Joystiq Hands-on: Killzone 2 Multiplayer
Killzone 2's multiplayer game was showcased behind closed doors at the Leipzig Game Convention this week and we were there to get our hands thoroughly on. As is customary for these break-down sessions we were given a brief presentation by members from the development team.
We were informed of the Squad system that allows players to create 4-man teams during games. This will show your teammates health bars, and allow you to make use of the headset channel that is private. It can also be used by the leader of the squad as a spawn point, keeping everyone in the same group. The spawn menu makes it simple to create teams. A flashing notification will be sent to players who have received a squad invitation. Accepting or declining the invitation is as simple as a couple of button presses from that pointon, and you should make sure you're kept in the game at all times.
Guerilla Games also reviewed the game's numerous community features. Full clan support, including 64 players per game, 16 vs 16 clan challenges and four leaderboards that are distinct, a mind-boggling array of stats that are tracked and an exchange system for clan currencies. Each clan bets "Valor" at the beginning of inter-clan skirmishes. The winner receives the entire prize. Earning valor can propel your ranking up the leaderboards. The intention is to host clan tournaments that are composed of the 256 clans. The valor pot will go to the overall winner. %Gallery-30087% While community features are fantastic but without a game to help them, it's a bit pointless. Thankfully, Killzone 2 is an amazing multiplayer experience. https://extrememining.org/ It's fast-paced, exciting and the most important thing is that it's fun. This is due to the class system that provides a great deal of depth to the game. You'll start your journey as a soldier. No special abilities to speak of, but you do have the best selection of weapons. As you rise through the ranks, you'll be awarded new "badges" (or classes) at specific intervals. They've been carefully planned so that they're given in a specific order and those that impact gameplay the least being the easiest to obtain.
We started out as an Helghast Scout, A three-eyed, hooded assassin. A sniper rifle. Each class has two capabilities one of which is written in stone (invisibility in our instance) and a secondary capability which can be swapped out for any other class' secondary ability. We stayed with the scout’s tag for enemy locations. These skills may seem powerful, but they have their limitations. While the cloak of invisibility works well when we sit still, it's less efficient when we move. The act of firing a weapon eliminates it completely and we can only activate it again when the ability has been refreshed, WoW style. This refresh time applies to all abilities.
The level we played was very large and in spite of playing against Guerilla Games employees in Amsterdam, lag was non-existent. The graphics are identical to the single player gameplay and the motion blur and (incredibly) beautiful explosions are always present. We've played this game a few times now and we're still amazed the quality of its graphics every time we get a chance to play. Simon Larouche, Guerilla Games' copilot, said multiplayer has one drawback. While locker doors and other physics objects will be accessible in multiplayer, walls that can be completely destroyed will not be.
Team Deathmatch works via a tug-of-war style system. Each faction has a meter which indicates how far they are from winning. The more enemies that are killed and the more your meter is filled. Being killed reduces your team's meter, however in the event that two opposing factions are evenly matched the game can go on for quite a while. This won't bother you. You can mix and match your style of play with the class system, Team Fortress style.
It was a massive level and at first, it was a bit overwhelming. There were also some unpleasant moments when we searched for our enemies for what seemed like five minutes only to be shot in the face after we found someone. Despite the lack of headsets, the team spirit was evident with medics treating wounded and team mates hurrying to assist those who are in a hard place. The game makes you feel closer to your faction's members.
An open beta is currently in development but it won't be released until after the Resistance 2 or SOCOM betas. The game will not be affected by any region locking. When you start the game, you're on the server and anyone is able to join. If you are searching for an online game you have played, the default will be to display games within your region. However you can also opt to search globally if want to.
Killzone 2's multiplayer features are more than just a bullet point on the back of the box. We didn't expect the multiplayer to be this well-developed, given all the hype around the single player for many years. It's still to be seen whether Killzone 2 can trump Resistance 2's 60-player online battles , or Call of Duty 4's hold on gamer's multiplayer time, but Guerilla is fighting quite an effort.