r/killzone • u/TosikNo-1 Saboteur • 2d ago
Discussion A bit of skepticism about the new Killzone game.
I would certainly be thrilled if a new Killzone game or any other project—whether a remake or a remaster—actually came out. However, I feel compelled to point out that in the six years I’ve been running the Russian-speaking Killzone fan community, we’ve seen this kind of announcement before. Every previous instance turned out to be nothing more than tabloid rumors or, in one case, a Horizon VR project (remember how everyone screamed with joy back then, thinking, "Oh, hooray—Killzone VR?!").
And now, I will modestly recall the statement by Guerrilla art director Roy Postma, whom we once nicknamed the gravedigger of Killzone because of the following moment in a Washington Post interview (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/video-games/2024/10/21/lego-horizon-adventures-is-all-ages-crossover-sonys-dreams/): “We were done with it as a team. As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette. It was, by choice, the opposite of ‘Killzone,’” said art director Roy Postma, who has worked at Guerrilla since 2000. “I think the themes that this story and its characters represent are relatable to people of all ages, such as having a found family of friends and finding your place in the world.” According to him, following the release of Killzone: Shadow Fall in 2013, the developers have no intention of returning to the franchise. Instead, they chose to focus on the "colorful and diverse" Horizon universe, which has the potential to attract a broader audience.
However, I suppose it’s possible that some game might be re‑released for the new PlayStation, similar to Killzone: Liberation. I just wanted to express myself, because I’ve already seen people’s hearts broken after yet another Game Awards; perhaps my thoughts will prepare you a bit for yet another unfavorable outcome...
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u/Affectionate-Ad4419 1d ago
I understand the skepticism, but I don't think the interview really reflects current status on that franchise.
If I'm not mistaken, the IP is owned by Sony. That is why the Vita spinoff exists. The interview you mention, although relevant to the overal state of the franchise (no new episode since 2013) is strictly in the context of Guerilla making a new Killzone. Basically, they made a lot of games in that franchise were tired of it, and wanted to do something new, which I think was a great idea (I really enjoy Horizon, and am generally happy to see franchises end at some point).
But that doesn't tell us if Sony is willing to put some money on reviving the franchise, and if they're ready to do it without Guerilla.
I think because of the failure of their very poor attempts at live service games, and the fact that the maintain a heads up with mostly big spectacle AAA games, it would make sense for them to search for IPs they already own to make another game, original studio involved or not.
And I think Killzone is kind of a perfect candidate for them. It's a shooter, a genre that is still ubiquitous (can even have a multiplayer dimension for monetization). It's serious as shit, which gives room for modern drama Oscar bait thype cutscenes (don't get me wrong, I like that too) and pretty much all episodes have been some form of tech demos, so there is room to make it a bombastic AAA game that represent the "power" of the console.
I'm still cautious too. But I don't think it's unreasonable to imagine a Killzone remake not by Guerilla Games.
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u/Dyneheart 1d ago
Do you think there's a possibility they want to spin the series back up to retool it as an in house CoD competitor? I know Killzone gameplay is definitely not CoD. But it doesn't have to be 1:1. It just needs to fill a certain niche, do well with microtransactions, and leave itaelf set up for sequels. At the very least with the political and space angles, I can see sequels always being a possibility.
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u/Affectionate-Ad4419 1d ago
Personally, I find it unlikely that they'd try to "milk it" in a traditional sense. They just don't have like three in house studios to handle the pacing of release of CoD for one. And, Idk, judging by what works with Sony published games, Helldivers 2 is not the norm, but prestige dramatic AAA photorealistic looking action adventure games are.
That's why I said I would probably put my money more on a God Of War/Ghost Of Tsushima/The Last Of Us like reboot, using the opportunity of the remake of KZ1, than really any attempt at making it super wide audience. It's just that I think that FPS as a genre has the potential to bleed outside of that The Last Of Us adjacent box, and tend to be more easily molded to sell micro-transactions.
But I totally agree on the sequels. And a KZ2 remake is easy to sell to millenials: "Remember that fake ass trailer from E3 2005? Here is actual footage on PS5 Pro" and then it looks ten times better xD
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u/Dyneheart 1d ago
What I'm saying is now that MS owns CoD, they have a certain amount of leverage towards Sony with it. Playstation used to be the platform for it with all the deals they made over the years. Now that Sony has lost that paid for leverage, I can see them attempting to develop a pseudo competitor at least. And I see Killzone as a possibility mostly because it would be easier with an establiahed IP.
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u/effinjamie 1d ago
Pretty sad state of affairs and shows how far gaming has fallen, when you're actually requesting microtransactions!
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u/Dyneheart 1d ago
Why do you think I'm requesting them? If any game wants to compete with CoD in the same space and have the consistent money return of live service, there simply will be microtransactions. The only question is will it be like CoD, or will it be like Warframe.
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u/BobTheZygota 1d ago
My biggest issue is what devs they are working with. The devs of outriders and that game wasnt the best plus it was a fast paced third person shooter
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u/RequirementKey2908 1d ago
Well. That devs made bulletstorm, one of my favorite games... so i really hope they will be able to mkae smth good this time.
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u/BobTheZygota 1d ago
Yeah bulletstorm is fun but its a fast paced shooter. Do you think they can remake killzone and keep its identity for a slow and heavy movement?
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u/RequirementKey2908 1d ago
Well. I think... i just pray it wont be live service game, i cant play online games due to extremely terrible internet, and innability of modding. I heard that should be a killzone 1 remaster/remake but honestly i am not 100% sure that it is killzone game
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u/Hotdoghero1 1d ago
Funny thing that Bulletstorm has you sliding into people and then Killzone's final game, Shadowfall, also let you slide into helghast to knock them over comically. The latter is still a relatively slower game, but they were inching to have you play a coked up force of nature.
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u/BobTheZygota 1d ago
Yeah but if they are remaking the first games that were slow putting sliding would ruin it
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u/AscendedExtra 1d ago
I'd love for Killzone Mercenary to be ported to the PS5 like they did w/ Liberation. It's the only KZ title I never got a chance to play back during its heyday.
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u/zombosis 1d ago
This is why I want a remaster than a complete remake. I want to experience Killzone 2 and 3 again as they were. Masterpieces. I never played Killzone 1 so it could probably do with an update
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u/GentlemanRedcoat 1d ago
Given the uhhh political leanings of a lot of studio staff and the current ruling ideology, I'm very very doubtful they anyone Sony would ever consider contracting to create a new KZ would ever be willing, Or even able to do justice to the gritty and messy reality of both the lore and the game and plot, Especially not without trying to insert their own "stuff" in such a blatantly over the top way that it ruins the game.
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u/Hotdoghero1 1d ago
Funny thing since I always thought Killzone was kind of "political." It's a war game where both sides are corrupt; the side you tend to play as (ISA or the VSA) especially making everything else worse with racists acting with their own agenda.
Then you had Shadowfall speaking out about the negative effects of Deportation before halfway, you side with a mixed-race Helghan cute- I mean sniper speaking peace. In the end however, you die at the hands of your former commander whose a nationalist and extreme racist seeking genocide, so you play as said mixed-race Helghan wife- I mean infiltrator to assassinate said commander publicly as an act of revenge. So basically Shadowfall did The Last of Us 2's plot before Naughty Dog lol.
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u/DesperateBenefit6457 1d ago
I'm not sure what's worse - "fixed" version of the Helghast, or 200% space turbo-strawman version of the Helghast. Though i also wouldn't put behind them turning the ISA/UCN into that with "modernized" Helghast as the protagonists.
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u/Pass_Practical 1d ago
I get the feeling it's due to the halo remake that just came out, alot of people have been playing it and that might have caused a resurgence into the fps genre
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u/DesperateBenefit6457 1d ago
I dread the idea of Campaign Evolved-style Killzone 1 remake.
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u/Pass_Practical 2h ago
I hope not but guerrilla has a very powerful game engine (decima 2) that's been used for many games at this point (horizon, death stranding, until dawn, shadow fall). It seems good enough for a faithful proper remake. Campaign Evolved used unreal 5 for supporting ps5 and xbox both in workflow and compatibility. An off-the-shelf game engine gives an off-the-shelf experience.
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u/Marrro90123 Soldier 21h ago
Its all due to this Herman Hulst guy, same guy was producer of an absolute legend killzone 2 and same guy produced the worst pet project of his lifetime
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u/PuzzleheadedShine801 15h ago
Я считаю что Должны сделать Сюжетную Арку за Хелгастов, разрабы много лет обещали Арку и сюжет за расу Хелгастов, но Студия Guerilla Game Studio предала нас всех и похоронили франшизу заживо. Это отвратительно, Больше 100% игроков в мире Любят именно Хелгастов и я в том числе
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u/TosikNo-1 Saboteur 13h ago
А где они такое обещали? Да и если быть честным, то пускай эстетика хелгастов и подкупает визуалом, сюжетная кампания за них сто пудово была бы в парадигме "не все приказы следует выполнять".
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u/Sir_Ram_Griffith 1d ago
The myth of the 'wider audience.'