Killzone 2 breaks cover at E3!

<~ Impressive as it first appeared, the original trailer for Killzone 2 was unfortunately pre-rendered target footage. Thankfully, Guerilla have outdone themselves with their new E3 trailer.

So E3 was slightly scaled down this year but that didn't mean that it was any less packed with explosive gaming revelations. Trailers of massive games like Mercenaries 2, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, Halo 3, LittleBigPlanet, My Sims, Rock Band and tons more. Most exciting of all- for us anyway- was Sony and Guerilla's big reveal of their super-hyped follow up to pretty good-but not great-first person shooter Killzone, the fittingly titled Killzone 2. Ever since the original trailer was exposed as target footage,
anticipation for actual in-game footage had reached fever pitch.
The new trailer for Killzone 2 is closer to the pre-rendered footage than we expected, rocking a grimy, Gears Of War-esque aesthetic, the inhospitable planet Helghan looks like a chaotic, post-apocalyptic, death-maze: a rubble strewn expanse of flaming buildings and deserted streets constantly pounded by bolts of lightning.

<~ Those unmistakable glowing orange goggles are fast becoming one of PlayStation's most iconic images. Make no mistake, Killzone 2 is going to be very special indeed.

Opening with ISA troops - including gruff mainstay Rico- embarking upon a loud, dramatic, aerial drop into enemy territory, the scene is set for some intense first-person action. The rest of the trailer doesn't disappoint, portraying the game's ultra-detailed environments, unflinching, brutal violence, destructible surroundings (pillars anyway) and sharp enemy AI with aplomb. Those evil orange-goggled Helghast stormtroopers actively seek out cover, choosing not to line up for execution, hiding behind walls and columns, displaying genuine intelligence. With the addition of claret-soaked decapitations, meaty, convincing gunplay and new, imposing, heavy troopers, Guerilla look as if they're on to a winner with Killzone 2. With first-person shooters being among
the most saturated genres, Killzone 2 appears to have enough good stuff going on to be able to compete with the likes of Halo 3, Haze and Bioshock.

Killzone 2 is slated for a March 2008 launch, meaning there's plenty of time for a thorough polish. In the meantime check out the trailer in HD at the PlayStation Store or at http://www.gametrailers.com/player/21504.html
Helghast-ic!