Okay, as you probably know by now, Killzone 2 is an absolutely massive game for the PlayStation 3. Sony have a lot riding on this game: it’s spent years in development, it’s been through trauma, criticism and delays, and it’s finally hit store shelves this past week to the relief of many a PS3 owner across the world.

Before we at SG jump into our massive plethora of coverage of the game,  we figured some quick first impressions would be a good idea for those of you who haven’t bought the game yet. And seriously, we mean first impressions: the first time you hold the game!

All because we care. Check out the our impressions of UK boxart over the jump…

As always with brand new, shrink-wrapped games, there’s a sterile smell some would almost call addictive; that ‘new’ smell you get with fresh games that makes you go ‘ahhhhahahh’ when you give it a good, long sniff….that’s not just me, right?

The front cover is very cool: the four main ISA soldiers of the game’s campaign mode are running in full-on buddy-boy macho-man mode, beneath the ever-watching eyes of a Helghast soldier. The logo dominates the third quarter of the box with the Sony & Guerilla logos and an unnecessarily massive 18 rating in the bottom left because Britain’s parents are stupid.

The rest of the front cover is ruined by a slab of overly-saturated red with some review text on it – OPM UK giving it 9/10 – and a great big stupid silver-blue sticker promoting the PSN. “INTENSE CUSTOMISABLE 32 PLAYER MATCHES”, it shouts; why couldn’t this be left to the back of the box instead of uglying up the front?

It’s there to ugly the back up too: “FIGHT YOUR WAY”, the PSN box shouts, without really saying what you’re fighting your way towards. The rest of the back is largely unassuming, with the usual blurb about the ‘brutal home world of the Helghast’ and all of that, along with some seemingly chosen-at-random screenshots. As if stupid British parents weren’t stupid enough already there’s another great big 18 along with a boldly-printed Contains strong bloody violence. Now seriously, don’t say we don’t warn you about games, Mr Daily Mail.

What about inside the box? Let’s go over the page…

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