They say a picture paints a thousand words. We can only imagine a movie would fill an entire novel.
On that basis, we could just leave you with these new
Killzone screenshots and trailer, but even with our
previous coverage of the game, these wouldn't be telling you the whole story.
We've now learnt you'll take over as Templar, the battle hardened veteran from the original PlayStation 2
Killzone, and must face up against psychotic General Metrac and his minions (including new enemies such as bodyguards – complete with riot shields – and trained killer dogs) in more than 16 missions that take place across the varying environments of Southern Vekta.
Naturally you can expect a variety of weapons to be at your disposal (including sniper rifles and a crossbow with explosive tipped arrows), and as we predicted in our previous
Killzone update, you also get to control vehicles such as tanks and battle hovercrafts.
Additional support comes from computer-controlled combat buddies who you get to order around at specific points in the game – usually frantic firefights – through a Tactical Command System. You can get a glimpse of how this works in practice in some of the new screenshots above.
Single players can also engage in a Challenge mode in order to sharpen skills and earn new abilities, but the bravest will probably want to pit their ability against that of other
Killzone players. We've previously mentioned the wireless multi-player functionality of the game but can now confirm a two-player cooperative option following the single-player mission structure, and one- to six-player deathmatch gaming over six specific maps. In addition, a gameshare mode enables you to share demo levels with fellow PSP users.
Finally, Sony is making a big deal out of what it claims is a unique, intelligent third-person perspective camera system that ensures players get the best overview of their surroundings to help with tactical decisions. From what we've seen so far, it certainly seems to behave itself.
What we've also seen is fast-paced action, realistic physics modeling (notice how enemies' bodies react to surrounding objects when they get blown halfway across the scenery) and potential strategic options combining to form an impressive PSP title. Fulfilling that potential is another matter, of course, but we'll let you know how the game is shaping up with further updates.
For now, enough words. You can judge the current state of
Killzone for yourself by perusing the new screenshots and watching the trailer, which you can download by clicking on 'Watch It!' above.
