Hands-on with 'Killzone: Shadow Fall'

Brett Molina | USA TODAY

Guerrilla Games, developers behind the PlayStation first-person shooter Killzone, have always been known to experiment with new console technology.

Players recall twisting wheel valves using the SixAxis motion controls on the PlayStation 3 title Killzone 2, followed by their impressive use of 3-D in sequel Killzone 3.

For the PlayStation 4 game Killzone: Shadow Fall, developers take a crack at the controller's new Touchpad by giving players a new companion to assist them in their battle against the Helghast.

Players will have full command of a drone called the OWL, sending over commands such as Attack, Defend or Hack with simple Touchpad swipes.

The Touchpad controls felt easy to access, as I made simple thumb swipes left, right, up and down to issue orders to the OWL.

As for the world of Shadow Fall, the game takes place 30 years after Killzone 3, with the Vektan and Helghast factions living in harmony until recent events stir up a new conflict.

Based on a brief demo of Shadow Fall, the campaign feels a lot more tactical. The mission required me to seek out the rest of my squad trapped near the crash site of a huge space vessel. The environment felt more open compared to earlier games, and heavily guarded, as I approach my first goal of shutting down alert stations and quietly sneaking past the Helghast.

The combat still feels like textbook Killzone, although I did need a minute to adjust to the new controls, which move shooting to the newly-designed L2 and R2 buttons on the PS4 controller.

The demo at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo was brief, but promising. Shadow Fall looks gorgeous, sporting dense foliage and massive, highly-detailed structures. It also showcased some thrilling firefights with smart, aggressive enemies.

Killzone: Shadow Fall is expected to launch with the PS4 later this year.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @bam923.