Figured we could use a thread dedicated to beta talk, both for those in the beta and those merely interested in finding out how the game compares to Killzone 2 and other shooters.

This is a companion thread to the official thread, CGI.  :P

I finally got to play for a few hours this afternoon (about to play some more), and here's how I think it compares to Killzone 2 so far.

Things I like:

• New game modes.  Guerrilla Warfare for the scrubs who can't handle the strategy involved in Warzone (j/k!), Operations for those interested in a more scripted, cinematic affair.  All around three great modes.

• New class system. You no longer start with nothing. Instead, all classes are immediately available, and you can choose to upgrade whichever features from whichever class you want with points gained through earning Exp.  It gives you a lot more freedom, and it makes the game more fun for new players.

• Input lag is gone, making the controls much easier to initially grasp, and easier to ease back into after having not played for awhile.   It just clicks faster.

• Assists. If you empty a clip into someone, then some other fucker comes along and finishes him off, you still get points!   Yay!  It always annoyed me that Killzone 2 didn't have this.

• Brutal Melee System.  Slitting an enemy's throat is downright awesome.   Hell, even getting your own throat sliced ain't that bad, just because of the spectacle of it all.

• Graphics.  Duh.  Though there seems to be more jaggiez than in Killzone 2, despite image clarity on the whole being much improved.  I assume your MLAA implementation is still being tweaked?  At least I hope it's not final.

Things I could go either way on, but still appreciate:

• Point pop-ups. I thought they'd annoy the piss out of me, but I actually barely notice them. For maybe a second I think "Yeah! 250 points!", then they're gone. It provides a more tangible indication of how much experience you're earning in a match, so on the whole I suppose it's a positive.  However, I notice the Chirp is not quite as noticeable now.  I'm not sure if it's because my attention is now drawn to these pop-ups, or if the Chirp is quieter now or something, but it's definitely different.

• Predetermined spawn points.  The theory is good, and it removes the possibility of some idiot Tactician throwing a spawn point in a horrible location, and the clusterfucks that can arise from crappy spawn placement, but some of the preset locations just aren't very good.   In Turbine Concourse, both spawn points can only be reached via multiple jumps with a jetpack right in the middle of the heaviest fighting.  Trying to reach a spawnpoint is asking to get killed, and the only game in which I managed to take one I ended up with a 15:25 K/D ratio.  It's basically a race to get the spawnpoint first, and whichever team takes it isn't going to lose it, and they are then free to camp the enemy's base below, which can be quite devastating to the other team given the current weapon design (see below).

Things I don't like, and want to see fixed or improved in some way:

• Lack of noticeable recoil.  Almost every gun has too little recoil when using sights. Removing the input lag was an excellent and necessary move, but making recoil negligible for just about every gun when using ironsights/scope was going way too far in the opposite direction.  Yes, people screamed that GG went left, but instead of aiming closer to the middle, they've now decided to go right, which is just as bad to many people.  The SMG and LMG in particular are far too accurate, and I know first hand since I spend all my time as a Tactician.  I've heard they're working on this however, at least in the LMG's case.  Though honestly, all guns need more recoil.
  
  Imo, the best control scheme would be Killzone 2's animations/recoil Killzone 3's lack of input lag, but I can understand speeding up things a hair.  They've just gone too far!  Of course, recoil in particular is my main issue.  Running, reloading, etc. are all pretty much fine, though a bit fast.

• Because of the lack of recoil, and probably some other factors (I think people now have lower health), people die so much faster.  You generally get mowed down pretty quick after spawning, and you feel like you're participating in the objectives less as a result.  In general it feels you spend a lot less time on the strategy side of things, instead focusing solely on not dying.  Fully regenerating health kinda makes up for this, but it's still a problem.  The game just feels too fast, like the basic gameplay is designed more for Guerrilla Warfare (aka TDM) than Warzone.

• Mechs.  They need to tone down the auto-aim significantly and keep them away from enemy spawns.  Too much auto-aim means instant death if you get anywhere within one's LoS, and it's far too easy for mechs to camp an enemy's spawn.

• No server lists.  I would've preferred the control that server lists provide over matchmaking, but I understand why they went with matchmaking.  It would've been nice to have both, but I guess that just isn't happening.  Actually, my main issue with this is that you can't even select your own team.  C'mon!  Yeah, it's kinda needed for balance purposes, but you can at least let us select a preference.  In KZ2, I played like 98% Helghast. You can't make me play as those ISA scum!  =(

• Matchmaking is fucking broken.  I mean seriously.  I'm sure it's all  WIP though, and will be much better by launch.

On the whole, I'm liking it quite a lot.  The lack of recoil is my only major concern, but from what GG have said, it should be better by launch.

It'll definitely be more widely appealing than its predecessor, I'll say that.

The negatives are not impressing me at all...this is EXACTLY what I feared would happen.

Edit: If serverlists and the recoil are not fixed...there is just no way in hell I'm buying an original copy of the game. Sorry, but I can do with COD by itself. Not every game needs to be like it.

About time a thread came up for this...I wanted to hear the info

Assist = win

Recoil = Hope they fix it

More and more info please!!! I won't touch any major non psp games until my uni term is done so all the info is appreciated

and btw read something about no blur but a grainy fx instead of it?

Fantastic multiplayer, extreme addictive and fun. Only three multiplayers in my life feels so good: Halo 3, Uncharted 2 and now Killzone 3.

There are some bugs... but none framerate issues.

The beta is phenomenal and the maps are the best ever I see.

I do not have many cons to mention because I have not played Killzone 2, and usually adapt myself to how the multiplayer is and I'm not looking for things that I think should be different.

I liked Killzone 3 Beta as it is.

Finally got a couple hours in just now and I like what I see so far. I will say that I won't be playing Guerrila Warfare much if at all.  It was just waaaay too easy for me. At first I didn't know you could switch to Warzone and I was just about to quit before I realized I could switch.

Like others, I agree thatr the recoil or lack there of takes the whole feel of the game away. If the only thing they fix is that I'll be happy.

Hopefully I'll have some time to play tomorrow after work to get a more thorough experience. That is if a flying tree branch doesn't bust through my bedroom window tonight, hitting me in the face because of these 70Mph winds. Good night everybody!

All of that (even the negatives, save for lack of server list) sound good to me!

Jetpack/exo impressions?

FUCK THIS SHIT!!!!!!!!!

that is all.........

I don't get the comparisons to Call of Duty.

The meta game design is total dissimilar to that of Call of Duty (game modes, class system, etc.), and even when looking strictly at both games' control schemes, the two are still quite different.  Killzone 3 retains numerous characteristics of 2's control scheme, like the heft in your step and the game's reload animations (though both running and reloading have been sped up just a hair in 3), plus it has new gameplay mechanics like the Brutal Melee System.  The only area in which Killzone 3 is really comparable to Call of Duty is in the lack of recoil while shooting down the sites, which is one part of a much, much larger package.

It's like saying Counter-Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2 are the same game because they feature near identical aim/crouch/jump mechanics.

Jetpacks are cool.  They provide an interesting gameplay element that's not overpowered or a gamebreaker.  You can't boost upwards all that far, then you just kinda glide down.  The gun is very inaccurate, and it overheats fast.  What's cool is you can kinda stow away the jetpack, folding it up on your back, allowing you to run like normal and use your normal gun.  Basically like not having it on at all, though I think you move a tad slower.

The exo is kinda overpowered at the moment.  It can be destroyed fairly easily, and you can shoot the driver in its cockpit (though the window is pretty damn small), but the aim assists they're using for the machine gun and missile launcher (since you can barely control where it's aiming manually) are too strong.  It just mows down everything in front of it.

GG has mentioned that they're working on fixing both the mechs and recoil on the guns on the beta forums, so I'm sure they'll be improved over time.  I get the feeling the guns won't change all that much though, since its obvious why they made these changes, and I doubt they'll change it yet again just because of a bit of fan whining.  But some guns are seriously broken at the moment, so they should at least deal with those.

I say Killzone 2 recoil/animations with no input lag would've been the perfect control scheme for Killzone 3, but I guess that's not gonna happen.  =(

Recoil is obviously going to be a work in progress problem too; even if it the game ships with little recoil, if there are complaints its the kind of thing that can always be patched in.