Killzone 2 DigitalFoundry Breakdown Parts 1,2 and 3

This was a great feature DigitalFoundry (DF) had when Killzone 2 was in its launch phase. The game is great and the videos show that with the usual digitalfoundry Technical Analysis overlays. Videos are available in HD and digitalfoundry can be found at their new home on eurogamer.net. Features link to DF blog

Killzone 2 Breakdown: Part One
February 24th, 2009

And so Digital Foundry kicks off its exhaustive coverage of Killzone 2. We’ve had the game a few weeks now, and with Indian and Middle Eastern retailers leaking this astonishing release early, we thought we’d better get our arses into gear and unleash the heavy wad we’ve been building up.

Split into three parts, we’ll be releasing high quality videos (streaming and HD) showing excerpts of action from all the single-player campaigns. You’ll find frame rate analysis running at all times, and combined with that is on-screen commentary detailing gameplay features, but really concentrating on technical performance, with a range of expert contributions from Alex Goh, a regular on the excellent Beyond3D community and our new friend at Digital Foundry.

This series of features is all about explaining the technical decisions made by Guerilla Games in producing one of the most visually distinctive and exciting looking games ever produced. If you just want to enjoy the game and aren’t that interested in the magic behind the illusion, then you’ll find terabytes of Killzone 2 info more tailored to your tastes elsewhere.

So onto the videos, with annotations provided by Alex Goh with additional contributions from Richard Leadbetter.

First video from Part 1 (one) or the 3 (three) part feature. Please check out the rest in their original habitat on the Digital Foundry blog as I will only show you one video from each part. There are a total of 9 videos all available in HD through the links provided.


Killzone 2 Campaign 1 Analysis



Here are the links to the feature Pages:

In-Depth Analysis Part 1

In-Depth analysis Part 2


Killzone 2 Campaign 4 analysis from part 2

In-Depth Analysis Part 3


Killzone 2 campaign 7 Analysis from part 3


Conclusion:

So, after the barrage of technical info, what do we think of the actual game you’ll doubtless be playing on your PS3 imminently, if not immediately? In a recent Eurogamer feature, we described Killzone 2 as “perhaps the most magnificent technical achievement I’ve seen on the current generation of consoles”, and we stand by that assessment - although Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune runs it close, and is definitely the better single-player game. Guerilla Games have produced a technical showcase that maximises the strengths of the PS3 hardware and minimises the weaknesses by factoring in the system’s limitations into both the engine design and crucially, the artistic direction. There’s nothing else on any other system that looks quite like it, and in motion virtually everything is superbly realised. Gameplay-wise, Killzone 2 isn’t quite as strong as the engine it is built upon. There is a definite sense that the first five campaigns - the lion’s share of the single-player experience - are very similar, very one-note, with a lack of exciting pace. However, once onto the train campaign and beyond, it’s like playing a different game: more variety in the combat and in the tasks asked of you, and less about moving from room to room killing the same type of Helghast soldier again and again. Single-player is definitely a game of two halves, and for that reason, based on what we’ve played, the multiplayer mode is going to be where Killzone 2 hopefully elevates itself into greatness. The levelling system has plenty of legs in it and lots of (dare I say it) ‘perks’ to keep you at the PS3 long after the single-player game has been put to rest. I’d also venture to say it’s where the lion’s share of the DLC will be targeted, further extending the lifespan of this part of the game. In short then, it’s fair to say that Killzone 2 is absolutely unmissable, but it’s equally fair to say that it is in no way revolutionary; often predictable and occasionally, even a little monotonous. There’s very little that’s new and surprising in what it does, but in terms of the look, feel and execution, it’s easily the best shooter available on console.

Its obvious from this feature that the game is a marvelous technical achievement and a proper display of the PS3s power so early in its life (2 years).