Killzone 3

[mmosu]

Just watched some sweet YouTube vids of the MP Beta for Killzone 3.  Included some great action and new weapons and character classes too!  First is some footage of the new "operations mode".  Next some sniping with commentary, then a look at some of the new and improved CQC moves.  Last but not least is a weapons montage.  I can't wait!!!
Killzone 3 Beta - 010 - Operations Cutscenes
KILLZONE 3: SNIPER GAMEPLAY -- MULTIPLAYER BETA DEMO with iNvidious01 (Gameplay/Commentary)
Killzone 3 Beta Knife Kills
Killzone 3 Beta - 006 - Weapons vs Bots

Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy!  :-()

[Art Blade]

 :)

[mmosu]

Just found this, it's a peripheral device for the Playstation Move controller that makes it less like you're just pointing a silly little remote at the screen.  This has actually got me thinking about looking in to the Move for KZ3 . . .
There is one problem though - I'm left handed, and some of those extra buttons on the Sharp-Shooter look like they're set up for a right handed person  >:((

Killzone 3: Sharpshooter with PlayStation Move

[JRD]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet.......  >:D

That`s some serious gaming we are talking about. I better not have one of those or my marriage will fall apart!
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Spoiler

... Art`s comment about marriage in 3... 2... 1...

[Fiach]

I Played K1 on the Ps2 and it was ...OK, not great, I think I played a bit of K2, has it got a weird sniper zoom thing going on, I seem to remember that the sniping controls put me off it .... I could be wrong, but I think it was K2.

[spaceboy]

Fiach - You're right, the sniper on KZ2 was horrible compared to most other games. But that was the only gun I didn't like and I didn't have to use it much.  Some of the other weapons, like the Helghast electricity shooting gun, and the bolt gun as well, were great.

KZ2 is a thousand times better than KZ1, just completely different (partially due to PS2 to PS3, but just overall gameplay etc.)  I'd say give it another try, can't hurt since KZ3 is right around the corner!

On to KZ3 - that attachment looks like the best one I've seen.  The face buttons being accessible and integrated into the gun itself is great.  Others look like you'd have to move your hand off the hilt to push them.  The reload button, everything...  I will seriously look at this one - thanks for posting the vid.  Since I have Move already, I've been thinking if I'll play KZ3 on DS3 or Move.  I'll probably play through twice or at least try out both to see what I like better.

[Fiach]

Cheers, I thought that was the game, I do remember the gfx were awesome, I even remember looking at how the Tyres on some vehicle were modelled so well!

I got it, plus, Resistance 1 and 2 last xmas and still havent got around to playing them, I wasnt crazy about the controls on Resistance either for some reason, so I dunno, I just kinda put them to one side and forgot about them, but I guess now is as good a time as any to give them a shot, no good games on my horizon until end of feb I think.

[spaceboy]

I never was all that interested in the Resistance series due to the alien aspect.  I may take a look at some point, but there's just so much other stuff that interests me more.  That's why I like KZ series despite the interplanetary aspect - the Helghast are not aliens, but are humans that over time were affected slightly (breathing, milky white color lol) by the Helghan atmosphere.  Helghan was the name of a private company that pioneered to the planet and claimed it - the story behind the whole series is pretty cool actually.

The controls in KZ2 where a bit of contention, most either loved or hated.  I was in the middle.  I thought they worked well and it was cool to have a different feeling rather than the floaty COD type movement, but I can play and enjoy COD as well.  Actually I think the movement in a game that most resembled KZ2 is probably FC2.

[mmosu]

That's absolutely right, nothing about KZ2 stirred up more controversy than the controls.  I'm with you space - somewhere in the middle.  As JRD pointed out in another thread, the feel of the controls was intentional - heavy, cumbersome at times, as if to translate the feel of wearing heavy equipment through to the player.  A solid idea by the devs, but to say it got mixed reviews would be an understatement.  From what I hear from people playing the MP beta, much of this has been corrected for KZ3, the feel is lighter and more responsive, and the layout has been tweaked to satisfy the preferences of a broader range of players.  There also appears to be more customizability of the interface, which was probably necessitated by the inclusion of the Move (and now the Sharp-Shooter peripheral) as options.  It seems to me that this is where the fate of the Move for KZ3 hangs - if (and oh, sweet Mama, what an if!) they make the interface customizable enough to satisfy everyone, it will be a smash hit.  However, if they fall short with the controller options as I feel KZ2 did, then it may end up being one of the biggest disappointments of 2011. 

[mmosu]

Another video, more focused on specific features for the sharp-shooter.  The second is a guy actually playing the game with it.  I don't know, it looks like there's going to be a steep and possibly frustrating learning curve associated with it.  Not having your sight always situated in the center of the screen would take some getting used to, and I've heard some people complaining it feels like you have to "push" the screen around with the barrel of the gun and it's a little weird:

PS3 Move's Sharpshooter

Sharp Shooter in Action

[spaceboy]

another good video mmosu - 2 thoughts: 

What about the Move button (the main middle button on the top of the Move controller) it may not even be accessible with the housing, and even if so, not readily accessible (have to remove one hand).  I wonder what that does, if any in-game.

Secondly, it does say left or right handed as the buttons are mirrored so that's great.

I hope all bases are covered as far as button pushing, but I can't quite assume that.  This looks like the best one I've seen though.

[mmosu]

Sorry space, I was adding a second vid to that post as you were responding  :-()
It seems like all of the buttons on the Move that you would need to access in game are reproduced somewhere else on the sharp-shooter - but, as you say, we can't assume anything.
It is good that they thought about the right hand/left hand thing, and if you notice the guy in the first video is using it left-handed  :-D

[spaceboy]

yeah I read the sony blog about it, meant to copy the link, but it's one of the first google hits for Move Sharpshooter.  They're claiming all buttons are accessible or reproduced.  Perhaps the Move button in game has been replaced with one of the other buttons or functions.

I will seriously look at this when it gets released in Feb.  Could prove another way to enjoy the game, (and SOCOM4 for that matter)

[mmosu]

Might this be that link right here?  :-D

Does seem they've covered the bases, doesn't it?  Space, I believe the Move button is the one reproduced under the trigger, and in one of the videos I think there is a very brief mention that it is attached to the crouch function for KZ3.  I also thought it was cool that you can reload by tapping the button on the bottom of the sharpshooter magazine  :-X.  I was encouraged by the discussion about the deadzone adjustment, by shrinking it down you could make the screen turn more like it does with the DS3, that is, with the gun planted more in the middle of the screen.  What I didn't like seeing was people playing with a setup where the screen didn't pan until the tip of the on-screen gun touched the edge of the screen - that looks very unnatural (read: infuriating) to me! 

[spaceboy]

good to hear on the Move button - I'll have to rewatch and listen better.  I liked the reload button too.

I hear you on the turning at the side of the screen, but I'm not sure how else it might w@&k.  One of the benefits of the whole motion/pointing aspect is being able to aim anywhere on the screen naturally with the controller instead of aiming with a stick.  If you started actually turning before the reticule hit the side of the screen it could really mess you up if you were trying to aim for a guy towards the sides.

That said, I think the whole turning aspect IS a potential problem depending on the game design.  It may not be a big problem in single player, but think it could be multiplayer.  Maybe.  I think the problem is much worse in a third person view as you normally have the ability to pan the camera around while facing forward (we'll see what its like in socom4).  For FPS, you always have to turn your character to see behind you so maybe it won't be that bad.

I have used the Move for shooting in the demo for The Shoot.  It's a rail shooter so the camera and turning are not addressed, but the actual shooting is excellent and very natural.  In fact, the calibration has you aim at two spots in the corners (with no reticule) and adjusts to basically how you feel your aiming should be.  Brilliant!  Think about it - your natural feeling for aiming is actually used to calibrate.

[mmosu]

I hear you on the turning at the side of the screen, but I'm not sure how else it might w@&k.  One of the benefits of the whole motion/pointing aspect is being able to aim anywhere on the screen naturally with the controller instead of aiming with a stick.  If you started actually turning before the reticule hit the side of the screen it could really mess you up if you were trying to aim for a guy towards the sides.

I think the idea with the deadzone is that if you shrink it down, the game treats a smaller box in the middle of the screen as the edge, so when your aim strays outside that the screen turns.  I think you could still quickly snap-shoot to enemies at the edge of the screen, but the act of aiming at them will move them to the center as the screen pans with your aim.  They also said the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the deadzone are independantly adjustable - tall and skinny, short and fat, cover the whole screen, or make it a tiny box at just the center - you can do whatever feels right to you, especially when you couple that with the ability to change sensitivity, speed at which the screen rotates, and add an aiming reticle (I assume for people who want to either hip shoot or just have it easy).  That's where the benefit of customizability comes in, cause it sounds like from what you've said space, that you and I might set this up very differently and we could both find settings to satisfy our preferences.   

[spaceboy]

customization is definitely a win for all.  should be interesting to see how it all pans out.  getting more and more excited for KZ3 every day!

[mmosu]

Looks like the MP beta will become available to everyone on Feb 2.  Details are up on IGN

[mmosu]

Killzone 3 Campaign Trailer - Meet the New Guys

[Art Blade]

As if we couldn't tell the bad guys, they still need to put them into uniforms and use facial resemblances of WWII characters like SS, Hitler, Stalin and the likes. As if they needed to resurrect old themes to make new games more interesting. I think that's plain boring and silly.

[spaceboy]

looks great mmosu

Here's another great video showing some of the new jungle setting gameplay.  I'm not sure if I'll play the Beta - I'm thinking of replaying KZ2 in prep instead. :)

Killzone 3 Jungle Video Preview

[Art Blade]

wow :) Sure looks good, that vid.. reminds me of Crysis a bit. I like the plants that you can "activate" with a shot so they take out enemies   :-D :-X And man, those headshots look great, the helmet got sent flying away while the nut exploded in a cloud of blood..  >:D Our censors will love it.

[spaceboy]

yeah, good stuff  >:D

They have gone for some more varied environments this time around, but I was one that didn't mind the city/industrial setting of KZ2 as it really seemed to set the tone for the battle that you were in.  But of course, the snowy levels and this jungle level will be a nice change of pace.  :)

[mmosu]

Definately agreed there, I too liked the urban settings, especially Vekta City in KZ1 (where only about the first 30-40% of the game took place) and Pyrrhus in KZ2 (where over 75% of the game took place).  I think the cold environments will be a nice change of pace though - there was a little bit of that in KZ1 toward the end but it was very brief. 

As if we couldn't tell the bad guys, they still need to put them into uniforms and use facial resemblances of WWII characters like SS, Hitler, Stalin and the likes. As if they needed to resurrect old themes to make new games more interesting. I think that's plain boring and silly.

That's always been a somewhat controversial aspect of this series - you can't really argue that the visuals are not meant to invoke every major threat to world peace and democracy of the 20th century.  At the end of the day I think it works though - you don't have to know anything about the game to know exactly how you're supposed to feel toward the Helghast when you first see them.  This probably makes it seem more accessible to people who are contemplating jumping in at the middle or end of the series. The interesting thing is, as is revealed in the second game, the ISA is not an ivory tower of virtue and justice either - rather there are bad people on both sides of this war and people on both sides that are trying to advance themselves by it.   

[Fiach]

Review 10/10 for anyone thats interested :)

http://www.destructoid.com/review-killzone-3-192726.phtml