Keeping Killzone 2 under control

By Fartknocckker
Sythbane Squadron contributor

The wait is over and all of the hype has come to a head. Yes, Killzone 2 has arrived. It has won rave reviews and high scores from many web sites and magazines. There is no doubt this is a top notch first-person shooter.

Having said that, I must point out that Killzone 2 seemed particularly frustrating at first. Don't get me wrong. Killzone 2 is a fabulous game. But I have a feeling a lot of other people have experienced the same problem.

Control. The feel of a game is key to enjoyment. All first-person shooters are controlled by touch, by how fast and how far the player has to move the sticks to place the cross hairs on a target.

Killzone 2 has a very slight delay after stick movement. Because what you are seeing onscreen does not respond immediately, you tend to move the stick too far. On medium or higher sensitivity settings, you overshoot your target.

This delay adds a sense of weight to weapons, but it can be extremely frustrating in trying to make accurate shots quickly, especially when surrounded by enemies from all directions.

All my fellow gamers who have played Call of Duty or Halo and experienced the quick, very responsive controls know what I mean.


This is a small hiccup in an otherwise outstanding game. With the saturation of first-person shooters in the market, developers should devote a lot of consideration in development of their game engines to this very important element of game play.

It's come to light that Killzone 2 developer Guerrilla Games is looking into the possibility of changing the game's controls in response to player complaints about their sluggishness. They are aware of it, and that brings a glitter of hope for everybody having this problem.

I believe this issue is a direct result of the Call of Duty franchise's influence on the shooter genre. Standards have been set, and they are destined to be followed.

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Shooter ace Fartknocckker has worn the uniform. He knows what a killzone is. And, he sets a high standard for his comrades at Sythbane Squadron!