Killzone 2

[schild]

Demo tonight (already up for the EU).

Game out in 3 weeks. YAYYYY.

[SnakeCharmer]

Yet another cool looking PS3 game.

Damnit.

[Moaner]

I'm really excited yet pissed off that I'm not downloading it now or anytime soon (fuck work).  Resistance 2 was the first shooter I genuinely enjoyed playing online on a console.  I'm hoping it wasn't just a fluke.

BTW, free dedicated servers are kicking my ass.  After XBLive I really didn't think I was going to be able to play most console MP shooters, lobbies fucking piss me off.

[Phire]

Demo was awesome!

Graphics and sound are the best for a shooter. Controls can be tricky at first and somewhat sluggish but once you tweak the sensitivity it becomes much smoother.

I wish the demo were longer as it only takes about 10 minutes to beat. They should have thrown in a multi-player map or two.

The only thing it is missing is the secondary fire from the original. The Helghast assault rifle used to have an awesome shotgun underneath that came in handy a lot.

[ahoythematey]

I must be doing something wrong, because I couldn't find the demo anywhere on the store.  I checked the demos section, nowhere to be seen.

[apocrypha]

It's like the big huge picture at the front of the store? Check in Latest.

Anyway, downloading now.

[Fabricated]

I'll update this when I download it but I've heard very good things, which is great since I wanted the original to be good and it wasn't.

[ahoythematey]

It's like the big huge picture at the front of the store? Check in Latest.

Anyway, downloading now.

Not seeing it 

[apocrypha]

Not seeing it 

Odd. Where are you? Are there different store fronts in different areas?

[schild]

Turns out it's not up on the US store yet. I do NOT KNOW WHY.

[NiX]

It's not up because EB struck a deal with Sony where their pre-orders got the demo before people who didn't pre-order.

[schild]

Well, that explains that. I guess EBStop should take their few victories where they can with the coming age of digital download. Can't blame them really.

[apocrypha]

Well that's shitty. Sorry for the huge pic.

First thoughts on demo: too short for a 1Gb+ download, looks great, needs more colours, it's a shooter and a good one but I wouldn't expect much more than that. If it's long enough it'll be a must-have if only as a tech demo, if it's really short (like, 5 hours of gameplay) then it'll be a renter.

[ahoythematey]

Oh well.  Foreignia waits for cool shit all the time, I can easily wait for this.

[NiX]

Well that's shitty. Sorry for the huge pic.

First thoughts on demo: too short for a 1Gb+ download, looks great, needs more colours, it's a shooter and a good one but I wouldn't expect much more than that. If it's long enough it'll be a must-have if only as a tech demo, if it's really short (like, 5 hours of gameplay) then it'll be a renter.

Supposed to clock in around 6 hours.

[Phire]

Actually supposed to be closer to 10...which is doable considering the first was at least 15 hours.

For those who did not pre-order at EB just create a Euro account since the demo is freely available on there.

[apocrypha]

I have to say that being relatively new to console games I'm finding the cost:playtime ratio a bit shit in general. I mean, in the UK a new PS3 game is £40 (about US$60 atm). At minimum wage (which is what I was earning when I was working as a photog. assistant) that's about 8 hours of labour to buy a game that probably takes me less than that to complete.

And out of the games I have, the shooters seem to have the least replay value too. So why all the huge hype over the latest & greatest FPSs? Sure, KZ2 looks pretty, but I ain't plonking down 8 hours of labour value on a 6 hour game!

WoW seems like such a bargain on this scale 

[Phire]

What makes PC shooters any different? Its been ages since I played a shooter that was more than 12 hours and even then I don't know if I would want to play a straight up shooter for any longer than that.

The key to longevity with any shooter is the muti-player and CoD, Halo, and Socom have proved that having great multi-player will make a game last. And going by the reviews Killzone 2 will be another game to add to that list.

[Velorath]

I have to say that being relatively new to console games I'm finding the cost:playtime ratio a bit shit in general. I mean, in the UK a new PS3 game is £40 (about US$60 atm). At minimum wage (which is what I was earning when I was working as a photog. assistant) that's about 8 hours of labour to buy a game that probably takes me less than that to complete.

And out of the games I have, the shooters seem to have the least replay value too. So why all the huge hype over the latest & greatest FPSs? Sure, KZ2 looks pretty, but I ain't plonking down 8 hours of labour value on a 6 hour game!

WoW seems like such a bargain on this scale 

Do you not play multiplayer in any of the FPS's you buy?

[apocrypha]

Yeah it's the same for PC games I suppose. Thing is I've spent so long only playing MMORPGs that I'd forgotten just how expensive games were here. And yeah, I do play multiplayer a bit, but I'm very, very bad at straight-up shooters 

I guess I'm just feeling skint atm. Would like to buy KZ2 and Valkyria Chronicles but I just can't afford them right now and it's annoying!

[MisterNoisy]

The SP game can be summed up as Gears/Gears2 gameplay in a FPS.  It's not revolutionary by any means but it's definitely still fun and sets the standard for shooter visuals on consoles.  I'll buy and play it but the people expecting this title to be a game-changer are crazy.

[Sauced]

Made it to Sergeant last night, so I set up Bat Country, in case anyone is actually playing this.

I am not good at console shooters, but I'm at peace with that, so I'm having a damn good time with this so far.

Apparently people had problems saving scores over the weekend?  I never saw any of that, all of my matches saved fine, and there were plenty of people with (potentially bot-hack inflated) high scores.

[Ard]

Made it to Sergeant last night, so I set up Bat Country, in case anyone is actually playing this.

I am not good at console shooters, but I'm at peace with that, so I'm having a damn good time with this so far.

I played it a bit this weekend and got up to Sergeant also.  I'd like an invite if you would.  PSN id is Ardh.  Like the game quite a bit, but man am I lousy at FPS's in general.  Getting better at staying alive now at least, and at least I figured out you could respawn at your squad leader, which puts me ahead of the curve for the people playing the game who seem to refuse to squad up.

Apparently people had problems saving scores over the weekend?  I never saw any of that, all of my matches saved fine, and there were plenty of people with (potentially bot-hack inflated) high scores.

There was more than bot hacking going on from what I've been seeing.  People are also setting up password protected rooms specifically to rank up.  Honestly, after all these years, I can't say I'm surprised to see this at day one, given it's not like Resistance 2 which forces you to play in random official matches to rank up.

[Sauced]

The fact that *all* of the classes are locked makes me not mad at people finding ways to game the system.

People certainly don't seem to realize that you can pick your spawn point every time you die.  Squad Leader is a great option, and there is usually one Tactician in the games I've played last night and this morning, and they leave Spawn Points a lot closer to the action.

I'll shoot you an invite later.

[Ard]

I'm not really upset at people gaming the system to level.  It was more obvious that it was going to happen as soon as I saw how the game lobbies were set up.  I personally probably won't abuse it, but right now, I don't feel like I need the other badges unlocked to enjoy the game.

The only thing I wish they would change is to give a ooint bonus or some other incentive to be a squad leader.  Far as I can tell right now, you get mostly shafted if you're the squad leader, because you have to stay alive to be of any use, and you don't get a mobile forward position spawn point that the rest of your squad does.

[AcidCat]

I am not good at console shooters, but I'm at peace with that, so I'm having a damn good time with this so far.

This is honestly the worst-controlling console FPS I've ever played. That being said, after 10+ hours I am finally coming to terms with it. Mostly due to the multiplayer, which I am enjoying more and more - the controls made it very frustrating at first but I've improved and it has that CoD4-ish "just one more round" addictive quality.

[DraconianOne]

Did they add a jump button this time around?

[Sauced]

Yeah, you can jump.

And the controls are interesting.  Not having a real source for comparison, it seems that their main goal was to provide dramatically different feels to each gun type.  I hit Sergeant First Class last night, and ran around with the Shotgun for a game (note to self - check the map type before doing this again), and I was right back to sucking again.  I had actually managed 2 straight games in the top 3 after getting the hang of the assault rifle.

[Ard]

Yeah, you can jump.

And the controls are interesting.  Not having a real source for comparison, it seems that their main goal was to provide dramatically different feels to each gun type.  I hit Sergeant First Class last night, and ran around with the Shotgun for a game (note to self - check the map type before doing this again), and I was right back to sucking again.  I had actually managed 2 straight games in the top 3 after getting the hang of the assault rifle.

Not only can you jump, jumping often gets you over walls you might not think it would, and allows you to shortcut across chunks of the map.  Same with crouch, actually.

The shotgun is really map dependant.  I'm not high enough rank to start with them yet, but I've found a few lying around.  On maps with alot of close in fight in short corridors, it'll wreck people.  Over any sort of distance fighting, or against snipers, all you get to do is die.

[kildorn]

I really want to like this game. It's multiplayer is somewhat fun. Somewhat in that the level/unlocking system is a direct kick in the nuts to anyone who isn't constantly playing it.

[Geki]

I really want to like this game. It's multiplayer is somewhat fun. Somewhat in that the level/unlocking system is a direct kick in the nuts to anyone who isn't constantly playing it.

Shooters really need to get over the "we must be like an mmo" poopsock phase, quickly.  It's like that asshole self-important professor that thinks that his course is the only one you're taking all quarter long.

[schild]

This is actually pretty great. And I like achievements.

[schild]

Apparently the maps come in two modes: This is amazing and This sucks giant ass through a straw.

[MisterNoisy]

The two times I tried KZ2 multi, my PS3 locked up in the middle of the matches (losing what little progress I'd made towards unlocking anything but 'generic rifle dude'), though I hear that the recent patch is supposed to fix that.  Haven't booted it up since then - I decided to pick up Mount and Blade (finally) on Steam and that shit is fucking addictive.

[schild]

I've played about 10 games in a row, no issues whatsoever.

I couldn't get into Mount and Blade. >_>