Alright!
Here it is.
I'm at the third chapter, I believe, and so far it's been good. I'll divide my impressions up in subheadings for all you lazy gimps. I'll keep it as spoiler free as possible, but there may be some in here, so take note. I've only played the three first chapters so far:
Gameplay:
Very, very linear, but really intense. This game never lets up, and I don't know if that is such a good thing yet. The battle fatigue was getting to me, and I had to take a break, which I don't normally do when getting a new game that I've been excited about. Although, I'm a little tired, and it's midnight here, so don't get too worried about this.
You've all played the demo, you know how it works. I started out with Alt 2 controller configuration, but ended up back on Standard 1. The reason for this is that you basically need to use the cover system after the initial demo stuff. Guerilla have been really smart about enemy placement, and there is really no safe place to hide, as the enemy is constant changing position.
I thought I had the game figured out by now, but around 40 minutes in, he game instroduces a new type of Helghast soldier that will rush you with his SMG, and this pretty much upped the experience to the next level. This really forces you to participate in the battle, even though your comrades do a pretty good job taking out the Red Eyes by themselves. I would go as far and say that without these SMG guys, the game wouldn't be as good. It's such a small part, but integral to keeping the flow of the gunplay going.
The pacing suffers from the same type of linear shooter issues that plague everything from Gears to COD, in that everything feels very 'trigger based'. I had an issue where one of the enemies was hiding behind a canister, and I couldn't spot him. It was taking like ten minutes to find him, and the instant I shot him, some guy opened the door so I could continue moving on. It felt pretty forced, and there have been several moments like these throughout the three chapters I've played so far.
However, it mostly feels like a well flowing experience. I especially like how you find split up ISA teams around, who climb down from ladders, over fences etc. to join you. The animation and presentation here is very well done, and it feels very natural, as opposed to Gears of War, that always introduces new characters through some over-the-top cutscene.
I mention Gears a lot, because it's obvious that Guerilla took a lot from Epic in the making of this game. However, the cover-system does not work half as good, and it has resulted in a few nasty situations so far. The problem is that there are a lot of stuff you can't take cover behind. You obviously duck, and stay out of sight, but you can't use the pop-out feature, and this basically just makes you a sitting duck. Never the less, it's useful, and I think it's more important that it's easy to get out of cover, considering there are enemies that rush at you.
Speaking of, a thing that annoyed me was the melee. Taking a rocket straight to the face (yes, this actually happened) left me with a slightly red screen. Taking the butt of a gun in my chest left me dead. It's nothing huge, but me and my girlfriend got a good laugh out of that.
Guns feel incredible, even though I don't have a DS3 (still rocking the SixAxis). The input lag seems to be in the retain version as well, but it doesn't really bother me that much, just letting you guys know.
Graphics, audio, and presentation:
After being slightly disappointed with the noisy picture on my TV, the graphics have grown on me a lot. The effects are incredible, and everything comes together really well. Some of the textures aren't that hot, and there
are aliasing issues, dithered shadows, and clearly visible LOD pop-in at times. Do I care? Not really. Just enough to let you guys know. I will say that this is the best looking game I have ever played on consoles, despite these issues. I think that says a lot about the overall image quality, and the work that Guerilla have put in both technically and artistically. Framerate is really solid, and you only notice drops in some of the in-game cutscenes, which don't really bother me.
The best part of the presentation is the lighting, which is the best I have ever seen. They really pimp the tech, and they do it with style. Nothing feels flashy or over the top. It's probably the best use of HDR I have seen, as well. I love dynamic shadows. I absolutely love them. I wish every weapon had a flashlight so I could run around with shadows dancing in front of me. I've been told the shotgun let's me do this, but so far I've only had access to one ISA weapon, and a couple of Helghast weapons, none with a flashlight attached
You've all seen the demo, you know how good it looks, so I won't dwell on that. However, I will point out that the sound is absolutely incredible. I work with music and sound procution on a daily basis, and I rarely get impressed by game audio. Not since Bioshock or Dead Space has a game sounded this good. It's not only punch and power, but the game manages to have an orchestra of war sounds with a shitload of identity; a testament to the sound design over at Guerilla. I've never heard
anything like it.
Conclusion:
I came into the demo expecting great graphics, but poor gameplay, and found myself thinking the opposite. Having played the full game, I really like both. It's not the best shooter I have ever played, but it is the best type of this game, by far. Linear war simulators, realistic or futuristic, never really have an impact on me, but Killzone 2 has managed to sway me in a positive way. I haven't tried he multiplayer yet, but I will get back to you on that. As far as the Campaign, I played on the medium setting, and I wasn't really challenged. Could this change? Of course, I'm still quite early. I hope the game opens up a bit, as it feels kinda cramped as of now. Luckily, the core gameplay experience is there, and they nailed it. Shooting guys feel amazing, and for a game that is just that for ten hours, it better be. I really look forward to continue playing after work tomorrow, and I'll happily answer questions for an hour or so if you guys want that now.
