Sony Halo, KILLzone hype thread!

[chaphack]

Details on Sony's supposed secret Ace-in-the-Hole...

by - Steve Watt

(8:05PM)- For quite some time now, rumors have made their way across the internet with regards to a secret PS2 project formerly known as Kin. However, for reasons unknown, the project seemingly overnight began being referred to as Kill Zone. Well, we've done some digging, and have learned that the title will in fact be the better-sounding Kin when all is said and done. Sony's way of misleading the press and it's competitors perhaps?

The lesser-known Netherlands game developer Lost Boys has for the past few years been concentrating on this top secret, AAA 1st-person shooter, which originally was planned for multiple consoles and shares many of the same game dynamics that can be found in Bungie's killer Xbox title, Halo. While these details are confirmed, further details of the project are extremely hard to come by due to a complete and a total media blackout imposed on the project by Sony. After seeing early work on the title, Sony immediately welcomed Lost Boys into the SCEE family by purchasing the company effectively ensuring Kin became PS2-exclusive. Sounds familiar to Halo fans, only with the roles reversed, no? When approached for a comment on the whole situation, Sony responded with "This is a very big deal for SCEE, and it expects great things from Kin."

Here's everything we think we know on the title thus far... Kin is expected to release in Fall of 2004. It is the first PS2 project for Lost Boys, which was established in 2000. Inside sources who claim to have viewed the game in action have been quoted as saying that the game will in fact include online multiplayer co-op, in addition to various other 16 player modes with voice communication via the PS2 headset. Running at 60 FPS the entire time, it is said to be the best-looking PS2 game in existence which is odd, considering the creators of the recently unveiled Gran Turismo 4 (also a very impressive looking title) have already stated that GT4 maxes the PS2 out completely which is why you won't see voice chat in their game. Definitely some mixed comments happening there. Expect a control scheme similar to Halo, as well as the use of streaming techonology ala Jak & Daxter which will ensure that the game will feature no loading times whatsoever. The name Kill Zone was supposed to have referred to a gameplay dynamic along the lines of whereby when targeting enemies gameplay could be slowed down in order to give the player an advantage over his /her adversaries (thus entering a sort of "Kill Zone"). But of course, it's not known if this aspect is definitely going to be present in the final build of Kin. We've also learned that there exists the possibility of the game utilizing the impressive Havok physics engine which powers the recently unveiled utterly fantastic Half-Life 2. One can only hope this news is true...

But the wait won't be much longer to know the truth... in fact, the Official UK Playstation Magazine will debut the title in their upcoming issue, and have already gone on record as Kin (or Kill Zone as they are still calling it) being "The best game we've seen. Ever." Those are some pretty hefty words, and one can't help but wonder if this game can possibly live up to the immense hype that is being placed upon it's shoulders. But regardless, we're pumped about the possibilities this announcement will bring.

We've been waiting for a game that gives us an experience equal or greater than that of Halo and have yet to see it on PS2. Red Faction 2, Tribes, Timesplitters 2... all were mentioned at one time or another as possible "Halo-killers" (yeah we hate that term too) but none of them even managed to come close to matching the high level of quality that Bungie delivered. Time will tell if Lost Boys can step up to the plate and finally deliver. Of course, Lost Boys could also buckle under the extreme pressure and Kin could end up sucking harder than your mom's vacuum cleaner. As always, time will tell.

Rest assured, we'll have much more on this one the instant it becomes available.

cant wait. oh wait Halo killer? Damn! Not Halo 2?

 

[ChryZ]

Please not an other troll thread based on rumors and hot air ...

 

[London Geezer]

well i'm sure that with some imagination, one could use PS2 strengths to make one hell of a FPS, especially using a modified J&D engine... we'll have to see...

of course there will be fanboys saying how it doesnt look even half as good as halo because of the "washed out" textures and all that...

but if they can start pushing polygons, in the tens of millions, for a FPS then it should be a hell of a good looking game, all in PS2 fashion really...

i dont think any FPS on consoles pushes any more than 10 million polys, and i dont see many even approaching that figure.... even the much loved Halo was very angular to be pushing a lot of polys....

maybe Metroid Prime could be one poly pusher FPS... but thats it really....

 

[CeiserSöze]

Sounds like the whole The Getaway-hype all over again to me... :?

 

[London Geezer]

oh and by the way... people from the "official PS2 Mag" would say that it's the best looking game they've ever seen.

they gave Enter the Mxtrix a 9 in graphics and 8 overall

 

[Coppernut]

This is not hype it's the truth. well all but the best game ever, has I haven't played it yet so I really can't make any comment on how it plays.

 

[Vince]

This is not hype it's the truth. well all but the best game ever, has I haven't played it yet so I really can't make any comment on how it plays.

Well if you follow the article above, it states that OPM UK will debut it in their next issue. Thus, we can only assume they' ve played a build and thus can say this.

 

[zurich]

OXM and OPM (& UK) have an agenda to fans, being the 'official' mag and all. I've always found their reviews/previews to be waaaaay off base. Grain 'o salt!

Although I'm not surprised Sony is trying to go head to head with Halo (2). But considering the popularity of trash like SOCOM (not just the game, but the environment online), I wouldn't be surprised if this Kin game did well

 

[bbot]

I could care less if they could make a Halo killer. Xbox will be getting Doom 3 and Half-life 2 and Unreal 2 by then. If Unreal 2 game engine taxes Xbox, then imagine what it would do to PS2. (remember how Splinter Cell for PS2 turned out)

 

[Paul]

I bet the game will look amazing, but let's see how it plays.

 

[bbot]

Paul,

You mean like Splinter Cell (the PS2 version compared to the Xbox version)?

 

[Paul]

bbot,

You mean like stop trolling (Like Chap would do)?

 

[Phil]

wow, it sounds huge. Definately can't wait to see how it turns out. The fact that it makes use of streaming, great physics already sound quite impressive.

* fingers crossed

 

[Blade]

Not to be pessimistic, but I think that a lot of this talk is exaggerated.

 

[zurich]

Not to be pessimistic, but I think that a lot of this talk is exaggerated.

Agreed, alot of it is playing on the hopes of PS2 fans that Sony'll come up with something on par with Halo for their gamers.

 

[Phil]

Agreed, alot of it is playing on the hopes of PS2 fans that Sony'll come up with something on par with Halo for their gamers.

Only speaking for myself of course, but the thing that sparked my interest in this game isn't the fact that it's being touted the "Halo killer" (which I find quite amusing and laughable at the same time), but because it shows some potential of a game that has lots of dedicated resources and ambitious goals put to it. Yeah, it might end up the next Getaway, but quite francly, the Getaway to me was one hell of a game and I'd me more than happy to get a similar result with this one.

Streaming, steady framerate, Co-op and hopefully strategic elements and I will be sold for sure. TimeSplitters was good, but with this one - I'm looking forward to what is hopefully a grand single player (or co-op) experience. Not because of its similarities with Halo (although Halo had some very nice elements which I'd be more than happy to find if Kin can follow suit).

 

[LogisticX]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but the guys who are apparently developing this thing don't exactly have the best track record. I think they and everyone else should reserve any judgement with respect to proclaiming it as the best (be it looking or otherwise) title on the PS2.

 

[Almasy]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but the guys who are apparently developing this thing don't exactly have the best track record. I think they and everyone else should reserve any judgement with respect to proclaiming it as the best (be it looking or otherwise) title on the PS2.

Although I agree with you (I haven´t seen a great game come from this development house yet), I do think that the fact that Sony made this company a second party right after seeing what was being planned is evidence that the title must have some potential.

 

[marconelly!]

SCEA and SCEJ have been the publishers to some of the games this gen that I really enjoyed more than enything else (most notably Ico, Frequency and Amplitude) Sony Europe, however... I don't put too much faith in them...

 

[Grall]

Phil,

Why is it so amusing and laughable to think of Kin as a 'Halo killer', are you suggesting Halo was such an accomplishment and such a totally awesome title it cannot possibly be killed by a PS2 game?

Just wonderin', dude... Hehe.

*G*