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Trazemos imensa informação do Killzone2...

Partículas do disparo

Optimização para a PS3:

Estou-me a fiar nos meus conhecimentos e no que o developer confirmou, aliáis que eu tenha conhecimento o hardware da consola rival não permite fazer um processo super pesado, conhecido por Ray-Tracing e fora outros elementos em que os SPUS forem optimizados/utilizados pra processos de renderização de modo a dar um certa folga e de certa maneira um boost visual e aliais a GPU da consola em relação á VPU de outra não fica muito atrás em termosde operações de shader, é certo que esta é bem mais edificente (shaders unificados, visto que a outra não permite full load em vertex shader/SOP devido o IDLE), mas a outra perde pouco.

Não estou a sobrevoalorizar ou fazer o contrário, só destaco a forma como a equipa de desenvolvimento conseguiu tirar partido da plataforma em questão e atingir aquilo que muitos consideram desde o inicio algo absoleto e que dificilmente iria conseguir destacar da outra de acordo com as suas características.

Ray-tracing tem várias aplicações, quão pesado é só depende do processo em questão. Geralmente quando se fala de ray-tracing é mesmo como uma alternativa a rasterização, sendo que nesse caso é um processo muito exigente e que hoje em dia não é viável para aplicações em tempo real, por isso é que não há nenhum jogo comercial a utilizá-lo. Já foi implementado em alguns jogos posteriormente (lembro-me por exemplo do ET:QW e Quake IV), apenas para demonstrar as suas capacidades e analisar a performance, que mesmo em hardware de última geração (e por última geração estou a falar de CPUs com 16 cores) andava à volta dos 14-29fps a 720p.

Praticamente todas as técnicas avançadas de parallax mapping fazem uso de ray-tracing. Presumo que no caso do Killzone 2 esteja a ser utilizado para Environment Bump Mapping, que é uma técnica mais avançada de Parallax Mapping, mas que não é tão completa e exigente quanto Parallax Occlusion Mapping (Crysis) e Steep Parallax Mapping (Stalker: Clear Sky). Também pode estar a ser utilizado nalgum cálculo de física, mas até a GG esclarecer a sua aplicação real no jogo é difícil de dizer.

Mas a concorrência não tem só desvantagens, e por isso seria também possível moldar o código em torno das suas vantagens. Exemplo muito simples: na PS3, os SPU's foram utilizados para renderização. Na X360 tal função podia ser desempenhada pela gráfica bastante mais facilmente, deixando os 3 cores do processador livres para outras coisas.

Melhor loja para fazer o pre-order: Shopto
Vejam na gamestracker, a confirmação.

Sobre o online:

Swedish site GP has published what appears to be the first online review of Killzone 2, and has awarded the game 4 out of 5.
The reviewer sums things up thus:

[Translated from Swedish] The controls are good and the environments feel natural, raw and uncouth and that’s where Killzone 2 succeeds compared to many other shooters; it feels more personal, it’s easier to identify with your character and to feel connected with your teammates. Co-op is noticeably missing, which is odd, and Killzone 2 isn’t doing much new with the genre but it is great enough to succeed without launching for the Christmas Sales Period.

Killzone 2 is released exclusively on PlayStation 3 at the end of February.

Continuação da review (AQUI):

Just saw my first review for Killzone 2 in a local daily newspaper in Sweden. They gave it a 4 out of 5. The have no tilts like plus, minus or something else. They say it's reminds of games like Call of Duty 4 since it's very linear and scripted. They do note that you tend to forget that when the helghasts attack with brute force though.

Finally, they call Killzone 2 a remarkably good start on 2009 and calls the game both really strong and beautiful in a stiff competition

What did they give Gears of War 2, Halo 3, and CoD4, just so we can be clear on where they stand by "lacks new stuff".

gears, cod:waw (didn't find cod4) and R2 got same score. in fact, i clicked through several game reviews and they all seem to have the same score...

edit: except GTAIV, which got 3/5

Uma entrevista que revela algumas informações interessantes, relacionadas principalmente com o modo online (onde é mostrado um novo mapa). No entanto falam em holandês, por isso fica aqui um apanhado de algumas cenas interessantes que foram ditas:

- After completion of Killzone 1 the team consisted of around 55 people. It's around 140 people now.

- Most people who worked on killzone 1 are still working at Guerrilla. And for many of them Killzone 1 was the first game they worked on, and even their first job. Talks a bit about how there was virtually no game-development education in the Netherlands.

- Internally they were pretty pleased with killzone 1, but they recognize there was much to be improved. The bad points of killzone 1 were a consequence of a lack of skill of the team back then (see above).

- Skill improved by making more games (Shellshock, Liberation), learning from past mistakes. Bringing in external people/expertise (Sony) helped contribute to the progress.

- Biggest challenge was to meet the benchmark.

- Team is looking forward to the reviews. Previews not so much. They like the positive feedback from press/game communities. They feel the press/game communities understand what kind of fps they're trying to make.

- Talks about first party and how it's supposed to get the best results from the hardware. They want to make benchmark titles, so its a good fit. That was important for them when they were in discussions about selling the company.

- Talks about the benefits of 1st party relationship - good contacts with other 1st (and 2nd) party developers (Polyphony, Naughty Dog, Insomniac etc) and the good facilities (highlights mo-cap).

- The helghan planet is (also) awesome from a creative standpoint. Talks about the wind physics. Throw a grenade and the wind can blow it back to you. It influence your walking/running speed as well. Depending on wich way the wind blows ofcourse. In short, wind affects combat.

- In killzone 2 other planets are involved/referenced to flesh out the story of your buddies. Says the killzone universe is big and diverse enough to make another trilogy so to speak. An option could be to take the battle to Earth (oh **** yes!).

- Killzone 2 is a good foundation for new (killzone) titles. A lot different than how it was with killzone 1. They got plenty of ideas for the next killzone title. Most important thing is making the production processes more professional.

- They want to appeal to as many people as possible with MP. Talks about the deep customization options - amount of players, character classes, badges, maps, missions etc.

- Keeping the same high standard of graphics in MP was important (and challenging). Especially to keep the framerate playable/stable.

- Talks about bot-matches and how this is important for people who, for instance, dont have an internet connection, or are intimidated by other online players.

- Bot-AI are reasonably good. Three difficulties : Easy, Medium and Hard. Internal testers had problems with Hard difficulty. Seems bots on Hard are very proficient in making headshots

Quotes de discussão de um podcast sobre killzone2:

"Every expectation I had of this game, was blown away. It's that good. Awesome from beginning to end."

"They polished the hell out of the game the last couple of months"

"It's crazy that this is on a console. There were several times I said out loud, Holy shit!"

"Soundtrack is phenomenal"

"Even from a technical standpoint. I've never seen a game look this good on a console."

"Come to think of it, I don't really have a proper complaint about this game"

"I love Call of Duty 4. And like I said, that's the one that many people use as the litmus test against other fps. I would take Killzone 2 over COD4 any day of the week."

"I was just in awe of the game"

"This is the one that's going to set the bar for every console [technical standpoint]"

"No game is for everyone, but If you were on the fence about pre-ordering this game. Get off the fence and pre-order it. It's that good. It's not hype. It exceeds every expectation I had, and that's the truth."


Also comments about how he disagrees the game is so linear that it could be a complaint, that the game doesn't have enough set pieces, or that it's too short. They talk about some of the unfair slack the game has been getting in general. Especially the laughable "Too Gamey" comment from Gamedaily. The Brit also mentions that TTP (who he's chatting to during the podcast) told him he keeps playing the game and can't put it down lol.

again the link http://www.gamekings.tv/ with the translation (with some editing):

- their goal: cinematic experience. lot's of post-processing. they want an analogue look

- motion blur per pixel,
- noise, AA

- spu's are the key for optimal performance on the PS3: Deferred Rendering
- they often use all six: for full fire fights, physics, particles, mp3 streams, 7.1 audio, lighting,shadows, vertex shaders.
- they also help to render effects. 40% extra speed thanx to the spu's

- guns have to feel realsitic, reactions have to be realistic. hit impact system. every bullet has an effect on the surrounding or people in it
- stacked animations with real time rendered ragdoll.. and yep, blow heads off...

- every polygon has mass and material
- real time ray tracing
- holes are not a flat image of a hole
- collision detection of small particles, even sparks.. icing on the cake. will often go unnoticed while playing by a lot of people.

- 5.1 ambient mp3 streams that rotate when you rotate. on top of that stereo music, 3d sound effects, voices in the right positioning, sound filtering.. all in 7.1 uncompressed sound.

- extreme amount of lightsd. 230 lights in this screen (he's showinng the screen). they are proud of this level. impressive
- the robot alone has 8 lights

- tech was developed while making the game.

- they think they can go further and beyond what they're doing with killzone 2
AND they will show us in the future!!