Like most things in life, the more something is hyped, the higher your expectations. Killzone 2 is currently the subject of so much hyperbole that it’s starting to damage what people will think of the game.
Killzone 2, as you may have heard, is the best thing in the world since sliced bread. The only problem with that notion is that Killzone 2 does not make as delicious of a sandwich.
Just taking a gander at gaming hubs like N4G, the past week has been ruled by articles about Killzone 2. Most of these articles range from relatively small sites to some well-established sites, each of which claiming that Killzone 2 will absolutely blow your mind. Of course, there are also a few saying that Killzone 2 is just another shooter and that it’s not a big deal.
I happen to be somewhere in the middle. I’ve actually gotten my hands on Killzone 2 for just a few minutes, but I also hung around and watched other people play it rather extensively. As far as first-person shooters go, Killzone 2 is great — some might even go so far as to say it’s fantastic. What Killzone 2 isn’t, however, is a ‘killer app’.
Killzone 2 is not going to move systems. Killzone 2 is not going to convert Xbox owners. Killzone 2 is not going to cure cancer or resurrect the dead. Killzone 2 is simply a great shooter, and that’s it.
The main problem with all of these sites claiming otherwise is that it is actually going to damage the impressions people get from the game. Expectations are so high right now with all of the hype that people have no choice but to be disappointed. As great as it is, it is impossible for Killzone 2 (or any other game, for that matter) to live up to the tremendous amount of hype surrounding it.
I only say this because I’m concerned for my fellow gamers. I don’t want people to be disappointed when they should be excited. I don’t want the hype to ruin the game for them, much like it did for me and GTA4. I curse IGN to this day for handing out “the first 10 since 1999” and making me believe that the game was more than it was.
So please, citizens of the Internet, I beg you: stop overhyping Killzone 2 before you end up spoiling everyone’s fun. Thank you. I will now take my leave of the Ripten soapbox.
Links: http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=56886&start=-0
http://www.ripten.com/2009/01/15/dear-internet-quit-overhyping-killzone-2/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIo6SszIiFg&fmt=22
http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/killzone-2-gameplay-1?size=large
quit overhyping spoiler warning
