remember how so many reviewers said that Killzone 2 didn't have much in its single-player campaign that was new? And remember how people couldn't agree if that was a problem or not? At last week's Comic-Con panel, N'Gai Croal and Stephen Totilo asked 2K Boston's Ken Levine ("BioShock") and Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard ("Fallout 3") all about that and the disputable value of "newness."

(Videos not viewable by users logging in from Canada or the U.K.)

[Jager]

So... again, ill ask. What did these guys say. Again, im deaf, so im asking N4Gers here. This time, lets refain from bombing the deaf kid with disagrees as if i was Saddam approuching the UN building.

[TOO PAWNED]

They bascially owned Stephen Totilo and wvery other douche that doesn't really understand games or doesn't know how to properlly judge them OR gives biased narrow minded comments that game "is nothing new".
Both of them gave PERFECT answers, Ken was first to answer so his answer was better, i could not agree more with him. Todd gave different perspective but was also correct.

Stephen Totilo probably expected some moronic comments that he hears from likes like him....some 360 "logic".
Hey Stephen we all remember how "newness" abd "fresh" Halo 3 was....don't we?

[faisdotal]

Or simply put: Stephen Totillo asked if a game (i.e Killzone 2) that doesn't exactly do anything new but really perfect's the genre, if it's a bad thing or good thing.

Ken Levine basically said if it add's to the experience, then no it isn't a bad thing. He also used a Pizza Analogy lol.

Todd Howard said the same thing except detailed that stuff like the Field Of View or the Offset of the Gun is to the screen are little things that game devolopers niggle about and also can be mentally tested in 5 seconds if a game sucks or not, and he thinks Killzone 2 does them right.

Totillo asked again, if it's a good thing or a bad thing again, and they said nope it's entirely good thing.

[INehalemEXI]

Now im itching to play the demo again.

[beavis4play]

he said what was most important was that games were fun. and both he and howard said they were impressed with what they've seen of KZ.

edit: i wonder what those boobs from Edge magazine (and Andre from gamesradar) are thinking after hearing Levine and Howards comments?

[MasterBlaster]

Damn Jager, people bombed you with disagrees just for asking what somebody said? That's pretty f'd up. N4G ftl.

[bassturd]

basically asked if games must have newness and then threw in Killzone 2 as an example. Saying it doesn't feel new but is that okay?

Then the 2 game devs (whom said they haven't even played Killzone 2 yet so why the hell is he asking them in the first place?) said, as long as it is fun....we don't care. Fallout 3 dev said Killzone 2 looks awesome basically.

@below. And eveything they did with the graphics. I mean, everyone says the game looks pretty. Ya, it looks pretty cuz they are doing stuff that hasn't been done in a videogame's visuals before. I don't understand why this is always an oversight when it is right there in your face.

[Pretend_PS3_Owner]

yeah i can't wait to play this, i will probably pick it up after Halo:ODST comes out.

[FarEastOrient]

Yeah, if a game has to add more spokes to the wheel after reinventing it over being fun is more important than the reviewer has lost the ground of being objective. According to what Edge thinks about Killzone 2 for example and complaining that it doesn't add anything is bogus.

According to Edge, than one of my favorite games Starcraft, Command & Conquer, Red Alert, and Bejeweled ^_^ should all be getting scores less than 7 because of lacking in 'innovations.' The reason why I'm willing to spend $150 on the Starcraft II Trilogy is because it plays exactly like Starcraft 1.

[MAR-TYR-DOM]

again? WTF is up with these websites and their blackouts? multiplayerblog.mtv.com ----> f u

[Armyless]

For example, I doubt something NEW like a FPS Katamari Damacy would set fire to the indsutry...

(wait... that actually sounds kind of cool lol)

[Xymes]

But I think it's the fact that you have the man that killed around 20 million Russians as your avatar what makes people press that disagree button. But whatever, my opinion.

[xxsnowmanxx]

(Videos not viewable by users logging in from Canada or the U.K.)

bummers for me too man...

[Ozzyb]

Don't feel TOO bad. I can't watch the Mercer Report here, and that show is funny!

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Disagreeing???

What's up with that?

[GameGambits]

I liked watching this. Not often you get to hear game developers of highly acclaimed franchises speak out on gaming, UNLESS of course they are a certain someone with baby Gap-Tshirts, crooked smiles, and a slight lisp. You know who you are, let's just call him Bliffy C for now.

Seriously though, I hope no one uses these videos as arguments to either side of the Killzone 2 rocks/Killzone 2 is over hyped + sucks war going on. This needs to stay in the warm friendly gamer space where the guys who make us what we love, just discuss another aspect of games they think might or might not make it a success. Innovation is great if done well, and redoing is excellent if polished to perfection.

Great vids. :)

[Legion]

Did you notice the comment about the camera level compared to the rest of the environment? Was he picking on the fact that the character has been described as feeling short in the game when compared to other characters?

[redsquad]

Can't watch the vids being a Limey, but as I said elsewhere: If we demanded 'innovation' in EVERY game, there'd only be around three new titles a year.
If a game does what it set out to do WELL, then it's as deserving of praise as a game that offers something new in my view.

[prowiew]

Good answers by them. Now both of you go make more good games.

[StephanieBBB]

I must have missed the bandwagon where the fun level in games doesn't matter anymore, so as long as they invent something new they should be praised like jesus himself?

Or this might have been invented by fanboys whence they saw that the KZ2 CGI trailer looked pretty much like the actual gameplay... I've never in my life seen this much nit picking at a game before. Either people want KZ2 to fail or they are too excited to drop the subject.

Either way, KZ2 is getting one hell of a free advertisement trip so even if it's bad PR it's still PR.

[_Q_]

Pay no attention to them Jager.
BTW I loved the answers they gave. Its common sense,If its fun then theres nothing much else to it.
I hate that they had to point out the lil details these jackasses ignored so now theyre gonna act all informed when they write another article on KZ2 about "how detailed the game really is after all"

[callahan09]

@Beavis4Play, I'd predict that they would disagree with Levine and Howard. Sure, those so-called journalists have no expertise or actual skill of any actual creative value, all they do is criticise the hard work of truly creative & skilled people. But then again, that's precisely the point. They have no constructive talent, so they can't feel good about themselves unless they use their "power" to criticise the very sort of work that they'd never in a million years be capable of doing themselves.

They gave Fallout 3 a 7, and they gave Bioshock an 8. So, even though they have no idea what goes into making a game, and have no creative skill to match the sort that game developer's have, they feel that they are right and the developer's are wrong and have no idea what makes a worthwhile gaming product. Arrogance, I tell you.

[The Lazy One]

no. As long as they do it better or slightly differently.

@ prcelain- killzone 2's cover system isn't "revolutionary", the original ghost recon let you hide behind things and lean out too. The fact that you stick to things isn't really "revolutionary" moreso evolutionary. revolutionary goes against the grain, evolutionary builds on old systems and makes them better. I can't really think of a "revolutionary" way to do cover come to think of it, maybe by waggling your feet?

That said, Edge seemed much more upset with the fact that the story felt very stereotypical and unimportant than anything to do with the gameplay.

[Shepherd 214]

so its ok when Killzone 2 doesnt really add much that is new but apparently according to most N4G users its not ok if Halo 3 didnt re-invent the genre either?

Halo 3 had the innovative Forge map editor, the theater system that lets you take screenshots and film clips of your matches, the amazingly flexible custom games lobby that lets you create the exact gametype you want, then Halo 3 has a fileshare system to let you advertise and send everything to your friends, then log onto bungie.net and publish all your things to millions? And since no other console game has done that before its not innovative?

All ive seen that Killzone 2 has done is the beautiful graphics and a FPS single player cover system that doesnt even carry over into multiplayer. Thats like Rainbow Six Vegas giving you the cover system in single player but taking it out in MP it takes half the game away if you do that.

As i stated before, apparently its ok if KZ2 doesnt add a lot of new things(what this article is about) but it is most certainly not ok that Halo 3 did add in mind blowing changes either. Someone intelligent please explain this to me.

[NegativeCreepWA]

Good interview, both know what it takes to make great first person games. From what I've seen KZ gets all those things right. The first thing I notice when watching a KZ vid is that it has that COD weight to it.

[faisdotal]

COD has weight?

[Hallucinate]

you obviously havnt played killzone2..unless im misinterpreting you the only thing FPS can do now is have diffrent feels

[NegativeCreepWA]

The feel of your characters weight in the game environment is what I'm talking about. The way it feels when you walk, run, jump, landing from a fall. COD 4 does this way better than any game to date, all I'm saying is from what I've seen KZ seems to have that same feel to it which is a good thing.

Maybe its something only a console player could notice, since all you do on a PC is press a key to move.

[beavis4play]

these are points where KZ appears to excel.

[Johnny Jiron]

CoD hits a nice balance of arcade and realism. KZ leans more in the way of realism as compared to say Halo which goes for the more arcade style. I honestly can't tell which of the three I like the most. Only other game to really put weight into the control was GRAW strangely enough. I liked it, but most seemed to have disliked it.

EDIT: LoL I just realized I lost a bubble for that comment I made the other day in which I knocked KZ2 and Halo 3 in the same post...guess it's not a good idea to disagree with both fanboy camps.

[Mr Tretton]

COD has no realisitc feel to it. Quite the opposite. It's still a floating gun game.

[NegativeCreepWA]

You guys have no clue what your talking about, I guess I cant expect from the people on this site. You spend more time on here than actually playing games.

I don't recall saying anything about CoDs weight being realistic.

[NegativeCreepWA]

2.5 It could be worse, My area code happens to be 360 so I get disagrees from both camps every time I say something good about the PS3.

[RememberThe357]

lol thats a bit ironic. Where is the 360 though?

Unlike the rest of these guys I think I got what you were saying and i see what you mean.

[Ozzyb]

I thought Rainbow Six: Vegas had better weight than CoD, especially the gun weight. CoD does it alright, but not the best, even though it's one of my favorite games.

[Kleptic]

i'm not sure what you are talking about with CoD 4 having 'weight'...I know you then back peddled to say 'I didn't say it had realistic weight'...er something...

in either case...KZ2 and CoD 4 have absolutely zero in common in this regard...if you prefer the floaty feeling of CoD...where you can sprint forward as fast as possible, then stop spin 180* while firing a LMG in .3 seconds...you will hate killzone 2...

if you are saying the 'weight' as the way the gun bobs and the way a character absorbs a fall...that too is completely different, as killzone 2 feels like you actually stumble and put a hand down to catch yourself, while you still move forward...the camera shakes and adjusts much more appropriately to a fall than anything in cod...

but yes...I agree...CoD did get it right though, at least in terms of fun...I would have just called it a 'lack of weight' instead...as cod seemingly has zero gravity unless of course you jump...its equally as unrealistic as Halo 3's 10 foot jumps...but its fun to play...and VERY easy for anyone to get used to...killzone 2 is the complete opposite...its NOT easy to get used to...and takes hours and hours of tweaking in order to get down effectively (in terms of the gun acceleration and sensitivity settings)...

I am expecting a huge skew in terms of players on killzone 2 in the coming months...where the 'noobs' (for lack of a better term) are absolutely awful at the game...and those who get it...where as CoD pretty much anyone who played 5 minutes of the campaign will be using martyrdom and spamming grenades for quick kills in just 30 minutes...and easily end up with positive kdr's with very little talent whatsoever...all the while doing well at what I just mentioned; they will be getting used to the insanely fast aim speed of the game...

in the end...i think this is a latent product of how the game was designed...as GG inadvertently made a game that will have a massive hardcore following...that will push pretty much any newcomer out of that fun zone...even though GG wanted a shooter that 'anyone could enjoy online'...obviously yes, some will enjoy it regardless of how well they are doing in online matches...but i am anticipating something similar to Warhawk...where the guys that spend 100's of hours on it are simply untouchable entirely...where as CoD?...anyone can rack up kills by any number of cheap gimmicks that the developers either overlooked, or left in there for that exact reason...

[RememberThe357]

Eh, Kleptic?

: )

[madpuppy]

The character you play in bad company has a feel of weight as well, moving jumping down and especially running you can feel a sense of substance.

[NegativeCreepWA]

2.9 Its in Washington, The 360WA is just an easy way to meet players from my area. Anyone from my area knows instantly what it means.

To the other people, I don't see how you can think COD4 is floaty compared to other games on the market. I haven't played KZ yet so I know how it actually feels, my view of it is just from what I've seen so far. In a few weeks ill make my own judgement on it because I don't believe a thing people say on this site, most them just want to make a game on there preferred console seem like the best thing ever.

[grantps3]

i didnt think call of duty had weight.

"cheese, broccoli, and fake sausage" lol.

[majorsuave]

I have all the Call of Duty (except the 3rd because the morons didn't make it for PC) and I can't say that the whole stack of boxes is an excellent paper weight.

So yes, in a way, it has weight.

[OOG]

:( cant watch lol anyone else have other links for this vid?

[faisdotal]

http://www.ultrareach.com/

Use this. It's a proxy thing I used to watch it.

I live in LONDON KNNAA WHAT I MEAAN BLUD INNIT SSAFE BYE.

[OOG]

thx bubbles to u

[majorsuave]

https://safeweb.norton.com/...

Does not feel THAT safe

[2FootYard]

I love these two fine gentlemen.

[dawq112]

Wow i wish more people were like them. Like seriously, if Killzone lacks "innovation" than A LOT of other games shouldve been stripped of a few points because of that. But cmon.
In kz you drive in a lil automobile type thing(someone please correct me) and thats cool. The tanks are nice. The bots and flying bots are new. The game is very real.
I give it a 9.9 but 10 if they fix the controls. Like maybe they should put rainbow six vegas2 controls or resistance. i like those.

[hankmoody]

... even though you haven't played the full game yet. That just blows my mind.

[Marquis_de_Sade]

How can you even consider giving a 10 to a game you haven't played fully?

[madpuppy]

I think it is some sort of Mech that your character is controlling, not driving.

[Marquis_de_Sade]

Ah great, the standard N4G phantom disagree.

[Awesome Possum]

If a game is fun it shoudnt matter if it innovates or not.

[solidjun5]

If it's fun and you're having a blast controlling the protagonist against the enemy or you're having fun online against other gamers (like in the KZ2 beta), what difference if the story is full of F-Bombs and according to you (not you but in general...or EDGE. lol) the story was just ho-hum. The point is to have fun. Once you're done with the single-player campaign, you can go back for re-playability (trophies, etc), but probably the multiplayer aspect will bring you back. And from BETA responses, that's what it's doing. People are having fun. They love the idea of getting badges and want to progress and they are having a blast. Reviewers these days (at least some of them), are having fun but nit-pick because it's not doing something new. Well, for FPS, how do you innovate FPS? I mean, my personal view of Bioshock is this: It doesn't have multiplayer nor does it have co-op but it was fun for that 10 hours going to rapture. However, it doesn't innovate. "Wait, you can hi-jack bots to attack enemies". That's not innovating or adding newness. "Wait, for a FPS you have powers". You mean like System Shock? Then it's just refining what made the previous games good. But the purpose I'm trying to convey is that you as the player holding the controller is having fun and that's all that matters.

Sorry for the long response.

[njr]

Since the Wii and DS have been released for some time, games apparently need innovation to be "original". I would choose a game that's fun like L4D over one that innovates anytime.

[majorsuave]

This is trooth Possum

[grantps3]

gears of war, resistance, uncharted, warhawk, and left 4 dead arent really that innovating. However, they are considered some of best games this gen. (so far)

[2FootYard]

I think Left 4 Dead innovated but I agree with you for the most part.

[Traveler]

I love L4D, but I don't really see how it has innovated any more than Killzone 2.

[majorsuave]

Coop and zombies. Taken alone they're fine, but the mix is awesome.

I know deja-vu (cod 5 I guess).

[TheExecutive]

Both had very, very valid points and both seem very impressed with what KZ2 has to offer. Its about fun ladies and gentlemen, thats what it comes down to. To me, KZ2 delivers this in spades but to each his own.

[Yomiro]

it's obvious from the outset that Guerrilla Games never intended for its sequel to reinvent the FPS wheel.

However, considering the worth of a lengthy campaign offering genuine challenge, thrilling local multiplayer with A.I. bots, and a layered online multiplayer component that's likely to be PSN's main point of attraction for the foreseeable future, it's clear Killzone 2 has taken the ever-so popular wheel, slapped a gorgeous chrome rim on it, drastically reduced its tyre profile, and applied a sense of balance never before felt on a wheel. Why then would anyone want to reinvent the wheel when the damn wheel never looked so good or rolled so well?

[ngg12345]

I feel like the game could be the greatest thing ever but, I have game ADD and can never be stuck playing the same game for over 50-100 hours. It is impossible for me. That is the reason why I like uniqueness, because if a game is unique and interesting I would enjoy the game more than if I felt like I played it before.

[swiftshot93]

f'ing fallout 3 and Bioshock were such damn good games. It makes me crazy thinking about those games, they're too amazing!

[Pootie Tang]

Definitely my 2 fav games

[Seastriker]

im Canadian and i can't view it?

[Ozzyb]

You got a disagree... some people need lives. Have a bubble.

[Dawn_Of_Ashes]

its me or Stephen Totilo seems to be a 360 fanboy

[beavis4play]

i don't know about that, but i'd say he's been the victim of a few "swirlies" in his youth. maybe a couple in his adult life too!

[i_like_ff7]

Lol funny guys. Our games are really wide.

[THAMMER1]

Killzone 2 still has to prove its self to be a classic. Bottom line to all of this is the games were made for our enjoyment.

[tatsujin]

Fanboys, and gamers alike, stop comparing this to CoD4. K2 effing surpasses the likes of CoD4. It is NOT like CoD, period. Halo 3 is a joke compared to it as well.

Killzone 2 lives in its own unique world. Play the game if you haven't.

[SynGamer]

For me, it's all about attention to detail. Whether it be graphics, sound, controls, etc., if the developer(s) can nail each of these items without bringing anything new to the genre, i couldn't care less. I just want something fun, and when i can shoot an enemy in KZ2 and see them die 100 different times, that to me is 'awesome'.

I look at Gears 2 and the graphics, honestly, didn't impress. Nor did the campaign, especially the final 'boss' fight which was a joke :( But i still enjoyed the game in co-op playing with a friend. However, it's the hype that got Gears 2 9+/10 when it really deserved 8-8.5 at best. And don't even get me started on GTA IV...after playing Saints Row 2, GTA IV deserved 8's at best. The only redeeming feature about that game was the story/voice acting.

[Aclay]

I agree with Todd. In KZ2 they got a lot of the little things right that make FPS games great, and KZ2 to me it's one of the most cinematic shooters to date.

But realistically, there's only so much that you can do with a FPS game and I really don't see why people are complaining about KZ2 not being anything "drastically" different because I'm pretty sure that COD4 Modern Warfare 2 isn't going to be that much more different than the previous games.

But most of all, I think that KZ2's multiplayer really stands out because many of the common multiplayer modes in FPS games are combined into one big match, and each mode switches on the fly while keeping you in the game... now that's something that I don't think has ever been done before in a FPS game, and that's something I'm really looking forward to because a multiplayer mode like that will ALWAYS keep you on your toes.

KZ2 has risen the bar for FPS games so high, and it's going to take a lot to make me buy a shooter.

[no-spin]

also, i will look for similar nipticking in future game reviews.
like no co-op, no innovation, NO MULTIPLATFORM!!!
i know gears got out without a few well deserve criticism

[Valdass]

bubbles to u

[shutupandplay]

Having those two genius game designers sit there and talk about your game is something to be proud of.

[Unicron]

One thing I find amusing and interesting is this... when people criticize Halo, or bash it unfortunately, ardent fans rush out to protect it, citing that "the better/more popular a game is, the more haters it brings out."

Now we have KZ2... but when people rush out to defend it... well... the media says they are just being crybabies?

Ah, silly silly fanboy wars. I'll be enjoying both Halo and KZ2. I suggest you all do the same and stop listening to the ****ing moronic media and it's paid, biased fanboy "journalists."

[ballsofsteel]

finally someone with half a brain. i hate how everyone is expecting KZ2 to be innovative. news flash not many FPS's are innovative in the least bit. All a game has to be in unique and fun nothing else matters. the weighty feel and graphics make it very unique and SP and MP are a blast according to reviews. seriously why wasn't COD4 marked down for not innovating? the only differences in cod4 versus other FPS's was the ranking/XP system. KZ2 not only has that but allowes you to mix classes and first person cover. it not alot i know but why is COD4 hailed as argueably the best FPS of this generation while not having huge innovation while KZ2 is stripped of point for not innovating

[SynGamer]

The fundamental flaw with COD4 is that there is no penalty for quitting a match. I don't care what anyone says, when i join a game only to see my team has 2 people (myself included) and 0 points while the other team is full and has 200+ points...that to me us a HUGE flaw. Hopefully KZ2 won't have this problem.

[pansenbaer]

Anybody catch Todd at the end of that second video? '...ours [pov] was really wide.....that's what she said....'

Ha. Awesome!

[mt]

he lied when he was talking about the pizza . you can tell that from his face .

[BrianC6234]

I don't care what Bethesda thinks about this issue. They should be asking that guy why the PS3 isn't getting DLC for Fallout 3. That's a much more important topic.

[darkdoom3000]

Am i the only one that finds the first person cover system innovative?

[DARK WITNESS]

well thats what i would like to know... can you tell me what you find innovative about it ? i don't want loads of disagrees ( i know i will get them anyway ) i would actually like someone to explain to me " what " is innovative about it....

[Mindsucker]

Now don't slag the hell out of me for not knowing any previous games that had this style of cover system. I felt the controls locking on to some cover by holding down the L2 trigger and being able to release it with the release of the trigger was innovative in itself. I know similar cover systems have been done in TPS but in a FPS I have never seen it myself ,Please correct me if I am wrong; and any buddy can do that by replying instead of just pushing the Disagree swtich.

Plus The physics I feel across the board in one game this has never been done. I mean I have seen similar physics in different games but
combined like they are in this one; I have never see.

All in all those little innovations really add to the experience of playing a FPS and it pushes the direction of the type of innovation I would like to see more of in games...

Not just a whole new concept but tying other concepts in to different games and different styles of games.

[kelvin22]

Well again your asking game developers that have their own titles on their shoulders to say if another competitors title is greater than theirs which demotes their title. In the end killzone sets a standard thats what we said it sets a standard for games and i think that when game develops come up with a new fps they will have to definletly try to bump out killzone 2 which will be hard because of graphics game play, etc in a sense it is something new brought to the plate and also soemthing as a gamer i have been craving for for a while that a 360 has not be able to provide me.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Bioshock guy says the positive
And fallout 3 guy says negative, right?

Either way, I enjoyed Bioshock, Fallout 3, and the KZ demo.

[Stubacca]

Enjoyed all 3 too.

I have the highest expectations for Killzone 2. Fallout 3 was more limited than Oblivion, but Bioshock had a great feel about it. But Killzone 2 looks epic.

[Mikerra17]

so when the next elder scrolls game comes out and the next bioshock comes out will they get marked down because they are not innovative enough?

I mean they can be amazing games like their predesessor but still they will be cut down because their is nothing new.

reviewers need to get over the innovation thing, if its an awesome game why should it matter, unless you make over 4 games then you need someing new, (im talking to you dynasty warriors)

[name]

Yet another reason the creator of bioshock is kewl.

[Re-versed]

COD,HALO3,GOW2,RS2 dint bring nothing new too...!But (at least for the first 3) everything is ok! This is pure hypocrisy!!

Everyone now is sick by the non innovation in games!But when it comew to GOW2 for example,''it is a brutal 3rd person shooter,''so much tension'',''great game''!! This gets to a totally lame spot!!

[no-spin]

the bethesta dude tried to smash on the bioshock artist design.
I think Bioshock can eat the candy from fallout any day.
dont like big world, never ending games
just my opinion

Lets GameQQQQQ

[DARK WITNESS]

not knocking killzone 2 or anything, but can someone explain to me why the cover system is so new...

i can think of a few FPS games that have done a cover system in one form or another, they have never done them exactly the same, but it has been done before...

why is it new again ?

[OhMyGandhi]

I love it when Todd says "that's what she said" after telling everyone that both he and Ken have "wide POVs".

[topgeareasy]

can't view it as I live in the uk

[topgeareasy]

pls

[The Milkman]

For the people complaining about the disagrees... STFU and continue to post. Seriously who gives a @$#@ if they disagree with you. Not everyone is going to agree with you. People just do it for the hell of it sometimes. Especially if your comment is way off. You guys complaining about it annoys me way more that the people that disagree.

Anyway moving on here with the topic. The guys had good answers.. But I think they should always should try adding something different to a game to see how it works, and if it makes the game any funner. Otherwise we will get a feeling that... Hey we already done this before. But thats just common since there. Every once in awhile try something different. If developers never allowed that then we wouldnt have games like RE4 or Zelda: Wind Waker. Which they both added something new to the franchise. I think if a developer wants a game to stay fresh they will have to risk exploring some but always stick to its origins if all else fails.

[OhMyGandhi]

@The Milkman

I agree with you somewhat.
I mean, sure it's always great when a game does something new, and by god, I hope that happens more. The more "by the numbers" kinds of games that most think about when there is a lack of direction is something that every developer fears.

Innovation is great,
but a game like Killzone has enough of those "small details" that make it a game that's not by the numbers, but a game that does what players want it to do.

A person who plays FPS's can watch a killzone 2 video and say "hey, the basic plot isn't that different from what we've played through before, but the game sure looks bad ass in both it's presentation and the sheer amount of perfectionism going on behind closed doors.

[Adversary]

Fallout 3: one of the most well received games in history, loved by newcomers and old hats alike... Could not be more like Oblivion if it was an expansion with a gun and texture mod slapped on to Oblivion itself. You don't have to do something new, if you can do something RIGHT. Look at LBP or WoW or Halo (for most of you) for further proof of that.

Of course, doing something new AND right is truly awesome (read: Portal).