Killzone2 First impressions

As I've mentioned before my cousin, The Artist, shucked in his Xbox to join the PS3 camp; he had his reasons for doing so however one he did mention was Killzone2 a PS3 exclusive. He'd really liked the Ps2 original (annoying as it won't play on his new model) and was looking forward to the sequel.

On Thursday the demo was dropped onto PSN a hefty download of 1.2Gb. I expected calls, I expected texts - nothing. I picked it up on Friday evening after a sweet Burnout Paradise update. The update came through speedily enough, but the Killzone2... woah 1% per 40 seconds so about an hour - I watched Robot Chicken Star Wars (21mins) then Being Human (45mins) and it was done. However I was tired, and eye-strained so retired for the night.

Saturday morning bright and early I fired it up. Alter the brightness so the symbol is just visible... what symbol [brightness to max] oh that symbol. Onward.

Hmm yeah I can see why some were complaining about the menus - move to a different item or select it and the whole screen does a little hop up and down; kind of neat moving from one item, very annoying trying to scroll from the first item to the last.

Okay check the default control configuration; hmm PS2 layout ignoring the 'new' PS3 second shoulder buttons equals prime actions, fair enough. Keep it on default Trooper difficulty and in we go.

Ah it's an in-game cinematic in which I can't move or do anything, hmm good job the subtitles are on can't understand a word they're saying. Crash and oo I've got control and suddenly discovered I'm armed. Instinct cuts in and I head for cover where my AI buddies are already hunkered down. Ping my first tutorial "Press R1 to fire" okay um at what? Oh at that enemy around the corner that I couldn't see and my team-mates have already perforated. Okay!

Onwards. Um why aren't my team-mates advancing behind me? Oh here they come now.

Onwards. "Press L2 for cover" hmm and hold it too, so L2 to press against something, oh and you automatically duck too that's nice, then move the right-stick to look over the top or around the cover then R1 to fire. Would be nice if I automatically moved to the edge to peer around rather then just looked at concrete. Now what?

"Get the RPG" What RPG? I hit one of the direction keys and an arrow briefly appears on the screen, oh you mean that shiny thing; okay. I remember from the first game that L3 sprints and yep it does the same here so I sprint over the RPG and grab some cover. I'm sitting next to the RPG but have yet to pick it up? Ah "Press [] to pick up the RPG" will do. Now sitting in cover I use the right stick to poke my head over the top, the cursor turns red and I fire. I'm dead because I've just shot the wall I was taking cover against.

Auto reload and just before the collection; I try again trying to stay out of the firing line in cover; cursor goes red and I'm dead again. Hmm I can see why they wanted me to pick this up. One more try this time I ignore cover and stand like a target well away from cover, boom still alive and one busted bridge.

I head around and start to get shot at, I switch to my rifle... where's my rifle gone, where'd this pip-squeak pistol come from. Oh silly me I can't carry more then two weapons and one of them you can't drop. The rifle is back where I picked up the RPG, that sucks sorry but I think I can carry both a rifle, RPG, and pistol without too much hassle.

Onwards. "Press [] to jump" um why? Into cover and a couple of APCs turn up...heh I'm still got the RPG I pop a couple off at them as they unload a wave of enemies and... nothing happens. Excuse me if this is powerful enough to drop a bridge I think it should at least put a dent in both the vehicles and enemies. I scoot back for my rifle oh that works against the soldiers.

Okay they're all dead, but we can't open the door a couple of grunts have been volunteered to go around and open the door; oh I'm one of the grunts. I head towards my partner who's standing next to a wall like a shopfront dummy. Ookay and I'm here, now what? I call up the arrow and find I'm not standing directly on the task spot, I take one step forward and the dummy comes to life and gives a boost up to the wall, I reach back and pull him up.

Up a lift and blink what was that oh an area load, not bad speed-wise, first I'd seen. Onto a catwalk "Press and hold R2 to cook a grenade" well as there are two enemies down there having a chat don't mind if I do. Heh they're dead. Head along the catwalk and reach some stairs into the area the enemies were standing, dummy stands at the bottom. Hmm tell you what you advance and I'll stay up here and use the vantage point.

Nope dummy ain't moving. I clatter down the stairs and he charges off across the room then shouts about an ambush - thicko. I leg it back up the stairs and it's a turkey shoot. I can see how it would be different if I were down there amongst the packing cases, but up here it's a piece of cake.

Enemies down I join the dummy who's doing his thing at a door, I join him and he springs to life and rushes to a control panel. Oo my precog sense is tingling, bet you're going to have to work on that door and I'm going to have to cover you, bet that a bunch of enemies will appear from nowhere too. Damn I'm good "Cover me while I get this door open" oo look a bunch of enemies coming from the same place we'd just come from (obviously past the rest of the troop bunch of lazy good for nothings) bang, bang, grenade, shoot explosive cannisters, and they're all dead. Dummy's still working on the control; hmm odd that not one single enemy tried to lob a grenade at me or try to flank me on the stairs despite the dead-end we'd painted ourselves into. Door open and through. Demo ends.

Okay the graphics are most pleasant, the enemy AI is sporadic at times they'lll chuck a grenade at you, try to go around, or take cover. Sometimes they're as dumb as a post. Your AI compatriots are about the same. You can rely on them to kill the enemy, they can be revived by you if they take too much damage, but they can get in the way; rush to cover and one of them will beat you to it and prevent you from 'sticking'.

The sore point is the scripted events; seriously obvious as I hope you've realised from the Dummy. Until you reach a certain point nothing will happen, running along this isn't too obvious, but in the ambush situation above this is hammered home. Next problem is story co-op - there ain't any. So tie that to the scripting and you get what I described above with a situation I wouldn't walk into without a good smack of the stupid stick, but have to to advance the script.

With apparently only six hours of story play, this is has to be viewed as a multiplayer online game first and foremost and as the demo didnt' allow online play... little difficult to judge.

Oh and as for The Artist he hadn't realised it was out - tcch!