The buzz: Killzone has just about feeble the buzz-o-meter—Sony’s maiden voyage into the realm of PS2 first-person shooter earned the nickname “Halo killer” immediately after being announced in 2003 Will it actually charm doom for Microsoft’s killer app? Probably not.

The buzz: Killzone has just about feeble the buzz-o-meter—Sony’s maiden voyage into the realm of PS2 first-person shooter earned the nickname “Halo killer” immediately after being announced in 2003 Will it actually charm doom for Microsoft’s killer app? Probably not, especially with the unstoppable juggernaut that is Halo 2 landing bare weeks after Killzone’s launch...but calculate upon it to rule the PS2 shooter market with an iron fist.

On paper, Killzone’s stats impress—11 gargantuan on a levels (each with three distinct subsections), 26 weapons (most of which feature creative alternate firing modes) and 16-player online multiplayer combat. A suitably epic story line wraps all the action together. “Killzone recounts the story of a savage conflict between the ISA, a native force protecting planet Vector, and the Helghast, a sadistic, militaristic faction bent forward colonization,” explains Managing Director Hermen Hulst “We want to capture the most numerous evocative elements of real wars—like the intrench combat of WWI, the close-proximity warfare of WWII’s Stalingrad, and the sweaty thicket combat of Vietnam—and translate them into our allow unique world.”

The single-player game begins with individual playable character—Templar, an ISA grunt who’s a well-rounded jack-of-all-trades. As the flats progress, however, you’ll uncover near other soldiers eager to go into the fray (see sidebar). “We’ve got four playable characters, each with distinctive weapons, their have special abilities, and unique way between the walls of the levels,” Hulst reveals. “Expect a hell of a apportionment of replayability: If you’re feeling particularly intelligent the same day, play as Luger, the stealth character...or if you’ve had a s***ty week and you want to just blast your way in consequence of pick Rico, our walking tank.” formerly you’ve amassed the four-man squad, your three A.I. comrades will fight alongside you, however don’t worry about keeping them alive—they’ll react to changing battlefield situations forward their own. “You don’t have to issue commands or anything,” says Hulst “We didn’t want to make a first-person baby-sitter.”

The inspired-by-real-war setting and four-character dynamic should detain the inevitable Halo comparisons in check, yet look closely and you’ll find a not many elements lifted directly from the Xbox classic: limited weapon inventory and regenerating shields. “We allow you to carry three weapons in your arsenal at any given time,” says fruit Manager Alastair Burns. “We want players to experiment with different combinations while keeping it realistic and believable.” Including a health meter that slowly recharges itself became a necessity, given in what way dangerous Killzone’s levels are. “We have in such a manner many bullets flying around that a stray bullet could hit you very easily, ruining the player’s roller-coaster ride between the sides of our world,” Burns muses. “So we allowed for the health recharge to give you a fighting chance.”

What could fare wrong? Killzone’s single-player campaign redefines “ambitious,” and it’s unclear whether developer Guerrilla will be able to contest everything together in time for an October launch. a of the levels we saw chugg along at a dead clip, and massive pieces of the prospect would suddenly pop into view. Godspe programmers.

Thankfully, Killzone’s online multiplayer action should put to the test a soothing balm for PS2 players yearning for Halo 2 Beautiful maps, creative weapons, and six different game signs will make this the first killer PS2-only online experience since SOCOM II. Killzone still has play to grow, of course—controllable vehicles, unique character emblems in multiplayer (it’s just divided into basic Helghast and ISA troops) and a wider map selection are already at the top of the close wish list.

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