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[Lord Error]

I can't believe they are even bothering with this, but I guess some people think they have some 'splainin' to do since they gave the Killzone the game of the show award at this years E3, and were praising it like crazy back then...

http://boards.ign.com/Killzone/b6968/71151000/?32

"Hey everybody. As you can tell, there has been a whole bunch of negative reaction towards our review of Killzone. As Editor-in-Chief of IGNPS2, I see it as my responsibility to inform you about what's going down so that you hear it directly from us and so that none of this hearsay nonsense that's been going around on countless other threads continues to proliferate.

Anyhow. The publisher Sony Computer Entertainment of America designated the build we were given of Killzone reviewable. In our entire history as a site, when a pre-release build is given to us and told to us by the publisher that it is to be "reviewed" we base our judgments off of that code. We obviously can't review something based on "what could be fixed" just as much as we can't review something based on "what could be worse." Speculation shouldn't be a part of our review process, because if we were to assume that a negative aspect of a game could be fixed in some later build, then one could also assume that something we found to be positive could also change directions (say, for instance, we liked the challenge in a game but the developer made a last minute decision to dumb it down -- that means we might not like it so much anymore)

That said, we were provided with a bulleted list of issues to look for in our "reviewable" copy of Killzone:

1.) Occasional debug code could make the screen go blue/green/pink
2.) Cinematics were not entirely finished (logos, for instance, we missing)
3.) Online play needed a specific DNS address to play -- auto connect wasn't working

Other than that, there were no specific bugs or hitches mentioned with our build (which we received on October 1). That said, anything else we ran into was fair game if it was a negative or a positive in that build. We have confirmed that the build that we were given was the same reviewable build sent to other online publications -- (no retail builds will be sent out until tomorrow).

That said we are more than willing to play through the Killzone retail copy to see if there is any significant changes over the build we were given for review. If there is, then we'll surely mention them and make the adjustments to our review accordingly (Ivan has beaten the game twice, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to find out rather quickly).

I would just like to point out in our own defense, that if better versions of the game were available before our review was published they were not made available to us. Nor were we told that better versions even existed in the first place (which we don't know they were, I guess we'll find out when we buy a final copy this week). In a nutshell, if Sony or Guerilla wants to use the one-month age of that build as a defensive point as to why certain issues we had with the game were there, we're left to wonder how those parties could expect us to review that game fairly in the first place? As we obviously can't see the future and can't determine what might not be an issue unless we can actually play it for ourselves. Hence, reviewing the product for what it is based on what we were given.

We'll let you know ASAP if we find any changes (or if we don't). Thanks for reading.

-- Jeremy Dunham
Editor-in-Chief, IGNPS2"

 

[sonycowboy]

I can't believe they are even bothering with this, but I guess some people think they have some 'splainin' to do since they gave the Killzone the game of the show award at this years E3, and were praising it like crazy back then...

http://boards.ign.com/Killzone/b6968/71151000/?32

You should see the IGN mailbox, which is what Penny Arcade was referencing.

Classic stuff. You'd think they were Nintendo fans

 

[Solid]

When will GS review this? IGN is so meh.

 

[open_mouth_]

When the game gets a high review score, then I will "believe this review"

 

[Mrbob]

It's easy to hate on IGN, but in this case you would have to back them up on the subject.

It's not their fault that SCEA sent them a buggy copy that is deemed "reviewable". Anyway, this is probably just damage control on SCEA/Guerella's part because the supposed 'Halo killer' turned out to be a dud.

 

[PhatSaqs]

:lol :lol :lol

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I have serious doubts about significant differences in their game and the gold copy, but we'll see soon enough. That said, this is totally Sony/Guerilla's fault if there are fixes implemented in graphics and AI of the retail copy. Personally, I think this is typical smokescreen to make buyers on the fence believe that their store bought copy will be better than what IGN saw....before word of mouth makes any sort of verdict.

 

[Lord Error]

The only thing that reviewer should have done is to come out and say how does he think KZ stacks up compared to some other FPS games they reviewed at IGN, and that were probably reviewed by other people. Red Faction 2, MOH Frontline, MOH Rising Sun (which also got 7.5), etc. It is entirely possible that his standards are simply much higher than the standards of people who reviewed those games. That could possibly be the only thing they 'owe' to people who are interested in the game.

 

[Pug]

Musashi, your correct to assume that. What I've been told the differences between the review copy and the copy that went for pressing is "marginal" and wouldn't change the review one Iota (UK reviewer). This is a complete and utter PR exercise.

 

[Shompola]

The only thing that reviewer should have done is to come out and say how does he think KZ stacks up compared to some other FPS games they reviewed at IGN, and that were probably reviewed by other people. Red Faction 2, MOH Frontline, MOH Rising Sun (which also got 7.5), etc. It is entirely possible that his standards are simply much higher than the standards of people who reviewed those games. That could possibly be the only thing they 'owe' to people who are interested in the game.

I believe that he said something liek Red Faction 2 was definitely better than KillZone
Look into the hate mail and you'll find it

 

[DaCocoBrova]

I was at EB last night and they said it sucked and not to get it. I dismissed their ramblings as usual.

I'm getting this game regardless unless it's totally unplayable.

 

[raYne]

Oh boy...

 

[Dave Long]

It's easy to hate on IGN, but in this case you would have to back them up on the subject.

It's not their fault that SCEA sent them a buggy copy that is deemed "reviewable". Anyway, this is probably just damage control on SCEA/Guerella's part because the supposed 'Halo killer' turned out to be a dud.

The blame is easily equal or leans more toward IGN. It's their own review practice that is to blame. If they were real "journalists" then they wouldn't be reviewing an unfinished game no matter if the company claims it's "reviewable" or not. They should have kindly told Sony a month ago that they would be happy to preview the unfinished code but would prefer to review the same game the consumer will purchase in stores because that review would accurately reflect the game's merits or lack thereof.

Editors should be smarter and not let themselves get put in this situation.

 

[snapty00]

The blame is easily equal or leans more toward IGN. It's their own review practice that is to blame. If they were real "journalists" then they wouldn't be reviewing an unfinished game no matter if the company claims it's "reviewable" or not. They should have kindly told Sony a month ago that they would be happy to preview the unfinished code but would prefer to review the same game the consumer will purchase in stores because that review would accurately reflect the game's merits or lack thereof.

Editors should be smarter and not let themselves get put in this situation.

Uh, they were just doing their jobs. If Sony SAID the build of the game was reviewable, then that's that. What was IGN supposed to do? Not review it and let other sites get the reviews first just because the code might not be reviewable, despite the fact that Sony said it was?

Sony is the one that needs to get its own shit straight. IGN isn't to blame for this one.

 

[MrparisSM]

I was at EB last night and they said it sucked and not to get it. I dismissed their ramblings as usual.

I'm getting this game regardless unless it's totally unplayable.

May I ask why?

 

[WarPig]

Are people actually surprised that Killzone isn't the second coming? Did none of them see how Shellshock turned out?

I could have told you Killzone was an ignorable mediocrity six weeks ago.

DFS.

 

[Lord Error]

I believe that he said something liek Red Faction 2 was definitely better than KillZone

Wow. That's hard to imagine. Actually, I find it hard to imagine how could RF2 score 9.2 at IGN. I thought that game was simply crap.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

Wow. That's hard to imagine. Actually, I find it hard to imagine how could RF2 score 9.2 at IGN. I thought that game was simply crap.

Red Faction is the best single player FPS on PS2.

I really liked that game when it came out, it also has one of the best flamethrowers in a FPS! The secondary fire for the flame thrower rox

 

[WarPig]

You can blame me for the Red Faction 2 review score. That one probably shoulda been down in the eight-something range for the time (meaning it would be even less were the game released now). The fall of 2002 was a bad one. I recall it being a decently-written review, I think, hit some worthwhile points, but the score was a bit off.

RF2's better than what I've played of Killzone, though.

DFS.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Did you get the chance to play any multiplayer?

Where is gamespots review?

 

[B E N K E]

They should have gotten fresher code than oct 1, IGN doesn't have lead times so they should have no problem reviewing complete code.

Unfortunatley this behaviour seems almost systemized at this point. Publishers send out "reviewable" betas because they want reviewers to be lenient on what is perceived as bugs that will surely be fixed in time for release (sometimes they are sometimes they're not). It puts reviewers in a difficult position. EA have even sent out alpha code labelled as reviewable as of late.

 

[WarPig]

Fun example from my job of late: SNK sent out SVC Chaos builds perhaps two weeks before the ship date labeled "FINAL RETAIL CODE." These still had censored animations in the English-language mode, which I duly pointed out in the reviews I submitted to a couple magazines.

Then I see another guy playing a build SNK sent out a week later, IDENTICALLY LABELED, but with the uncut animations that of course wound up in the absolutely finished game. So I have to scramble like fuck to get my reviews fixed before the mags ship to the printer and I wind up looking like an idiot.

DFS.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

May I ask why?

1. Because I get the game for free
2. I admire games on many levels. Even the sh!tty ones on occassion.

 

[worldrunover]

6.8

 

[GhaleonEB]

Penny-Arcade chimes in:

I'm right there with you, Ivan. The nicest thing you can say about Killzone is that flies real good when you throw it. You were way more polite than we would have been.

 

[WarPig]

The funny thing is, Ivan isn't usually particularly polite.

DFS.

 

[Ranger X]

I hope the guy at Guerilla will learn to never say "Halo killer" ever again when talking about one of his games.

If that word would never have been pronounced, this game would be praised 2x more than now.
This may not be a Halo Killer but an excellent FPS that is clearly underrated.
Maybe the best FPS on the PS2.

 

[Littleberu]

I hope the guy at Guerilla will learn to never say "Halo killer" ever again when talking about one of his games.

If that word would never have been pronounced, this game would be praised 2x more than now.
This may not be a Halo Killer but an excellent FPS that is clearly underrated.
Maybe the best FPS on the PS2.

OPM UK called it Halo Killer. Not Guerrilla.

 

[WarPig]

I hope the guy at Guerilla will learn to never say "Halo killer" ever again when talking about one of his games.

Did anybody at Guerrilla actually say "Halo killer," though? Or Halo anything? I always figured that was an invention of the press, although I'd be interested in quotations to the contrary.

Had a funny conversation a short while ago with Lorne Lanning about how stuff like that picks up momentum. Like, they never called Stranger "Steef's Oddysee." Not once. It just got started somewhere and picked up steam until it was practically taken as read. Funny how that happens sometimes.

DFS.

 

[Ranger X]

OPM UK called it Halo Killer. Not Guerrilla.

well tks for the correction

 

[Catalyst]

Heh, why the hell is Guerilla so mad? They made a piss-poor game, that has garnered a lot of negative criticism since its conception. Why can't they see that? The game is just as mediocre as fuckin' Judge Dredd.

 

[GDJustin]

It's easy to hate on IGN, but in this case you would have to back them up on the subject.

It's not their fault that SCEA sent them a buggy copy that is deemed "reviewable". Anyway, this is probably just damage control on SCEA/Guerella's part because the supposed 'Halo killer' turned out to be a dud.

IAWTP.

 

[Galaron]

EA have even sent out alpha code labelled as reviewable as of late.

You are out of your mind. Alpha code is feature complete but bug fixing time, and is often 6 - 12 weeks long. Beta is essentially a submission version that has been sent to third party for approvals. MAYBE a beta build would be sent out for review, but given that it takes 5 - 6 weeks for manufacturing after a build has been approved and gone gold, there is no incentive to send out beta builds as there is plenty of time with gold masters. EA may have sent out alphas for preview, but there is simply no way that an alpha build would go out for review. It's not in EA's -- or anyone's -- interest to send out a buggy build for review. It wouldn't get past the producer, the exec producer, the product manager, the PR lead or marketing.

 

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Screw IGN. The real question we should be asking here is where the hell did Dekajelly go. With all those asinine teaser threads and bizarre microscopic pics of his.....that tool really was telling us it was a "Halo killer". Doesn't he work for Sony?


The boy's got some 'splainin' to do.

 

[Sp3eD]

The games out, hasn't anybody bought it yet? No need to explain about broken code that way.

 

[ced]

Ive put about 4 hours into it and all of IGN's complaints are still present.

The framerate, AI and helgast animation/models are atrocious.

When you dont feel like your controlling a tank, and can move the crosshair it is somewhat fun, but it really is killed by its problems.

Here some more complaints of mine:

The detailed model for squadmates pops in, and can take 3-5 seconds to do so. The animation on these guys is decent though, cant say the same for their ability to stay alive.

Speaking of models, the Helgast dont really have one. All youll see is a black silhouette with red eyes, very square in shape. It also animates like its made out of paper, almost how it looks I just got to a part where gray versions are showing up, maybe things will improve.

The Helgast do have some AI routines where they will take cover, but they move so slow its pointless. Most of the time they stand still, knowing you cant hit them cause of the framerate dropping and rising as you fire. I even feel like the framerate can drop or rise depending on what weapon you equip.

Sound effects and voice for squad/helgast loop constantly, so far Ive heard maybe 5 different things from them. This really is pathetic, the same death animation followed by the same yell.

So far the game just doesnt feel good, with that said it has kept me playing. This might just be cause Im a FPS whore though.

Some good things:

Well, I guess we know its atmosphere is decent, unfortunatly it just cant run good with all the particle effects.

The weapon models and animation are superb, as well as your squadmates (minus the pop in).

Thats about it for now, Ill chime in later if things improve.