Killzone 2 deploys February 27

As outlined in GameSpot's recent hands-on preview, Killzone 2 is shaping up to be one of the most visually impressive games on the PlayStation 3. And it had better, if it has any hope of living up to the highly controversial prerendered video created for Sony's E3 2005 press conference that was originally purported to be in-game footage.

Soon, gamers will have a chance to move beyond the visuals to find out just how well it plays. On G4's X-Play last night, Guerrilla's managing producer Kyle Shubel announced that Killzone 2 will be available for Sony's PS3 on February 27. The game had been slotted in for a February release since May, after a string of delays stretching back to 2007.

Killzone 2 continues the story established first in the 2004 PlayStation 2 game, and then extended with Killzone: Liberation for the PSP in 2006. Whereas humanity has thus far been primarily on the defensive against the invading Helghast army, Killzone 2 sees the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance launch an assault on the Helghan home world.

As is customary of current-generation shooters, Killzone 2 will feature a variety of modes, including online multiplayer. Up to 32 players will be supported in the online mode across eight different maps. According to the developer, a number of other maps are being prepped for release postlaunch.

For more on Killzone 2, check out GameSpot's extensive previous coverage.