Why I won’t be playing Killzone 2 anytime soon
Are you all enjoying Killzone 2? Good, I’m glad, but I’m afraid I won’t be joining you all. A few things have conspired to persuade me to wait at least a month before playing the game. Let me explain…
Killzone 2 has arrived, finally, after two years of hope, hype, and a lot of PS3 fanboys claiming it’s the best thing since sliced bread, without ever having played it. Personally, I tried to ignore it all and waited until the demo actually arrived earlier this month. I sampled it, got over-excited, and fell for the trap of reporting that it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Now, here we are a few weeks later, and the game is out. Anyone who pre-ordered it will likely already have a copy in their possession, and most will have played the first few levels. But I’m not joining them, and here’s why.
I made a conscious decision a couple of weeks back not to pre-order the game. I’d played the demo, loved it, and was eager to play the full game. But when I visited Amazon with the intention of reserving my copy for day-of-release delivery, something held me back.
Firstly, I have too many games on the go to add yet another one to the list. That may seem a stupid reason to miss out on one of the biggest games of the year so far but to my mind, it’s valid. I hate having dozens of games half-finished, however good the next one coming may be.
Secondly, there’s the fact that the multiplayer, a big part of Killzone 2’s appeal, is going to packed to the rafters for the next few weeks. There will be server issues, people jumping online before knowing the basic controls, and an even greater level of douchebaggery than normal on PSN.
But by far the biggest reason why I will not be playing Killzone 2 along with the rest of you for a while is because of the hype. It’s got to me, but not in a good way. I bought the first Killzone on the strength of the hyperbole and was left disappointed. Of course, this time I’ve played the demo and know the game is good, at least the part of it I’ve played. But it’s not helping.
I will buy Killzone 2… eventually, but it won’t be for at least a month. I’ll let you all play it to death, and give your honest assessment. I’ll let the initial rush to play online settle down, and the issues be resolved. I’ll endeavor to finish a few of the games I still have on the go. Then I’ll buy Killzone 2 and probably love it to bits. But if I don’t, it won’t hurt quite so much.
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44 Responses to “Why I won’t be playing Killzone 2 anytime soon”
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February 26th, 2009
dave parrack…
XBOT!!!
February 26th, 2009
is this one of those “i don’t want to be a sheep”s sort of thing?
seriously missing out here DAVE, from the moment i put it in its been a challenge and a freaking good exp, just hoping it doesn’t do a gta on me and end up doing the same thing over n over (thought they got a whole world to invade so im hoping not)
in a months time you’ll wonder online, you’ll meet some of us… and you’ll get your ass handed to you, why would you not jump on and have the learning curve with the rest of the people out there so it’s some what even instead of having your ass handed to you when you do finally jump on.
February 26th, 2009
that and your like DWH and have to wait a month before its realised in your area
February 26th, 2009
and…. gamespot has a video review of killzone2
gonna go to sleep early tonight… thanks for a great day guys.. I hate you all…
February 26th, 2009
dont forget to add me once you’ve gottin it DWH
February 27th, 2009
*tucks DWH in and gives him a kiss on the cheek*
Goodnight sweet prince….
February 27th, 2009
NO!! NO!! BAD TOUCH!! BAD TouCH!!!
didnt feel like sleeping… so Im gonna go shoot some pidgeons in GTA 4… and listening to the Australian Gamer podcast… WITH YAHTZEE!!
February 27th, 2009
“I have too many games on the go to add yet another one to the list”
SNAP. I will hopefully be buying MGO DLC because MGO is my messiah, ask anyone on my friends list, i’m always playing it. As well as the fact i’m pretty broke…
February 27th, 2009
“…because of the hype. It’s got to me, but not in a good way.”
Ahh, welcome to -hype backlash-, Sony’s new and bestest friend who just wont go away no matter how they spin.
Sony need to kill off their marketing people and mouthpieces and hire someone who wasnt born with a silver Sony spoon in their ass.
February 27th, 2009
yup… shotgun to the mouth… the same with Sonic…
Im sorry to hear that Bourne… but when you do get the game… get the PS3 headset as well… WE WILL PLAY AND TALK AND CYBER!! I mean we will talk… yay….
February 27th, 2009
When reading this story, all I could think is that you already played this game in early February, when they sent you the review copies..
The only thing you’d be missing out is the MP. I tend to like to get into MP before everyone gets too good.
February 27th, 2009
The Campaign took about 6hours on the difficulty it is on by default (second one in).
February 27th, 2009
Roy,
I checked out your trophies before I turned in for the night. I noticed that you managed to pretty much finish the game and bag most of the trophies in a single sitting… It’s a shame the single player isn’t longer.
February 27th, 2009
“The Campaign took about 6hours on the difficulty it is on by default (second one in).”
So everyone should just rent it.
February 27th, 2009
phranctoast – I didn’t get a review copy, so all I’ve played is the demo.
Royzy – 6 hours? That is terrible. That’s the shortest I’ve seen the Campaign mode mentioned as being. I think my decision not to buy immediately may have been validated.
February 27th, 2009
Roy is an in-human gamer though. Just look at his trophies. He has a billion of them. He’s like the Chuck Norris of gamming.
Roy destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise!
February 27th, 2009
Yeh it is short, but I don’t feel like I was cut short. I felt more satisfied than after the COD4 campaign.
I think this is going to be like COD4 – it is about the multiplayer. When I started the multiplayer it seemed like weapons and abilities were limited, but couldn’t help noticing stuff which seemed like there was more potential. Then I read up about the rewards for leveling up and such and I was blown away. Calling in aerial sentry bots, cloaking snipers and disguising as the enemy, engineers and customising abilities? Yes please.
At the level I am so far online, the most anyone has unlocked is medics and shotguns.
I started going through the campaign again on Elite difficulty and it is much harder than COD4 was on the hardest mode I reckon.
I’m not going to put a verdict on this game yet, I think it would be foolish to until a few months of online have been played. Like CoD4, it takes time to unlock stuff.
Did I mention COD4? I guess the need to compare it to COD4 indicates a good thing.
February 27th, 2009
If me and Chuck Norris got set up in a fight…
…[did not live to finish sentence].
February 27th, 2009
Most have gotten you and Mike confused.
Bought mine for under $50. The game was $56, had a $5 discount and then I applied the remainder of a gift certificate with hardly anything left for the rest.
February 27th, 2009
I just got back from picking up my copy… Once the paramedics revive Roy, someone please thank him for his reassurance.
That seems to be the case with FPSs this gen. Developers focus most of there efforts on the multiplayer experience. The single player campaigns tend to be shorted as a result. As long as there is a satisfying single player campaign, and a deeply involved multiplayer component, that’s worth spending hours playing – I’m happy.
February 27th, 2009
thats why COD4 was so popular. The SP was satisfying and not drawn out.
February 27th, 2009
haha I’m getting clicks like crazy to my blog since Barnabe compared me to Chuck!
Nice promotion Barnabe!
There are a number of things about Killzone 2 which I can pick on, but that is always the case when something is so highly strung. But unfortunately the closer you get to perfection, the more noticeable the imperfections become.
[Now I’ll get accused of calling the game near perfect, but that isn’t what I meant).
IT IS VERY GOOD.
February 27th, 2009
LoL i took 7 hours and 25 minutes and 13 seconds.
Dave get over it and play the damn game is really amazing.
February 27th, 2009
Haha Ivan you must of blazed through it today! I did some yesterday and some today. What time did you pick your copy up in the end?
You know I reckon this clan name should be Blorge related really. Plus Negativegamer is a rival blog to this (even has its own Dave P impostor).
February 27th, 2009
dam, dave..you got some serious disclipine..
i whine if the plastic wrap doesn’t come off fast enough when i get it home….
seriously tho; i commend your stance of waiting until the newness-factor has worn off before playing/reviewing.
February 27th, 2009
Wow. This article is sitting at the top of N4G but I’m getting some heavy criticism in the comments.
http://www.n4g.com/ps3/NewsCom-286009.aspx?CT=1#Comments
Anyone know who tordavis is because I owe him a pint.
February 27th, 2009
What the hell Dave, you are a celebrity, I’m reading it now.
February 27th, 2009
We’re always getting on N4G but I’ve never been ripped to shreds this bad before.
What’s funny is this is just my honest opinion, nothing more, nothing less. Sure, I optimized the title to gain maximum hits but that’s how I stay employed.
February 27th, 2009
so… a game should be reviewed a month or two after it comes out?? you dont make sense kev…
OH LOOK WHAT I JUST SAID!!!
ahahhhaahahhahahaha
February 27th, 2009
its just that… dave… you do sound like a prick… you are manipulating the title to get more hits… that doesnt go well with me… you have the talent and the medium to say something important… and you dont utilise it properly
February 27th, 2009
DWH – So if you’d written this article, you’d have titled it differently and not got any hits to it. You wouldn’t be able to earn a living blogging.
I write an article and then spend a little time thinking how best to title it for maximum potential. That’s what every good Internet writer does. And the bad ones don’t get any traffic.
February 27th, 2009
I would leave a response if it didn’t require signing up.
The headline of this article quite clearly says ‘Why I’, so they can’t be surprised it is a person’s opinion. Nobody is making them read it.
I thought you brought up good points Dave.
Would you believe some are even calling you can Xbot! What is the world coming to!
February 27th, 2009
But I am an Xbot. Surely you knew this by now?
February 27th, 2009
Hey, Mr Goodwriter. Go whine at the webmaster type person to remove that darn long vote option.
February 27th, 2009
its not that Dave… you can earn a living writing good articles just as much as you can by making porn…
its just that you have the ability to influence people… and you are using it to get some hits… nothing more…
February 27th, 2009
SW – I’ll sort that.
DWH – No, you’re wrong. Read what I’ve said again. I don’t do it to get hits. I write the article I want to write, then I make sure it will get the maximum hits it can do. Wouldn’t it be retarded to do anything other than that?
February 27th, 2009
NO YOURE A PS3 FANBOY!!!
wait… what??
February 28th, 2009
As one of the originals, I think it’s time I stepped in and defended Mr Parrack. I have had the opinion for quite some time that he’s the lesser of two evils, and recently his blogs have been extremely well balanced and thought provoking, whereas the other guy likes to flame. He does not blatantly express his favortism of one console over the other, and has the ability to see through the hype. I mean seriously, Mike gave this game an A+ even though it is lacking in co-op play, the single player is rather short and it doesn’t really offer anything outstanding besides the graphics (words of reviewers and people who have played the game, not mine…. you’ll be getting mine on Monday after I play it).
So in a nutshell, give the guy a break, he’s probably the best blogger on gamer.blorge right now. And this is coming from an aussie, which means that it’s in our genetics that we hate those limey bum sniffers.
February 28th, 2009
HARRY!! gimme your PSN…
and I have to disagree with you over the review scores… this has just to do with co-op…
why is it so important? why must a game have co-op to be good? Half Life doesnt have co-op… neither does bioshock… nor Call of duty modern warfare… I am in NO WAY defending killzone 2… I havent even played the single player to make a judgement call on it…
but the whole ideology behind it… why? its hard to pull off co-op… why would you risk it… if it is more enjoyable in single player…
I feel like Im repeating myself… but… I like single player to have a good story… that why I play single player… I play death match for multiplayer… I play Left 4 dead for zombie killing (not nazi zombies)
February 28th, 2009
ohh and yeah… short campaign was a big issue with even games like Halo 3 and COD 4… It does bum me out when the story is short… but then again… I dont want them to stretch it out artificially…
boy… I really REALLY hope modern warfare 2 has no co-op… and a decent story… even if its only 5 hours…
NO MORE CO-OP!!! NO MORE!!!
February 28th, 2009
Ahh come on harry the game has had great reviews, that doesn’t stand on graphics alone.
March 1st, 2009
Royzy,
I had the opportunity to play this game for about 5 hours today, and for anyone to say that it deserves an A+ seriously needs their head checked. I will be fleshing out my thoughts tomorrow…
March 1st, 2009
I look forward to it.
March 4th, 2009
dwh – coop is needed in almost every game…at least with fps…. it’s a standard at this point.
to not have it is a sign of weakness….