Killzone 2 is definitely shaping up for a momentous release this February end. Everywhere you go, the news is on developer, Guerilla Games (recently, they’ve kindly confirmed that, no, there will not be a CGI-animated movie based on the game). And the consensus is clear on most sites: Killzone 2 will blow you away. We definitely agree on the game looking far superior to the target trailer showcased several years ago at E3. But is it truly the “Most Gorgeous First Person Shooter”?
Any FPS trying to lay claim to that title, has to first defeat the reigning champion, which in this case is indisputably Crytek’s Crysis, available only on the PC. We pit the two titles against each other in a shot-by-shot visual comparison to determine the better, more aesthetically pleasing, shooter. Crysis shots are pictured on the left and Killzone 2 shots are on the right. Things have officially gotten ugly.
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The first comparison involves the detail on facial models. With its sharper focus, greater attention to detail and accurately captured skin tone, Crysis emerges the winner by a shade. Killzone 2 superbly captures realistic details like facial hair and skin folds. But the proportions look less realistic, giving an overall brawny and cartoonish appeal to the characters. The expression says it all:
Angry, yes but photorealistic? Almost, but not quite there. This reflects Killzone 2’s narrative of a grounded-in-reality, science-fiction very appropriately.
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Ah, particle effects. Nothing can properly murder your system like a good explosion or three. If you want to know how bodies can be properly vaporized by grenades, then Killzone 2 shows a great example. But a real explosion, with the subtle, hazy dissipating flames at the exterior, molten inferno in the middle and blinding core in the interior? Crysis wins yet again, that too by far more than a shade.
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Both games excel aptly in environmental visuals. Be it Crysis, with it’s multitude of flora and fauna, or Killzone 2’s grime-ridden and gritty industrial settings; both reflect the extreme amount of hard work the developers put into making you believe you’re in another world. We’re going to give the nod to both titles here.
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Weapon detailing includes the luster of the steel, the modeling of the weaponry, and the effect of the environment on the weapon. Crysis is definitely the winner. As can be seen in the above shot set in a snowy environment, the dull layer of frost is inimitable and unbelievable. Killzone 2’s also offers realistic modeling, but this is bogged down by the plastic-looking shades and slightly less sharpness in the pixels.
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Killzone 2 affably competes with Crytek’s graphical goliath, with the environmental visual quality of both literally on par. Since the game is not even using the full power of the PS3, it’s doubtless that we’ll see a shooter that can surpass the latter in the years to come. Until then, the most beautiful first person shooter and video game currently available is still Crysis.
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CRYSIS WINS!
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I think we should put this graphical comparison to rest now!
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http://www.split-screen.com/2009/01/11/visual-comparison-crysis-and-killzone-2/
