Killzone 2: Guerrilla Admits "Some Areas to Improve"
Game was on a mission to show off PS3
Hermen Hulst is the managing director of Guerrilla Games. He appears to be a refreshingly honest and straightforward chap in an industry rapidly disappearing beneath a mountain of jargon, obfuscation and plain BS. He is also responsible for Killzone 2, the game that could either breathe new life into PlayStation 3 or serve as the first verse in its swansong.
While Internet forums have been befouled with rants about how good or bad the game is, Mr Hulst is more up front. He says, "We've delivered in most areas on the vision we set out. We have pushed the machine hard". However, he also states, "If you analyse down to the nitty gritty, there are some areas to improve."
That is not the kind of statement a company leader makes about a make-or-break product that he is not confident in. He's also upfront about why the game came about, telling the BBC, "Our mission for the title was to build a showcase for the PlayStation 3 hardware. I think we have pushed the machine, so I am hopeful that we can help Sony push hardware units."
This is all the more impressive given SCE head Kaz Hirai's statements about Sony deliberately not delivering an easy to code for console.
You can see our review of Killzone 2 here.
While Internet forums have been befouled with rants about how good or bad the game is, Mr Hulst is more up front. He says, "We've delivered in most areas on the vision we set out. We have pushed the machine hard". However, he also states, "If you analyse down to the nitty gritty, there are some areas to improve."
That is not the kind of statement a company leader makes about a make-or-break product that he is not confident in. He's also upfront about why the game came about, telling the BBC, "Our mission for the title was to build a showcase for the PlayStation 3 hardware. I think we have pushed the machine, so I am hopeful that we can help Sony push hardware units."
This is all the more impressive given SCE head Kaz Hirai's statements about Sony deliberately not delivering an easy to code for console.
You can see our review of Killzone 2 here.
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Comments
Showing the 20 most recent comments. Read all 44.
amir 19 Feb 2009 18:36
25/44
@supersayian4-gears 1AND 2 look terribly pixilated even on a good LCD tv running at 1080p. all the textures look like plastic with a layer of vasoline over it. Your crazy and in denial if you think Gears 1 looks better then killzone2 and i own an xbox. I will be buying a PS3 for killzone 2. Even that game Uncharted looks alot better then gears. Gears is a terribly over rated game in all aspects and only xbots who cant admit they dont have the best console still try to claim gears is the best game out there. Pretty much every exclusive for the PS3 has looked 10times better then any 360 exclusive.
config 19 Feb 2009 19:11
26/44
See, I refute your assertion - not least because I reviewed Killzone 2, awarding it 94%. Oh, and I don't own a 360. Or an original XBox.
@SS4 I was completely underwhelmed by Gears, but I'll give you this - the demo level of KZ2 is far from the most visually impressive part of the game. I haven't actually played the demo (given that I played the preview, then had to redo it all again with the review code you can prolly understand why), so I'm not sure how far it goes. Does it include the scene with the RPG equipped Helghast in the building that you destroy? I think that's when things start to heat up.
@SS4 I was completely underwhelmed by Gears, but I'll give you this - the demo level of KZ2 is far from the most visually impressive part of the game. I haven't actually played the demo (given that I played the preview, then had to redo it all again with the review code you can prolly understand why), so I'm not sure how far it goes. Does it include the scene with the RPG equipped Helghast in the building that you destroy? I think that's when things start to heat up.
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Michael 19 Feb 2009 19:23
27/44
You're crazy... Killzone 2 looks WAAAY better than either Gears games, and the demo was freakin awesome. Easily the best demo I've played on either system so far. The combat is intense and really puts its hooks into you. So far this is might be my favorite game of 09... not really much competition this year.
Rick 19 Feb 2009 19:35
28/44
amir wrote:
@supersayian4-gears 1AND 2 look terribly pixilated even on a good LCD tv running at 1080p. all the textures look like plastic with a layer of vasoline over it. Your crazy and in denial if you think Gears 1 looks better then killzone2 and i own an xbox. I will be buying a PS3 for killzone 2. Even that game Uncharted looks alot better then gears. Gears is a terribly over rated game in all aspects and only xbots who cant admit they dont have the best console still try to claim gears is the best game out there. Pretty much every exclusive for the PS3 has looked 10times better then any 360 exclusive.
10 Times better... no. Most PS3 exclusive do look better than 360 games but only marginally. Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid are the only two games that just crush anything on the 360 graphically up until now. I like both systems but yea, it's pretty clear now that the PS3 is the graphically superior system of the two.
Pop 19 Feb 2009 20:08
29/44
Now all they need to do is release their engine for the development community so they don't have to use that awful 'Unreal Engine' or spend money on poorer engine designs.
Then we will see some games :)
Then we will see some games :)
Harry 19 Feb 2009 20:13
30/44
Wooow.@First comment.
Gow graphics> Killzone 2 graphics? Get off the crack.
Gow graphics> Killzone 2 graphics? Get off the crack.
kop 20 Feb 2009 04:56
31/44
You lot dont know what your taking about 108i come on try playing on a KURO them things just blow you away
gears of war is better looking than KZ2 FACT and the game is 2 nearly 3 years older.
Also GOW as a game is immense whilst we all play GOW and halo3and Left 4 dead on xbox live ill leave you all wth your haze your Mgs4s and your resisitance on the PSN oh sorry forgot to menton home hehe
Ill leave you with this
if killzone 2 was a 360 exclusive do you think it would be a console seller or just another shooter???????????
Oh and yes i own all 3 consoles and have played the KZ2 demo to death
gears of war is better looking than KZ2 FACT and the game is 2 nearly 3 years older.
Also GOW as a game is immense whilst we all play GOW and halo3and Left 4 dead on xbox live ill leave you all wth your haze your Mgs4s and your resisitance on the PSN oh sorry forgot to menton home hehe
Ill leave you with this
if killzone 2 was a 360 exclusive do you think it would be a console seller or just another shooter???????????
Oh and yes i own all 3 consoles and have played the KZ2 demo to death
nick 20 Feb 2009 08:20
32/44
you seriously need an eye check if you think gears of war 2 looks better.
may be thats why all the reviews its getting says its the best looking game on a console.
and some saying it looks even better than CRYSIS.
seriously grow up
may be thats why all the reviews its getting says its the best looking game on a console.
and some saying it looks even better than CRYSIS.
seriously grow up
SuperSaiyan4 20 Feb 2009 09:03
33/44
Rick wrote:
amir wrote:
@supersayian4-gears 1AND 2 look terribly pixilated even on a good LCD tv running at 1080p. all the textures look like plastic with a layer of vasoline over it. Your crazy and in denial if you think Gears 1 looks better then killzone2 and i own an xbox. I will be buying a PS3 for killzone 2. Even that game Uncharted looks alot better then gears. Gears is a terribly over rated game in all aspects and only xbots who cant admit they dont have the best console still try to claim gears is the best game out there. Pretty much every exclusive for the PS3 has looked 10times better then any 360 exclusive.
10 Times better... no. Most PS3 exclusive do look better than 360 games but only marginally. Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid are the only two games that just crush anything on the 360 graphically up until now. I like both systems but yea, it's pretty clear now that the PS3 is the graphically superior system of the two.
Most PS3 exclusives look better than 360 games? Like what? The ONLY 2 you can mention? Gears of war still raises a benchmark in visuals, MGS4 looks pretty damn good but is it only just about visuals? What about gameplay?
The PS3 has hardly any exclusives that I deem worth getting and look at how long its been out, even this year I can hardly see anything worth getting maybe KZ2 but its NOT mindblowing the visuals are nothing special only a deluded idiot would think KZ2 is something beyond amazing.
The PS3's capabilities at rendering visuals still only allows it to render with a poorer look because the Xbox 360 will always have the better GPU and processing abilities for GAMES.
At present cross platform games have proved that they will always look better on the 360 version for the past few years multi platform games keep coming out on top on the Xbox 360.
If anyone here really does believe that KZ2 looks better than anything the Xbox 360 has then sorry but your just plain idiotic.
cfir 20 Feb 2009 12:40
34/44
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
If anyone here really does believe that KZ2 looks better than anything the Xbox 360 has then sorry but your just plain idiotic.
So all the games press are wrong apparently. KZ2 isn't the best looking game on any console and everyone else is an idiot.
SuperSaiyan4 you are indeed a visionary or maybe...
SuperSaiyan4 20 Feb 2009 12:59
35/44
You know the first thing Sony fanbabies say when a 360 game gets highly acclaimed reviews? Microsoft paid for the reviews...Whats stopping Sony from 'apparently' doing the same thing?
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
cfir 20 Feb 2009 13:38
36/44
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
You know the first thing Sony fanbabies say when a 360 game gets highly acclaimed reviews? Microsoft paid for the reviews...Whats stopping Sony from 'apparently' doing the same thing?
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
With the exception of the graphics, I don't think anyone has said that KZ2 is revolutionary i.e. it doesn't implement any previously unthought of game mechanics, but rather it takes the best bits from others in the genre and implements them extremely well.
with reguards the AI, even the UK Edge review (who didn't really appear to like the game with only 7/10 so I doubt they were paid by Sony) said it had "cutting-edge AI". Halo was good in it's day, but do you really believe what you've said.
As for the Music, I'll need to wait till I've played though the complete game to comment.
SuperSaiyan4 20 Feb 2009 13:50
37/44
cfir wrote:
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
You know the first thing Sony fanbabies say when a 360 game gets highly acclaimed reviews? Microsoft paid for the reviews...Whats stopping Sony from 'apparently' doing the same thing?
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
There is nothing in KZ2 that I can see that is revolutionary.
In fact the AI in that game is nothing new either i.e. jumping out of the way from grenades.
Halo: Combat Evolved still to this very day has the best AI in any shooter and best interaction and best music.
KZ2 has terrible music that does not go with that game at all.
With the exception of the graphics, I don't think anyone has said that KZ2 is revolutionary i.e. it doesn't implement any previously unthought of game mechanics, but rather it takes the best bits from others in the genre and implements them extremely well.
with reguards the AI, even the UK Edge review (who didn't really appear to like the game with only 7/10 so I doubt they were paid by Sony) said it had "cutting-edge AI". Halo was good in it's day, but do you really believe what you've said.
As for the Music, I'll need to wait till I've played though the complete game to comment.
Yes I do believe what I have said about Halo 1, look at how the AI react when you throw the grenade, look at how they duck for cover and taunt you - Elites that is, look at how the Grunts react as your killing them.
The AI in Halo 1 has still not been beaten by ANY game this generatio, go play the game on Legendary and you will see what I mean, on the lower difficulty the AI is still pretty great but it appears the AI gets a boost on the higher difficulty.
Was p 23 Feb 2009 12:39
38/44
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
The AI in Halo 1 has still not been beaten by ANY game this generatio, go play the game on Legendary and you will see what I mean, on the lower difficulty the AI is still pretty great but it appears the AI gets a boost on the higher difficulty.
The way HALOs 1 & 3 change with difficulty is one of the best things about it, but I'm not sure if the AI gets smarter or if just being harder to kill, and packing more punch makes them seem smarter.
OptimusP 23 Feb 2009 18:05
39/44
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
The AI in Halo 1 has still not been beaten by ANY game this generatio, go play the game on Legendary and you will see what I mean, on the lower difficulty the AI is still pretty great but it appears the AI gets a boost on the higher difficulty.
You've never played Half-Life and Jet Force Gemini have you? Both have Halo's AI beat though, which only proves how much the Halo-inspired FPS-model was actually a step back in terms of everything gameplay related.
SuperSaiyan4 24 Feb 2009 09:02
40/44
Actually I played Half Life 2 but even then I still say Halo 1's AI was far better and so was the music. The music in Halo 1 had a great effect on how the game felt which made it feel as though you were really there and ready for battle.
OptimusP 24 Feb 2009 14:16
41/44
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Actually I played Half Life 2 but even then I still say Halo 1's AI was far better and so was the music. The music in Halo 1 had a great effect on how the game felt which made it feel as though you were really there and ready for battle.
So you have no argument whatsoever? Because I said Half-Life not Halif-Life 2.
Yeah, music always makes you feel ready for battle, I can imagine the US-soldiers hearing John Williams' scores before landing in Normandy really made the difference...
Not My Father! 24 Feb 2009 15:16
42/44
OptimusP wrote:
Yeah, music always makes you feel ready for battle, I can imagine the US-soldiers hearing John Williams' scores before landing in Normandy really made the difference...
John Towner Williams born February 8, 1932
Normandy Landings June 6th 1944.
I know Williams is good, but what was his writing at 12 that was being played on Omaha Beach?
OptimusP 24 Feb 2009 22:33
43/44
Not My Father! wrote:
I know Williams is good, but what was his writing at 12 that was being played on Omaha Beach?
His all-time favorite "Oh Why Doesn't Sarcasm Kill To Those Not Getting It"
Just think of all the nazi's getting killed if it would...
SuperSaiyan4 25 Feb 2009 12:55
44/44
OptimusP wrote:
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Actually I played Half Life 2 but even then I still say Halo 1's AI was far better and so was the music. The music in Halo 1 had a great effect on how the game felt which made it feel as though you were really there and ready for battle.
So you have no argument whatsoever? Because I said Half-Life not Halif-Life 2.
Yeah, music always makes you feel ready for battle, I can imagine the US-soldiers hearing John Williams' scores before landing in Normandy really made the difference...
I never played Half Life 1 same as I have never played Goldeneye but dont slag the 2 games off.
I mentioned Halo 1 because the music in that game really has an impact on the overall feel of the game.
Halo 1 cannot and will not be beaten by any game, till this day I have not played any game on the Wii, PS3 or Xbox 360 that can rival or beat Halo 1.