Killzone 2, it is a hot topic across most gaming message boards. The word generic has been thrown around this title by rabid fanboys, who look to cling to anything against the game. As long as it bashes the yet unreleased title, no matter how untrue it is.
If you have been surfing around some message boards and stumble across a Killzone 2 thread, more than likely it will be countless pages long and filled with the uninformed ramblings of those who are hell-bent on branding the game as generic.
It all started out when a gaming website, i'll leave nameless, made the assumption that the game did not have an identity of its own. They even went as far as saying the game did not have certain gameplay aspects that everyone knew were already in-game and even demostrated in videos on their own website, lol. At this point you have to ask yourself wether or not the website knows anything about the game, considering they say things are not even in the game, which clearly are. So why is it that some people take this website's views and cling to it, when they apparently have never even played the title?
Now you're probably going to call me a rabid fanboy but before you do, keep reading. I never liked the first Killzone . Well, i should really say that it was actually a great game which was marred by the inconsistencies of poor tech. The game had so many technical issues that it was almost unplayable at times, from breakdancing dead guys, audio issues to horrid framerates, incredible pop-in, etc. This severely detracted from the overall game experience. Had the title been polished, i would be more inclined to give the game a great score. The story and gameplay were great, i will admit that much. However there was something there but, overall, it was a sub-par experience.
Fast forward to Killzone: Liberation for the PSP, STELLAR title from start to finish. It was clear that Guerrilla Games was out to rectify certain issues they had with the previous PS2 game. Some may argue that Liberation, as great as a title but do not count it as an actual title because it's not a first-person game. What nitwits and idiots alike fail to understand is that, no matter the genre or viewing angle, a good game is a good game. Level design, AI, visuals, framerate are all superb in Liberation. No major technical issues could be found. The story was sound and the gameplay was tight. this is the foundation Guerrilla Games needed to create before moving on to the next Killzone title for PS3.
Now that we know that Guerilla Games can make incredible games and the story is laid out, people still insult the game that has been givin good previews by everyone. The hate seemed to have started from a website that has no credibility and has insulted the game for elements that KZ2 does not even include. They say the main focus of the game is destructible cover when GG says that they focus on gameplay.
Let's fast-forward to this past week, many threads have been created about the topic of Killzone 2. The threads state how it is generic and does not try to have it's own identity. People are claiming it is clearly copying games like Call of Duty. Let us use a little something called Logic to discuss the game.
When i think of a FPS and the word generic, WWII era video games automatically spring to mind. Mostly factual WWII games, some games like Wolfenstein, the new one looking fantastic, and Resistance are a bit more off from your traditional WWII era games. Seeing as they introduce Sci-Fi elements which are not commonly found in this genre. It's true, that there are way too many WWII era shooters exist in the genre. Does Killsone 2 land in the same genre? No, its as simple as that.
The most widely talked about FPS since its release has been Call of Duty 4. It has been hailed by fanboys as innovative and even genre bending. Sadly it is not, it does nothing, it manages to do less than most FPS's. Point, shoot, throw nades and prone is pretty much all you're looking at with COD4. Is that generic? Absolutely, every shooter has these mechanics. So why is COD4 being held in such high regards and why is Killzone 2 being bashed as generic? COD4 is a ton of fun. COD4 proved that you can have great gameplay with even the simplest of mechanics. Killzone 2 hopes to offer more to the die-hard Killzone fans, myself included, than any other shooter to date. With all coverage that the game has been given, it leaves gamer wanting more. So, why all the hate towards Killzone 2?
I believe that the game is hated because it's a PS3 exclusive. Thats it. The PS3 has been bashed all around because of its lack-luster launch line-up. Another reason is that this game has proven to do what the infamous E3 trailer set out to do. Shall we look and see how a "generic" Killzone 2 holds up to the genre bending COD4? Let's take a look:
Destructible environments
Hit-response animation system
First-person cover system (never before done in a FPS)
Advanced AI (20 guys aiming at you at once in COD4 is not AI, it's OVERWHELMING the player)
Usable Vehicles
Bosses
Minimalistic HUD (virtually non-existent)
7.1 uncompressed digital audio
Utilizing the entire Blu-Ray disk (50 gigs)
Full clan support tying in with Killzone.com Multiple classes with hybrid customization
Hey! It's not a WWII era or un-inspiring modern day shooter, it's Sci-Fi!
much more
Good gameplay
Nice ranking system (also included in Killzone 2)
Great replay value
Well it looks as thou COD4 has just been given a severe beating. So why is a game that does so much more than the current No.1 hit being called generic? It would seem almost idiotic, which it is, to call a game like Killzone 2 generic. Now, i understand that most of these things have been done in shooters before, but you must remember that the walls of the FPS genre are VERY small. Doing anything outside of standard point and shoot can ultimately change the genre entirely. Dev's must remain inside the strict rules of a FPS.
Link:http://neocrisis.com/content/view/1869/134/
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