PS3 Fanboy

Nintendo's famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto may be known for his involvement in casual games, such as Wii Sports and Nintendogs. But, let's not forget his involvement in hardcore series, such as the original Mario and Zelda games. It looks like he made his way over to Sony's E3 show floor and checked out Killzone 2. Considering the amount of hype Guerrilla's FPS has received, we aren't surprised that a man like him would take some time to see what the PS3 is capable of doing. We wonder if he walked away impressed.

[Thanks, Fernando R.!]

While single player has always been the focus of Killzone 2 at its various press showings, today was all about one thing: multiplayer. Too bad we have to wait until early 2009 for its release, because what we've seen looks like everything PS3 fans have been waiting for. We don't want to use the phrase "Halo killer," because that's not what it is. It's something entirely different; we can't help but think that Killzone 2 may become the definitive PS3-exclusive shooter. Killzone 2's multiplayer experience is something entirely different ... by combining the best aspects of multiplayer gaming from Call of Duty 4, Battlefield, Team Fortress Online, Metal Gear Online and even the upcoming Resistance 2.

Firstly, we have to note the visuals of Killzone 2's multiplayer mode. Even with support of up to 32 players on the PSN, Killzone 2 looks just as good online as it does in the single player campaign. The character models still look incredible, and the game's stellar use of motion blur and lighting still carries on into the online mode. The experience of Killzone 2's multiplayer offerings is all about leveling up, introducing players to new features. Newbies to the game's online mode will find themselves limited in the options they can access, as they learn the basics of the gameplay. With each kill, headshot, heal, and objective, players inch closer to increasing ranks. Ranks will unlock various things in multiplayer, like the ability to start a clan, or switch to a different, more customizable class. There will be twelve ranks in all, and players will learn new tactics and strategies along the way.

We may have seen mostly single-player content of Sony's upcoming Killzone 2, but Guerrilla Games is promising a full-fledged multiplayer experience. Online play will allow players to customize their own characters by applying various traits, or "badges," from different multiplayer classes. There will be a primary and secondary badge available from each class to choose from. Also, although the Helghast and ISA look very different from each other, the effects of these badges are the same, regardless of which side you're playing on.

The full list of multiplayer classes can be found after the break.

The latest episode of The 1UP Show features an exclusive first-look at Killzone 2's vehicles. Every bit of info that comes out for this incredibly secretive FPS gets us a bit more excited, and this impressive preview from the 1UP doesn't change the trend. We're going hands-on with the game at E3 next week -- let's hope it plays just as well as it looks.

[Thanks, frankym!]

EGM subscribers are going to have quite a surprise waiting for them at the end of this week. The cover story for this August's issue is none other than the PS3 exclusive FPS, Killzone 2. It's a project shrouded in mystery, and we're glad that (in spite of its 2009 release), we're going to learn more about this hotly anticipated game.

1UP, EGM's online counterpart, will have a few teasers online. SCEA's Mike Graham also promises that "as we get closer to E3," we'll start seeing more of the game. Can't wait! We're proud to say that once this issue comes out, we're heading straight to the bathroom and making a killzone of our own. (That pun didn't work as well as this, did it?)

We're going to have to wait until next year to experience the hotly anticipated Killzone 2. Right now, Joystiq's Chris Grant is getting some time with the title (we're insanely jealous!). While we wait to hear back, we'd like to present you the story, straight from the fine folks at Sony.

"Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn't just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself."

From what we saw at our E3 preview, we know exactly how terrifying the weather in Killzone 2 can be. Massive thunderstorms can come in at whim, thanks to a new technology developed by the Helghast. To say that it will make for some epic battles is quite the understatement. Stay tuned for more. Update: Video walkthrough attached, after the cut.

Update: We had to remove this trailer earlier in the week due to unknown embargoes. However, now that the embargo is done, we're clear to give you the Killzone 2 trailer from PlayStation Day. Enjoy it in HD (the way it was meant to be experienced) here.

While half of the video is rather obnoxiously a close-up shot of the Killzone 2 logo, the in-game footage we do see here shows a lot of promise. 2009 is a very long, long away ...

The folks at Gamersyde continue their off-screen captures of the games featured at PlayStation Day. This time, they've uploaded videos of the hotly anticipated PS3 FPS exclusive, Killzone 2. What stands out most in the graphics in our eyes: the animation. There's simply a great sense of drama and impact in these videos. The team at Guerrilla Games has been given the benefit of a long development cycle. Let's hope they make the most of it.

The dramatic horns ... the red eyes ... Surely this must be Killzone! Nope! It's just a Killzone-themed Sackboy from the upcoming LittleBigPlanet. This was displayed at yesterday's PlayStation Day conference, and we're glad that it's finally available to see in motion. These little critters are absolutely adorable: can we adopt one now?

If you're a big Killzone fan, you might've checked out the limited edition Helghast figurine from press photos of previous Sony events. The "figurine" stands at over six feet tall and, well, intimidates you into playing Killzone. Now you have a chance to own one -- someone has put one of these statues up on eBay for your bidding pleasure.

The statue is fiberglass and can be disassembled for ease of transport and you can tote the StA-52 Light Assault Rifle yourself if you want to go cosplay or something. Or ward off the ignorant masses. It's your call.

[Thanks Ether02!]

Remember that game, Killzone? Yeah, apparently PS3 fans think it's some sort of "big deal." The unsurprisingly named official site of the game, Killzone.com is being updated, and will integrate with your PSN ID. The latest update states: "Killzone.com is currently undergoing important changes behind the scenes. We're joining forces with the PLAYSTATION®Network to offer you new and exciting functionality. To take full advantage of future upgrades to the website, and to preserve your current profile, please link your Killzone.com account to your PLAYSTATION®Network account."

While it's unclear what kind of enhancements are being made to the Killzone.com online experience, we're excited to see the PSN ID become more ubiquitous. SCEE also recently announced that its forums will integrate with the PSN. Clearly, we can expect something significant to happen in the coming weeks.

[Thanks, grief!]

Using some first-rate detective work, the guys at ripten have unearthed a slew of gorgeous concept art spanning the entire Killzone series, including the highly anticipated Killzone 2. The person responsible for these amazing pieces of art is Xavier Marquis, a concept artist born in France who has worked for video game companies such as Sony, Eidos and Ubisoft.

Several of the Killzone images were published in the June 2007 issue of ImagineFX, a fantasy and sci-fi digital arts magazine, but up until now, we really haven't seen many of them. The series has always had a great artistic look to many of the characters and Marquis really fleshes them out in his work. Hopefully, we'll continue to see his work for a long time.

Go here to see the full set of Marquis' Killzone concept art.

[Via ripten]

Killzone 2 producer Steven Ter Heide and Guerrilla Games managing director Herman Hulst would be out of jobs if it weren't for the PS3 and Blu-ray. In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Heide and Hulst tag team to deliver major props for their system of choice, all while bashing a certain competing console.

"We really need Blu-ray to make the game. I don't know how you could fit it on Xbox 360 without taking some shortcuts", producer Heide explains. And with graphics like those seen in this 25 minute video, there's little doubt that he isn't just speaking the company line.

Continuing on about Killzone 2's Blu-ray dependency, Hulst adds, "Blu-ray isn't important for watching movies; we need it for making games". Something tells us that a few companies beg to differ.

Straight from Leipzig, the developers at Guerrilla demonstrated some of the gameplay features of the highly anticipated PS3 first person shooter, Killzone 2. While the game is mostly known for its graphics technology, gamers should be most curious about the way the game plays. Certainly, is the gameplay as advanced as the way it looks? Watch this new footage to see the cover and aiming system in work in this new video.