It wasn’t long ago that Killzone 2 was a video game punch line, the sort of thing you talked about when referencing a game that could never live up to the hype. The first title in the series failed to be the “Halo killer” many believed it could become, and an ambitious “visual target” trailer shown at E3 a couple years back nearly doomed the project from the start, when it couldn’t replicate the same details in-game. All of that is about to change though, as Guerrilla Games has Killzone 2 primed and ready to fight, and the joke will soon be on all those who dismissed this title too soon.

Tucked quietly away in a corner of Sony’s E3 booth was a playable demo for Killzone, one that we knew we simply had to get our hands on. After waiting in line and watching those ahead of us get picked off time and time again, it was our turn to step into the shoes of new protagonist Sev and take the fight to those goggle-eyed freaks. After just ten minutes with the game, I knew this was a must-buy, and Sony is priming a killer app to launch right in that post-holiday lull where they can vacuum up the cash.

The first thing that strikes you about Killzone is it looks almost as good as the tech demo that has caused the game so much grief. The game was running in pre-alpha code, but the characters and landscapes were still some of the most detailed I’ve seen yet on the PS3 (or any next-gen system for that matter), easily on par with the visuals of Metal Gear Solid 4.

A couple things that really bring to light just how graphically impressive this game has become are destructible cover and enemy reactions to getting shot. Much like every other shooter out there, Killzone has adopted a cover system to allow you to survive a bit longer in firefights and work the strategy element some more. Obviously, anything you can do, the baddies can do as well, and you can bet Helghast troopers will be laying low behind walls, sandbags, or any other fortification they can find. However, you don’t have to be satisfied with a simple game of stop-and-pop, as directing fire into cover will break it down and force them to find new hiding places. Perhaps the best example of this in the demo was a section where a whole bunch of Helghast were taking cover in a bombed-out building, using their height advantage and superior numbers to make life hard. We quickly jumped onto a machine gun emplacement and started raining fire on the house. As we sprayed, pieces of the floor and chunks of the wall came ripping out, and our AI buddies were able to take care of business once we flushed the bad guys out into the open. Watching the dust and debris fly with every shot really gave you the impression that you were pounding bullets into an actual building, and the whole experience was just incredibly real.

Another stunning interaction that takes place is watching enemies react when they are shot. We’ve all become accustomed to baddies grabbing at their legs dropping their firearms when taking damage, but Killzone really takes it to a new level. The reactions are so visceral, so real that you almost wonder what sort of twisted research the guys on the development team did to figure out how someone would react to a gunshot wound. For example, at one point in the demo I was able to sneak up behind an enemy and plug him in the back with a pistol round. I didn’t want to kill him yet, just see what he would do, and the faceless soldier didn’t disappoint. The moment the bullet hit, the soldier tensed up as if he had a sudden lower back spasm, and he began reaching for the wound. After a few moments of realistically coping with the pain (I can only imagine the grimace if I had been able to see his face), he slowly turned, still affected by the shot, and opened fire. As I finished him off, every shot I landed further convinced me of the painstaking detail the team has put into this aspect of the game, one of those little things few people will likely even notice, and yet it’s simply incredible.

The only issues I can possibly see going forward with Killzone is that the controls seemed awfully twitchy, and the lack of a map or objective marker can make finding your objectives difficult. As for the aiming, I can assume for now that the sensitivity was turned way up, or that at least some sort of adjustment will be made available for the final version. As for the lack of any real indication of what you’re supposed to be doing next, that may be a bit of a sticky wicket. Hopefully, some sort of objective marker or waypoint system will be implemented in the final build. Otherwise, Killzone 2 may suffer a fate similar to Haze where you spend a lot of time wandering around with no clear objective in mind or general concept of when you’re about to arrive.

As our demo ended (taken down in the midst of a tank battle) and we handed over controls to the next lucky soul, it crystallized that Killzone 2 is shaping up to be a very special game. While we’ll have to wait until February 2009 to get our hands on the final version, what we’ve seen so far is nothing short of incredibly. While there may not be any need for a “Halo killer” anymore, this shooter is shaping up to be worthy of mention in the same breath as Bungie’s Xbox opus.

So, it’s time for weapons overview, is it?

t will have been over four years since the release of the original Killzone when Killzone 2 hits retail shelves in February 2009. In that stretch of time, PlayStation owners have endured delay after delay in hopes of one day finally getting the opportunity to sit down with the highly anticipated title in order to take down one Helghast at a time. One of the key components to taking down this dastardly enemy of mankind is the weaponry you’ll be equipped with. We’ve taken the time to display the known weapons for Killzone 2.

First up is the standard issued ISA Assault Rifle. It won’t come as a shock if this ends up being your main weapon of combat throughout the game, but we’re hoping that this time around Guerilla Games gives us a little bit larger magazine clip to work with. Hopefully, as displayed below, that added clip of ammo will be used as an extra source of ammunition that will give you a quicker reload and more bullets to spray paint across the battlefield. We can also speculate that because of the green scope attachment, this Assault Rifle is also packaged with the grenade launcher much like the similar scope was packaged with that rifle in the original title.

This brings the Machine Gun up next, which happens to be looking like an altered version of the M249 SAW. While this option will come packed with more rounds at a faster rate, we’re sure the damage potential will be much lower than that of the Assault Rifle. Not to mention the recoil, if done realistically, should create a bit of inaccuracy in comparison as well. Though users will probably give up damage for a faster rate of fire, this would be your obvious second choice for your primary weapon.

A new addition to the Killzone Gun Club is the Revolver (Featured in Liberation, but not the original Killzone). Oddly, this handgun was left out of the original title from what we can gather, but found its way into the sequel. We’re hoping that the revolver just happens to punch a nice amount of damage behind that beautiful kickback. If we look at the revolver within other games, we can take delight in knowing what type of stopping power this little package can deliver. Here’s to hoping the Helghast are poorly prepared for its punch.

Below, you’ll notice a miscellaneous rifle that we’re not quite sure on what it could be. From what we gather, it is quite similar to the Assault Rifle/Shotgun combination from the original Killzone – minus the red scope. If this is the case, it’s good to know that this dual-purposed weapon will be made available to users in the game once more. This was by far our favorite weapon in Killzone and we’re glad it is potentially making its return. This gun is sure to be the most efficient not only in distance-based combat, but in close-quarters battle as well.

This little SMG-esque gun (A replica of the PP 19 Bizon SMG) is new to the franchise much like the Revolver. We’ve done our digging around and can’t find anything eerily similar to the style nor the design. We understand the game has undertaken a huge redesign since the original title, but it still leave zero resemblance like other guns we’ve mentioned already. Our best bet is this is just a standard two-handed SMG that will allow you to drop the Helghast to the floor in quick succession.

The Rocket Launcher looks like a real nice piece of work in Killzone 2. As shown below, we’re hoping this bad boy destroys as great as it looks. As in any game, the rocket launcher is used with no caution and only complete destruction is relevant. We can only imagine how the rag doll physics will send Helghast flying after taking a pill poppin’ from one of these bad boys.

The last type of Rifle displayed throughout the trailers thus far is the single-shot rifle below. This high-impact rifle is sure to do some damage no matter where it hits you. We’re sure this will be the weapon of choice for a variety of gamers and we look forward to firing off a few rounds for ourselves come February.

We’ve obviously saved the best weapon for last. The Shotgun — now we understand we said the dual-rifle/shotgun was our favorite weapon of all, unfortunately, when it comes to just a standard equipped gun, nothing beats the shotgun on its own. Moving through corridors and weaving through close-quarter combat, it’s always great fun to watch the enemy take a shell to the chest and go flying in reverse. Mowing down one Helghast at a time, the trusty sidekick of the Assault Rifle should leave any ISA Soldier proud to be at war.

These are the only known weapons of Killzone 2 this far and we’re sure there will be more slowly revealed as February 2009 rolls around. With a lot of trailers and gameplay to look forward to, it will be no surprise to finally see a lot more weapons in destructive action.

So, we ended with weapons. It’s time for some new screenz and video