Napalm & Cordite, the new downloadable content pack for Killzone 2, contains two exciting new multiplayer maps: Suljeva Cliffside, which takes place on the rocky outskirts of the Suljeva mining village; and Arctower Landing, which revisits the Arctower defense posts of Blood Meridian. On top of that, the DLC pack allows you to wield a pair of weapons which were previously accessible only through the single player campaign! Napalm & Cordite will be launched on PSN on July the 23rd!
NAPALM: THE VC1 FLAMETHROWER
Found in the Suljeva Cliffside map, the VC1 Flamethrower projects an ignited stream of flammable liquid at high pressure. Consisting of low-octane gasoline and an unidentified component indigenous to Helghan, this form of Napalm is extremely effective for clearing out enemy trenches and bunkers.
The VC1 Flamethrower was originally designed for Killzone: Liberation for the PSP (picture above). It was a tiny 3D model of the weapon with its own particle effects. For Killzone 2, a new high-detail model was created. The particle effects were also recreated from scratch to achieve the proper level of ‘Hollywood realism’.
Senior Artist Elco Vossers explains: “Many games simulate gas-based flame throwers, but ours is liquid-based. We studied footage of real-life liquid-based flame throwers, such as those used in Vietnam, to come up with the right look. We even employed different particle effects for the first-person view and the third-person view. Because we noticed projected flames look very different when you’re standing behind them.”
The effect also requires quite a bit of processing power. “It consists of many effects layers overlapping each other,” Elco continues. “One layer contains the liquid, another contains the flames, yet another contains separate sparks, and so on. On top of that the Flame Thrower also spews forth invisible particles, which ignite and cause flames when they connect with a flammable object.”
CORDITE: THE BOLTGUN 4400
Also known as "The Handyman", the semi-automatic Boltgun 4400 can be picked up in the Arctower Landing map. It uses Cordite to propel metal bolts at an extremely high velocity, often pinning its targets to walls and other objects. In addition, each round contains a time-delayed explosive charge – so if impalement doesn't finish the target off, the ensuing explosion will.
The Boltgun is a spiritual successor to the crossbow from Killzone: Liberation. But of course it needed a completely new design. “The Boltgun had to look really grimy and functional,” Tobias Wanke recalls. “The background story was that it used to be an industrial tool – the Helghast were simply abusing it as a weapon.”
The Helghast weren’t the only ones using the Boltgun 4400 for unintended purposes. Even at the earliest stages of in-game testing, when a mockup model for the weapon had yet to be implemented, Guerrilla employees were using its bolt-firing abilities in unforeseen ways. Ultimately, the physical properties of the bolts had to be altered so players could no longer use them as rungs to climb out of the level geometry…
NAPALM & CORDITE – AN EXPLOSIVE COCKTAIL
Both of these weapons radically alter the Killzone 2 multiplayer dynamic, delivering an experience that’s as fresh as it is intense. If you’re a veteran Killzone 2 online player looking to mix it up, or if you simply liked wielding these weapons in the single player campaign, Napalm & Cordite is your ticket. Look for it in the PlayStation Store from July 23!