GOONL!NE

4 years after that infamous trailer at E3 2005, Killzone 2 has finally launched in Europe, the UK and the US.

We wont know official numbers for the game till the second week of March when NPD publish the charts for February 2009 but SCEA has said that the pre-orders for the game tops that of any other big first party game such as Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue but no exact figures were given.

Meanwhile, SCEE has said pre-orders for the game were over 1 million which should see the game go to No. 1 in most EU countries including the UK.

SCEA have published a press release on today, read it after the jump.

Killzone 2 Now Available for the PLAYSTATION 3

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) announced today the North American launch of Killzone 2 exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system.

Developed by Guerrilla Games, the acclaimed development team that produced Killzone for PlayStation 2 and Killzone : Liberation for PSP (PlayStation Portable), Killzone 2 brings players back to the hostile fight between the ISA and Helghast army. Delivering a premier first-person shooter experience, Killzone 2 brings moments of tension and anxiety through fierce enemy battles along with some of the most advanced cinematic graphics available on the PS3 platform.

Recipient of six “Editor’s Choice Awards” including IGN, GamePro, and GameSpy, Killzone 2 is a post-modern futuristic military conflict inspired by 20th century warfare, submerging players in a world of chilling armed sieges and full-scale war against the evil Helghast army. Killzone 2 perfectly captures the intensity and mayhem of war as players assume the role of Sev, a hard-hitting member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, where they will find themselves on the dangerous Helghast homeland planet of Helghan.

“Since the first game play demonstration shown at E3 2007, Killzone 2 has remained one of the most anticipated title launches for 2009,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. “This immersive cinematic experience, coupled with studio-grade sound and top-notch visual effects, sets a new bar for first-person shooters and provides an unmatched gaming experience that can only be produced on PS3.”

With the battle of Vekta still fresh in memory, the ISA troops must traverse the hostile planet of Helghan on a mission to secure capital city, defeat the formidable Helghast troops, and capture the menacing Helghast leader, Emperor Visari. Players will be immediately thrown in to battle, experiencing a visceral combat experience with intense gameplay moments that will provide hours of challenging extensive single-player and multiplayer game play action.

The sheer amount of detail in Killzone 2 is an achievement that only Blu-ray Disc technology can provide, as the game would take up to three DVD discs to hold the same amount of content. Killzone 2 also boasts technological advantages such as the use of EDGE tools, a machine proprietorship developed by Guerrilla Games, which gives the game its striking character animation, flawless visuals, life-like environments, and seamless cut scenes. In the game, the Helghan world is stunningly lit with specular lighting, particle effects, and deferred rendering technology that truly brings to life the chilling post-modern, war-ridden world. Complete with studio-scale effects, including 7.1 surround sound audio that rivals Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster films, fully destructible environments, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, Killzone 2 delivers the ultimate next generation game play experience.

You can read our longly awaited review of the game right now, click here.