Whether they loved the original Killzone 2 control scheme or felt that it was too ‘weighty’, most beta participants seem to agree on one thing: the Killzone 3 control scheme gets the balance just right.

In a new developer video, Guerrilla developers Mathijs de Jonge, Jan-Bart van Beek and Arjen Bokhoven talk about the fine-tuning process that helped them come up with a control scheme that would satisfy both fans and critics. They also reveal new details about the other control-related features in Killzone 3:

Please proceed to Killzone.com where you can view the video in full.

The brutal melee system, which allows players to neutralize their opponents in a myriad of up-close-and-gory ways.

The slide-to-cover mechanic, which allows for free-form sliding so players can use it to dodge enemy fire.

The addition of a third weapon slot, reserved specifically for heavy-duty weapons like the Minigun and the W.A.S.P. Launcher.

Enjoy the video, and remember that the making of Killzone 3 is discussed more extensively in the Behind The Scenes featurette that comes with the Killzone 3 Helghast Edition.

The select group of journalists invited had little idea of what to expect as they climbed the stairs to a private cinema in Amsterdam’s Melkweg, but soon Hermen Hulst, Managing Director of Guerrilla Games, took to the podium and revealed all.

Killzone 3 picks up where its predecessor left off and it’s a much grander experience in terms of scale and ambition. There will be more variety, more enemy types, massive environments and a broader vision of the planet Helghan and its many terrains. The presentation closed with a beautifully violent video montage of the Brutal Melee attacks, which are the new close range attacks.

I caught up with Hermen after his presentation to ask how community feedback has shaped Killzone 3.

“As you may know, we are always in close contact with the Killzone community,” he said. “The response to Killzone 2 has been fantastic but there is a general response that it had too many ‘corridors’. We have to temper that with the knowledge that many players really enjoy that gameplay style. Our plan is to solve this dilemma with huge variation in gameplay styles.

We had plenty of variety in Killzone 2 but much of it was introduced in the second half of the game. This time around, right from the start every new level has its own distinct feel.”

The level playable at the show was set in an arctic environment and introduced a number of new gameplay elements. One of the most eye-catching is the new jet packs: first you must fight off three Jetpack Troopers, who are quick and heavily armed. Once you defeat them, you discover a spare jetpack that you can strap yourself into. It works like an exaggerated jump, allowing you to soar high into the air and use the forward thrust twice before having to land, and opens up the possibilities for platforming and aerial combat.

“If you remember, the Jetpack Troopers were in Killzone Liberation on PSP and we’ve always wanted to bring them back,” explained Hermen. “When you include aerial combat you obviously need plenty of space so the much bigger levels in Killzone 3 have presented us with the opportunity to include this enemy.”

The story is an important part of the Killzone experience so I asked him to set the scene. Warning: there’s a Killzone 2 spoiler in his response.

“We recognise how important the story is in Killzone games,” he replied, “and we’re making great leaps forward with character development and the quality of the dialogue and the writing. We’re going all-out to make Killzone 3 a rounded experience on all fronts.

So with Visari gone, there’s a power vacuum on Helghan where figures like Stahl, the head of the Helghan weapon producer, are vying for power. Essentially, the surviving ISA soldiers are caught in the middle of a catfight when what they really need is to get the hell off the planet and return to Vekta.

On the ground, this political situation changes the nature of the conflict. The Helghan are now in the ascendency and they are bringing a great deal of new technology to the fray. The result for the player is that you’ll be encountering new weapons and enemy types with their own distinct behaviour.”

Finally, I was told beforehand that we wouldn’t be mentioning multiplayer at this particular event but I knew you wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t at least broach it, so I asked how much of the team’s energy is going into this component.

“We always refer to multiplayer as ‘the other half of the game’,” he said, “meaning that it’s just as important to us as single player. It’s an area on which we have key individuals working and I can promise true innovation. Right now we’re looking through all of the feedback we received on Killzone 2, particularly around accessibility.”

I came away with so many thoughts and impressions from the event that I feel like I could write a short novel. Head to over to eu.playstation.com to read an impressions piece that I wrote, which goes into more detail on the incredible stereoscopic 3D. Feel free to ask questions in the comments; I have more info and quotes from Hermen that I can drop in there where relevant.

We hope you’ll come visit us regularly at Killzone.com.

Christmas is awesome. No doubts there! But spare a thought for our moderation team who, like mad little elves, furiously work all the way through the holiday season. They’ve decided that the best way to get through the long days is to… well… shoot the socks off of you lot!

Here’s a message from community moderator Yaster to tell you all about it

Hello everyone out there in Blog reading land!

I’m Yaster and I’m here to tell you about a great event we have scheduled for Boxing Day over on the Official PlayStation Community. In order to celebrate what has been a great year for PlayStation 3 games, We’re planning a MAMMOTH session on Killzone 2!

I’m going to be hosting an 8 and a half hour long Warzone game on Boxing Day, ideal for nursing those hangovers from the Xmas festivities or even those who’ve been given the game for Christmas.

All you need to take part is to load up the Warzone on Killzone 2 between 10am and 6.30pm (GMT) on the 26th of December, find the game entitled “BOXINDAYKILLZONE”, input the password (found on our forums here) and join in with the fun!

Oh, and I have WAY too many goodies, come along – and you might just grab them

See you on the battlefield!

Yaster

So – get involved. I’ll try and drop in too, in between mince pies and throwing balls of wrapping paper at my cat

Chat soon -
MB

Of course, it would be a shame to leave this occasion unmarked – and I’m not talking about the champagne and strange Dutch snacks we’ll undoubtedly be having at the studio. We also want to celebrate it with you, the fans. After all, the Killzone brand wouldn’t be where it is today without your support. So here’s what we have in store for you over the next few days:

• Looking back at Killzone 1
  Later this week on Killzone.com, Seb “Motherh” Downie and I are going to play through the first Killzone game for you. We’ll be commenting on our favourite sections and wallowing in beer-induced nostalgia.

• DLC download code giveaway
  Haven’t checked out the Killzone 2 DLC map packs yet? You’re in luck, because Guerrilla is having a DLC download code giveaway. Keep a close eye on Killzone.com this week for full details!

• Killzone 2 retro tournament
  This weekend (November 27-30) Guerrilla will host a Killzone 2 retro tournament, using only the Beach Head and Southern Hills maps from the second DLC pack. And there’s more to be gained than valor alone, because…

• Double XP Weekend returns
  …the tournament will take place during a Double XP Weekend! Just like last time, any game created in the weekend of November 27-30 will yield extra XP to help you boost your ranking.

• Killzone 1 and 2 side-by-side
  Killzone.com editor Victor Zuylen will compare various features of Killzone 2 with its predecessor next week, illustrating exactly how far we’ve come since the first Killzone game was released.

• [Update] Killzone 2 DLC Price Promotion
  Between the 3rd and 17th of December there will be a price drop on the Retro Map Pack (from €5.99 to €2.99) and the Map Pack Bundle (from €11.99 to €9.99).

I hope you’ll join us in celebrating the fifth anniversary of Killzone! In the meantime, I’m going to put on my Top Hits of 2004 album and try to remember how I partied five years ago.

Eric out.

I was recently asked to contribute to a new volume in Ballistic Publishing’s line of digital artist master class books, titled d’artiste: Character Modeling 3. The request surprised me a little at first, because I’m not a character artist myself; I’m a director of character artists. As my job title implies, I direct other artists in the creation of assets for the Killzone franchise, making sure their output is consistent with the gritty, ‘hard sci-fi’ look for which our games are known.

However, I soon realized this would be a good opportunity to share my unique vantage point overlooking the entire character creation pipeline at Guerrilla. The resulting chapter has become a rather comprehensive overview of the character creation process used for Killzone 2. Taking Rico Velasquez and the Helghast Sniper as examples, the book walks the reader through every step of their development – starting with the rough initial ideas, and ending with their finalized in-game models. Along the way, various tools and techniques used at Guerrilla are explained in detail.

In addition to the chapter on Killzone 2, d’artiste: Character Modeling 3 also covers the works of Giovanni Nakpil and Cesar Dacol Jr., both renowned character modelers for major Hollywood productions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and 300. Their contributions to the book are nothing short of breathtaking, and I was extremely honored to see my name featured on the cover alongside theirs.

In short, if you’re a budding character artist or just a hardcore Killzone fan who’d like to know how characters are created at Guerrilla, d’artiste: Character Modeling 3 is a book worth tracking down. It’s the sort of resource I wish I’d had when I just started my career in the games industry. You can preview the entire book on the Ballistic Publishing website, or purchase it from their store in both limited and slipcased editions.

Publishing Information
ISBN #: Limited Edition: 978-1-921002-66-3 / Slip cased: 978-1-921002-67-0
Pages: 208 pages (Slipcased) / 208 pages (Limited Edition)
Authors: Cesar Dacol Jr, Jan-Bart van Beek, Giovanni Nakpil
Publishers: Daniel Wade, Mark Snoswell

Performed by the Nimrod Session Orchestra and recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London, England, these thunderous tracks are guaranteed to give even the toughest Helghast trooper goose bumps. The full album includes a throbbing remix of Fight the A.T.A.C. by yours truly (created under my pseudonym, Singularity23) and a digital booklet containing concept art by the Guerrilla visual design department.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Opening – Birth of War (Retribution) 3:40
2. The Second Helghan March (Helghan Forever) 2:21
3. Battle Preparations 1:33
4. Bridge Is Down 1:47
5. Ambush 2:23
6. Protecting the Convoy 3:14
7. Flight Into Blood Meridian 0:45
8. Fight Your Way Through 3:21
9. Heavy Resistance 1:32
10. An Unexpected Guest 0:58
11. The Police Station 2:23
12. Resistance On The Bridge 0:53
13. Taking the Bridge 3:03
14. Petrusite Revealed 0:56
15. The Academy 3:21
16. Fight the A.T.A.C. 1:59
17. A Day of Mourning 2:36
18. Suljeva 3:12
19. Next Stop Tharsis Refinery 2:26
20. Question Time With Radec 1:18
21. Dante Garza RIP 1:58
22. Going Up 2:07
23. Templar’s Last Stand 3:45
24. The Exoskeleton 3:38
25. Nuked 1:53
26. Radec’s Personal Guards 3:10
27. Visari’s Lament 4:41
28. End Credits Suite 8:07
29. Fight the A.T.A.C. (Remix by Singularity23) 1:12

Total playing time is 74 minutes.

To find out more about the creative genius behind the Killzone 2 soundtrack, check out Killzone.com’s interview with Joris de Man here . Aside from discussing his inspirations for the score and the challenges he encountered during production, Joris also gives careful listeners a little pop quiz about a recurring theme on the soundtrack. If you’d like to purchase the album, or to listen to samples of the individual tracks, please visit the iTunes store by clicking here . Be warned, though: listening to this soundtrack can make your dull morning commute feel like an extremely dangerous military operation.

Happy listening!

All these games have reached sales of over 400,000 and so to celebrate we are offering consumers a chance to add these unmissable titles to their collection for an unbeatable price – £19.99 / €29.99.

So check out the list below, including their shiny new Platinum box art.

MotorStorm Pacific Rift

Resistance 2

Killzone 2

And last, but by no means least, Metal Gear Solid 4

Napalm: The VC1 Flamethrower
Found in the Suljeva Cliffside map, the VC1 Flamethrower projects an ignited stream of flammable liquid at high pressure. Consisting of low-octane gasoline and an unidentified component indigenous to Helghan, this form of Napalm is extremely effective for clearing out enemy trenches and bunkers.

Cordite: The Boltgun 4400
Also known as “The Handyman”, the semi-automatic Boltgun 4400 can be picked up in the Arctower Landing map. It uses Cordite to propel metal bolts at an extremely high velocity, often pinning its targets to walls and other objects. In addition, each round contains a time-delayed explosive charge – so if impalement doesn’t finish the target off, the ensuing explosion will.

Napalm & Cordite – an explosive cocktail
Both of these weapons radically alter the Killzone 2 multiplayer dynamic, delivering an experience that’s as fresh as it is intense. If you’re a veteran Killzone 2 online player looking to mix it up, or if you simply liked wielding these weapons in the single player campaign, Napalm & Cordite is your ticket. Look for it in the PlayStation Store from July 23!

For more information visit Killzone.com

Helghast Field Manual 15: Surviving the Southern Hills
The treacherous ISA forces have resorted to using nuclear devices in their futile efforts to invade our beloved home-planet of Helghan. This cowardly act will not go unpunished and the Helghast High Command training corps has prepared a field manual to ensure its loyal soldiers do not die in vain. Read the below carefully as it could be the difference between your survival of a nuclear attack and turning into a burning corpse.

• When you hear the siren, drop whatever you are doing. Just run like heck. A live soldier is a lot more useful to the Helghan Empire than a scorched, smoking one. You’ll only have a couple of seconds to get to cover, so don’t waste any time.
• Science be damned! Just Duck & Cover! If you see the nuke going off the in the distance, simply ensure that you have a roof above your head. You don’t even have to close the windows or anything. Anyone caught outside will be turned into a something resembling jerky.
• If you spawn in your base and hear the sirens going off, just stay where you are and the let the folks outside deal with the problems. You’ll be much quicker off the mark once the dust settles.
• Sentry Bots and Sentry Turrets are not immune to the devastating power of the nuke. Don’t leave them sitting outside, or they will turn into burning chunks like anything else. Place Sentry turrets inside to ensure their safety and they will cut off the enemies path to shelter.
• If you are inside, watch the doorways for enemies ducking inside to safety. Or even better, mow them down with an emplaced machine gun before they get anywhere near. That’ll teach ‘em to run like dogs!
• Out in the open? Any base can be a safe spot from the impending nuclear annihilation. If you find yourself far from home, just go duck into the enemies’ base. Your chances of survival will be higher than out in the open.
• The Bots in Killzone 2 do have a sense of self-preservation and when that siren sounds, they will try to save themselves as much as any living player. Follow them for the closest safe-spot, but make sure no sneaky ISA scum are hiding in there in the first place.
• Repaired ammo boxes and Emplaced MG’s will not be destroyed by the blast, so you won’t have to repair them again.
• Assassination targets! If the siren goes off, get to cover. I repeat, run like hell. Nothing worse than successfully defending the target and having it turned into smithereens before your very eyes and not being able to do anything about it.
• If all else fails, climb up the ladder to the roof of the central base to get a good view of the explosion in the east. It might cause you a fiery death, but damn it the explosion is too sexy not to look at in all of its splendor.

Keep these tips in mind when the ISA Cruisers launch their gutless assault on our beloved planet and you might just survive another day.

All hail Visari!

Master Sergeant Downie
5th Helghast Training Corps

Pyrrhus Rise

For a Q&A on the Flash & Thunder DLC pack, visit www.killzone.com.

Sackboy is dusting off his tuxedo as LittleBigPlanet is nominated in the Family, Multiplayer, Soundtrack, PlayStation Game of the Year and Ultimate Game of the Year categories. Killzone 2 is on his six and competing for the Multiplayer, PlayStation Game of the Year and Ultimate Game of the Year awards.

And with all of the announcements and revelations from E3 fresh in your mind, now’s a good time to vote for your most anticipated game in “The One To Watch” award; where God of War III and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are battling it out to see who’ll be at the top of our wish lists for the next year.

Head over to the Awards website for a full list of the categories and nominees – cast your vote and you could win some cool prizes for yourself in the Golden Joystick Awards prize draw.

The Golden Joystick winners will be announced on 30th October as the grand finale to 2009′s London Games Festival.

Who will you be voting for this year? Let us know below, or head over to the PlayStation Forums to see what games everyone’s talking about and compare notes on your favourites.

Nice new home you guys have here and thanks for inviting me. My name is Seb Downie and I am one of the Producers at Guerrilla Games and want to start off GG’s contribution to the blog with details of the latest and greatest update to hit Killzone 2. It was meant to be out a week ago, but on the 11th hour before release we found a bug that needed fixing, so unfortunately we had to delay it, but now we are ready to rock, erm I mean, ready to patch!

Today, Guerrilla Games has released their 9th patch for their best-selling shooter, Killzone 2.

This patch not only contains fixes, but also new functionality that has been requested by the Killzone community. Patch 1.27 will be 75MB in size (272MB for Asian release) and will be released worldwide with the following fixes and features:

• DLC – Enables support for downloadable content pack #2 “Flash & Thunder”, released on June 11th on the Playstation®Store
• Network errors – Improved handling of large message groupings to decrease network errors on heavy loads. Should decrease some instances of network errors
• Stability – Fix for potential Quick-join stability issues when DLC pack “Steel & Titanium” is not installed
• Stability – Removal of DLC could result in stability issues when using game pre-sets
• Stability – Crash fix for potential Search & Retrieve issue
• Stability – Fix for infrequent hang on loading when using spectator mode
• Exploit – Search & Destroy objective exploit fix
• Exploit – Collision fix for map MP04 – Visari Hammer
• Exploit – Collision fix for map MP07 – Blood Gracht
• Exploit – Collision fix for map MP07 – Blood Gracht (2)
• Exploit – Collision fix for map MP08 – Corinth Crossing
• Exploit – Collision fix for map MP08 – Corinth Crossing (2)
• Stats – Fix for clans not always receiving the clan match win medal
• Controls – Addition of High precision mode option for both Single Player and Multiplayer. New accounts will have this mode set as standard and existing users will have to enable it manually. More details can be found here:
• Feature – Players will be automatically placed on the same faction, if they are friends upon using the ‘Join Friend’ option
• Feature – Players will be automatically placed on the same squad, if they are friends upon using the ‘Join Friend’ option
• Feature – Squads will remain constant over multiple rounds unless disbanded. More info on the above features can be found here
• Feature – Faction balancing only checked when entering the game to the pre-game lobby or spawn-select New faction select screen on spawn-select
• Feature – In-game faction changing now allowed on heavily unbalanced factions
• Feature – Skirmish – All Badges and Abilities are now unlocked for Skirmish mode to allow users with lower bandwidth network connections to experience the full range of weapons and abilities available in Multiplayer mode
• Gameplay – Invulnerability when spawning on a deployable spawn-point outside of a base-camp is now disabled
• Gameplay – Armor of Assault class reduced from 100 to 50 hit-points
• Gameplay – AI and health of the flying Sentry Bots has been tweaked upwards
• Gameplay – Firing rate of the Sentry Turret’s rocket system has been reduced slightly
• Bug – Cooked grenades dealing friendly fire damage despite the option being disabled
• Bug – DLC Pack 1 “Steel & Titanium” front end text fix for Japanese sku
• Moderation – Enhanced moderation tools for SCE Moderators
• Killzone.com – Revived players now appearing correctly in Battle Replays
• Misc – Various minor bug fixes

For more in depth information on some of the bigger features to come with this patch, check out the Q&A with Eric Boltjes our Lead Multiplayer Designer here.

I’ll be checking out the comments section and will try to answer some of your questions about the update. We are by no means done with Killzone 2 and will continue to improve the online experience with your (constructive, fair and balanced) feedback *ahem*.

So thanks for having me and I hope you enjoy this latest update. We’ll be back soon with some news on Home. Also make sure to keep an eye on www.killzone.com for the latest news, gossip and content.