[PS3] Killzone 3

[ultragpu]

Caught some new stuffs from neogaf.

KEY FEATURES

• "Hollywood-style" production value with action-focused narrative that mirrors the “David vs. Goliath” theme
• Much bigger environments throughout the game, including nuclear wastelands, alien jungles, and arctic vistas. Levels are up to 10 times the size of those in Killzone 2
• Fully re-vamped game engine, with new optimized data streaming systems that will load texture and music content seamlessly
• New brutal melee system with a number of varied attacks
• Control an arsenal of advanced weaponry, such as the Wasp missile launcher, in addition to trusty classics like the M82-G assault rifle
• Face off against new breeds of fearsome Helghast enemies that wield a variety of new weapons and abilities
• Vehicle gameplay is greatly increased, with players able to do battle from Intruders, using jet packs, and accessing a number of land-based vehicle options
• Killzone 3 will support full Stereoscopic 3D gameplay compatibility
• Overall improved accessibility including better controls as well as much more varied Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
• Raising the bar graphically by incorporating texture and mesh streaming throughout the game
• Killzone 3 introduces the HDR audio system, allowing the game to dynamically focus the audio depth of field. Players will hear effects in context, making the action much more up close and personal and well as immersive

Just curious about how does texture and mesh streaming raise the graphics bar for this game?

 

[RenegadeRocks]

My anticipation was whether they would implement the HDR lighting that they had shown at E3 2007 reveal and then dropped from the final build of KZ2 ! This game really needs HDR , IMO, as the models are already very good and we need a beautiful light to make it all look surrealistic. I am feel bad that the real time radiosity they had mentioned as working but not yet optimised has also not made it in ! I have been a lighitng artist for 4 years in CG and theres nothing that makes a game stand out than realistic HDR lighting. Look at HALO:Reach n GT5. The only reason I drool at HALO:reach footage is because of the superb HDR implementation. I have never seen anything like it. The GG engine has the capability but I guess the devs are more busy making it compatible with 3D and Move than improve the visuals so that it looks different from KZ2. Frankly speaking, nothjing against the game, but right now these could just have been DLC maps for KZ2 and we wouldn't have noticed.

Its looking good, but then KZ2 looked equally, if not more polished, good. We want to see similar polish and tech improvements.

 

[AlNom]

Caught some new stuffs from neogaf.

Just curious about how does texture and mesh streaming raise the graphics bar for this game?

It simply means allocating more memory to the objects you're seeing immediately rather than having everything in memory all at once.

 

[Rolf N]

May be separate from 4P co-op.

I heard some Gaffers staying away from 32P KZ2 games because they were too hectic, and impacted the framerate. They chose 16-24P.

It's not primarily the framerate, but rather that the game balance parameters don't scale to big player counts. I.e. the max number of concurrent spawn grenades is a constant, the number of turrets (and drones) is constant and most importantly the number of concurrent objectives is constant. Upping the player count just makes it more stressful to play, as more and more people converge at any one point, more engineers compete to maintain "their" turret placement, and worst of all, multiple tacticians interfere with each other's spawn point schedule.

Some of the best matches I've played were 4-vs-4 and 6-vs-6 Salamun, which is either the largest map or a close second to Pyrrhus Rise.

Playing 16vs16 always turns into the coveted clusterfuck situation, where one hot room or small zone holds opposing spawn points and people just keep streaming in, spraying off a few shots and a grenade, only to die a few seconds later. This happens on any map size.

Actually, on the small/medium maps (Radec academy) it's somewhat easier to avoid this issue, because it always remains a valid option to spawn back at your base. If you only need ten seconds or so to run back to that "hot zone", with a safer vantage point to boot, that's what you do. Compare that to one of the big maps where you might be essentially out of the game for a minute if you spawn at base. There really is no good choice to make there.

 

[betan]

It simply means allocating more memory to the objects you're seeing immediately rather than having everything in memory all at once.

Streaming obviously means more than that.
The thing is though, they did have streaming in Killzone 2 (with some visible issues), they just claim better streaming tech.

 

[AlNom]

Streaming obviously means more than that.
The thing is though, they did have streaming in Killzone 2 (with some visible issues), they just claim better streaming tech.

bravo

 

[ultragpu]

It simply means allocating more memory to the objects you're seeing immediately rather than having everything in memory all at once.

Streaming obviously means more than that.
The thing is though, they did have streaming in Killzone 2 (with some visible issues), they just claim better streaming tech.

So does it mean they can effectively draw more polygons and load more textures or higher res textures per frame?

 

[RenegadeRocks]

So does it mean they can effectively draw more polygons and load more textures or higher res textures per frame?

Thats what it is supposed to mean ! But they said they are still using KZ2 models, and frankly speaking, I am not seeing a drastic improvement either. IMO, they need better lighting to provide that oomph to the game, to make it look "better" than KZ2 !

 

[patsu]

KZ2 art and effects gave the game a very unique and authentic feel. At this moment, KZ3 looks like an imitation of KZ2 without those special effects. I can see things are bigger and sharper. But I secretly hope that they'd tune the KZ3 look further.

 

[AlNom]

Thats what it is supposed to mean ! But they said they are still using KZ2 models, and frankly speaking, I am not seeing a drastic improvement either. IMO, they need better lighting to provide that oomph to the game, to make it look "better" than KZ2 !

They could be referring to more objects in the environment. It'll be interesting with the MLAA at least. They basically save 18MB if they're still using the full G-Buffer.

KZ2 art and effects gave the game a very unique and authentic feel. At this moment, KZ3 looks like an imitation of KZ2 without those special effects. I can see things are bigger and sharper. But I secretly hope that they'd tune the KZ3 look further.

Well, you'd want better range/precision because there are a lot of textures that look washed out due to lighting.

 

[Billy Idol]

Ok, I drop the bomb in this thread here (wonder why no one reported this):

was again at Sony today to test KZ3 again. While waiting I read the description/advertisement of the game. It mentioned the following

Player:
1-2(offline) and 2-24 (online)


Offline? LAN? 2 player split screen? SP 2 player coop? Does 3D help making split screen in KZ3?

 

[patsu]

Well, you'd want better range/precision because there are a lot of textures that look washed out due to lighting.

The screens are fine, but they seem to be missing a little something that KZ2 has. I don't quite know what it is yet.

May be after watching more videos and screens I can pin point it. I am not looking for resolution, HDR, or technical features so far.

I prefer them to work on the gameplay first anyway.

 

[nightshade]

May be after watching more videos and screens I can pin point it. I am not looking for resolution, HDR, or technical features so far.

You are looking for colorful lights (mostly green,red,yellow and blue), KZ2 had a lot of them and that's what made it so appealing to look at.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

I just want my E3 2007 HDR back !

@Billy Idol: WOw ! Thats very very heartening news, I mean the 2 player offline part. But how will that work with 3D ? Maybe, thats the reason they haven't been able to up the gfx. They seem to be too busy with 3D, Move and now Split screen implementations. Don't let the gfx suffer GG, KZ2 is too beautiful !
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://psnow.es/index.php/noticias/articulo/2594/&sl=es&tl=en Somebody else also noticed the same.

 

[patsu]

You mean no 4P co-op ? That was said to be a mis-report.

 

[betan]

So does it mean they can effectively draw more polygons and load more textures or higher res textures per frame?

Hard to tell. The first was using more data than it can stream (hence the stalls between zones), if you make the streaming tech better, it may be either that it uses the same amount data but without the stalls, or more amount data (still without the stalls).

Plus, we don't even know how streaming friendly KZ3 levels are, as in it may be such that some levels/areas are bigger (or non linear) making textures lower res per unit surface or vice versa.

 

[patsu]

You are looking for colorful lights (mostly green,red,yellow and blue), KZ2 had a lot of them and that's what made it so appealing to look at.

I wanted to say colors at first, but when I imagined the same KZ3 screenshots in color, I find that it's also missing something. ;-)

Don't get me wrong. The KZ3 snapshots are very beautiful (may be prettier than KZ2 screens), but it's not KZ2 yet ^_^.
Quoting my favorite again:

 

[Rotmm]

Don't let the gfx suffer GG, KZ2 is too beautiful !

I'm far more concerned that they work on the SP gameplay, characters and dialogue than any 'upgrade' in the graphics. The shooting was ok, but the game was chock-full of some of the dullest, most stereotypical characters along with inane dialogue (that the devs sought to make "real" with more profianity than any recent game I can remember). Just awful.

It made Gears of War's story and look like War and Peace in comparison.

They really need to focus on the game this time, and not on adding yet more lensflare to appeal to the graphics-whore crowd.

There's a reason that you can log into Halo 3 or Gears of War and find tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands playing. Log onto Killzone 2 today and you're lucky to find hundreds playing.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

There's a reason that you can log into Halo 3 or Gears of War and find tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands playing. Log onto Killzone 2 today and you're lucky to find hundreds playing.

I don't disagree with you, but the ongoing popularity of Halo or Gears online has nothing to do with the characters or story writing! MP experience is a different kettle of fish.

 

[dragonelite]

Hope they can get the mech balanced.
Why add them it's such gimmick shit that at the end will only annoy people.
Just keep it simple make core gameplay balanced and for the carrot on a stick people just make a shitload of armor customization.

I know this sounds like Halo but there's a reason people still play those games most games with huge community have no gimmicks what so ever that annoy people.