In terms of hype, I’m not sure there’s much on the PlayStation platforms that comes close to the Killzone franchise. From the CGI trailers to being called the end-all-be-all of console shooters, there’s a lot to live up to with Killzone 2. By now we’ve all seen the amazing in-game videos and no one can deny the game is flat out beautiful. But more importantly, how does it play? I’ve had a chance to spend a good deal of time with the Killzone 2 Beta on the PS3. Read on for how it stacks up.

Like I said, graphically the game is top notch, even in the multiplayer beta. Character models, animations, and the environment all look fantastic. In the same breath, sounds are done equally as well. Various gun shots, explosions, and environmental effects are some of the best I’ve heard in a shooter recently.

The beta features three maps, Salamun Market, Radec Academy, and Blood Gracht, all of which are setup nicely for various game types. With plenty of places to hide on every map, you can bet on getting shotgun killed from behind quite a few times. Even once you get to know the maps well, enemies will still come at you from places you aren’t looking. This definitely keeps you on your toes, which is nice.

The major difference between other online shooters and Killzone 2 is how it distributes game types. Each game you can create or join is populated with various missions, such as Capture and Hold, Search and Retrieve, Assassination, Body Count, and Search and Destroy. In my time with the beta, every game available online was setup as Warzone or Mini Frag, compilations of all other game types with 5 minute rounds of each during each play session. As soon as one mission ends, another begins with no downtime. For example, in Assassination, if the target is killed, the game will immediately switch over to the new mission in the list. This gives a lot of variety to the gameplay, but also provides some frustration. Most people tend to stick with one gameplay type online and do not fair well in those with which they are not well versed. When a Capture and Hold mission comes up, everyone who only cares about Deathmatch-style games will just run around and kill each other and not try to win the mission. It gets fairly annoying when you have to deal with this in every match. When the full game comes it, I’m sure things will be more diverse with more players, but it’s something to keep in mind.

At first, I wasn’t a big fan of the controls. Movement seemed a little springy and stiff, especially with the right thumbstick. However, after turning up the sensativity and getting to understand how and why the controls feel this way, I’m a big fan. The main feeling conveyed here is a sense of weight to your character. You’re not some skinny wimpy kid, you’re a huge armed soldier and you move as such. Just like in Gear of War, you really feel like your character is a heavy weapon of destruction. The heavier your guns, the slower your movement. It works out really well, actually. What I do have an issue with, though, is some of the button mappings. Having the weapon aim/zoom mapped to the R3 button is awkward. Using one of the shoulder buttons would feel much better and hopefully this added as a customization in the final game. Otherwise, things on the control front are fairly typical.

Killzone 2 has a nice class system that gives you various perks for your performance in the game. By earning more experience points, you unlock various classes. Some give you invisible cloaking, others give increased speed. By playing more, the options available to you will only increase. Just like in various team and squad based games, having players of various classes on your team will only prove beneficial.

I’ve had a lot of fun with the beta for Killzone 2 (after all the network issues were ironed out). There’s definitely bugs, as this is an actual beta (unlike many that are very close to a game’s release that are glorified demos). Guerilla Games is taking everything in from this beta and will only make the game better from the feedback. I’m looking forward to seeing the final product.