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[Update] Killzone: Shadow Fall Will Use Dedicated Multiplayer Servers For Some Functions
Those planning to pick up a PlayStation 4 on November 15 were dealt a couple of blows last week with the delays of Watch Dogs and Driveclub. Thankfully, there's some good news about one of the remaining first party exclusives.
Killzone: Shadow Fall game director Steven Ter Heide answers a number of questions in a post on the PlayStation Blog. Among his responses is a clear answer about the multiplayer aspect of Guerrilla's first-person shooter. "We are running with dedicated servers to handle the transfer of data between clients," Ter Heide says.
There are 22 weapons, most of which can be upgraded with attachments (unlocked by completing challenges). The game will eschew the now-typical experience and leveling system, with each completed challenging increasing a player's level by one.
Ter Heide also says that Guerrilla is working on a cooperative horde mode as post-launch support. Killzone: Shadow Fall should take about 10 hours to complete, and the touchpad will factor into the control scheme.
For more on Killzone: Shadow Fall, check out our coverage from Gamescom 2013.
Update: Readers have pointed out that Guerrilla's use of the term "dedicated servers" isn't entirely clear. In the case of Killzone; Shadow Fall, the multiplayer is a hybrid of peer-to-peer and dedicated (as explained in this older post on the PlayStation Blog). Essentially, Guerrilla will be using dedicated servers to augment a traditional peer-to-peer environment. One user will still be the host, but the infrastructure will help to mitigate slow connections and oppressive firewalls. Whether this works in practice as well as it sounds like it will in print is something we only have to wait three weeks to find out.
[Source: PlayStation Blog (1) (2)]
Our Take
Killzone: Shadow Fall is an important title for Sony, and getting the multiplayer right is crucial, especially since that feature is behind the paywall for the first time on a Sony console. While this isn't a true dedicated server situation, I'm hopeful that the solution Guerrilla is using will help eliminate lag issues.
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