This February will be a critical month for the PlayStation 3 as Killzone 2 will finally reach the hands of anxious gamers world wide. To learn more before the title’s upcoming release, we interviewed Guerrilla Games game director Mathijs de Jonge.
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PSU: With review copies of Killzone 2 already hitting media outlets, what are you guys working on until the game’s retail release?
Mathijs de Jonge : Currently the game is being thoroughly tested and we are fixing the last remaining bugs. On a more creative side we’re working hard on some really cool downloadable content and of course we’re preparing for the next game.
PSU: Last August, it was rumored that Killzone 2 would feature some form of cooperative support, though no details were given on when it would be added and how many players could play together. What can you tell us about the co-op mode, and do you have any estimates on when it will be released?
MdJ : Currently there are no plans for co-op in Killzone 2, technically it would be quite difficult to implement it for the story mode as for example the mission sections are loaded in seamlessly – no loading screens , and that would cause issues with teleporting players. Even without co-op it’s still a big game and gamers will have plenty to sink their teeth into.
PSU: Other than the ISA tank, what vehicles will players get to use in the game? Also, will any of these vehicles be supported in online multiplayer?
MdJ : There is a very cool vehicle that also featured as a Boss character in Killzone: Liberation. Whether online multiplayer will have vehicles is something we’re investigating.
PSU: What are some features and ideas you guys at Guerrilla have planned for Home? When can we expect to see the Killzone 2 space go live?
MdJ : Home is something we are looking into but we have nothing to report on this just yet.
PSU: Are there plans to release a Killzone 2 demo on the PSN before or after the game’s release?
MdJ : Yes, a playable single-player demo is in the works and will be released prior to launch.
PSU: The last weapons revealed included the bolt gun and flamethrower. Are there any other weapons yet to be revealed? And will the knife make it into multiplayer in the final version of the game?
MdJ : Oh yes there’s another very powerful weapon, but I can’t talk about it yet.
PSU: Will the Helgast attack dogs from Killzone: Liberation make a return in Killzone 2? Lots of readers are dying to know…
MdJ : No sorry, they don’t. There are other creatures though, like aggressive spiders that chase anything that gets near, be it the player, your allies or even the Helghast. These creatures live on polluted soil which has given them a very vicious attack. Get bitten, and they release a couple of thousands of volts.
PSU: In December, IGN’s Jeff Haynes stated that Killzone 2 was using only about 60% of the PS3’s SPU’s. Has that changed since then, and what are your thoughts on pushing the PS3’s limits in the future?
MdJ : To be honest I don’t know who said Killzone 2 only uses 60% of the SPUs as that’s simply not true. It all depends on what is happening at a certain moment in the game. In some (rare) cases when there isn’t much action going on the game doesn’t require all the SPUs to run at full speed, but there are plenty of combat heavy situations where we max out on all SPUs and run at 100%.
PSU: After the release of Killzone 2, what’s next for Guerrilla? Have you started concepts for Killzone 3 or thought about doing another PSP title?
MdJ : Unfortunately we can’t comment on any future plans at the moment…our total focus right now is on getting Killzone 2 finalized.
PSU: Anything else you’d like to add before we wrap things up?
MdJ : To us as developers Killzone 2 feels like a next generation game that was crafted with enthusiasm. It has very unique feel to it and I hope gamers will enjoy the game as much as we do.
We’d like to thank Mathijs de Jonge for answering our questions. Be sure to check out Killzone 2 when it hits stores February 27 in the U.S. and U.K.