First of all, let me mention were I stand at Killzone 2 so far.  I wasn't particularly "excited" about this game because I was pretty skeptical based on the performance of the first Killzone; yea the graphics were kick ass, but I needed to know what was inside this beautifully packaged present before I jumped on the Killzone 2 party boat. So after reading A LOT of reviews and related media on the game, I am happy to say that I am "aboard".  This download is about 1.4 gigs and after said download, be sure to listen to its adrenaline pumping music before loading it up.

Just to get this out of the way as quickly as possible, these graphics are amazing; the shadowing and lighting effects are one of the best I've ever seen and textures are very detailed. The actual demo isn't long and cuts you off at a point that does what a demo is supposed to do... have you craving for more.

Before jumping into the actual action though, you might want to fiddle around with the controls. At first, I changed the button layout to the "Alternate 2", and if you've played it, is a lot like Call of Duty 4.  I soon found out that this is not going to work.  You must always hold down the cover button to take cover and in Alternate 2, cover is L2 and zoom is L1, so it is very uncomfortable.  Eventually, I just went back to the default controls and they work well once you get used to them.  What I do recommend on changing however, are the game's sensitivity settings.  Your character moves left, right, up and down fairly slowly and this through me off a bit.  I set the X and Y-axis sensitivity three settings higher than the default, and so far that seems about perfect.

Action in this game is very thrilling, all kinds of confusion will be occurring in the world around you, and you will feel like a small part in a larger conflict.  The enemy AI isn't something to take lightly, and you will need to find cover and stick behind it waiting for an opening to pop out and lay down some fire on these fools, and trust me, these mutants will need more than just a couple shots to take down.  Your enemy is the Helghast, a group of "mutant" humans that want regular humans dead cause we're inferior or something.  You can shoot off their helmets to reveal their bare sculls, which led me to believe that these "mutants" have some sort of advanced cancer which caused the mutation and those helmets are actually portable chemotherapy machines that keep them alive and causes baldness as a side effect.  Theories aside, the firefights will have you ducking behind cover and constantly surveying your surroundings because the enemy will advance on your position instead of staying in fixed positions.  Grenades might also be something to point out, as if you are not paying attention, a grenade thrown by the enemy can be devastating, and the only indication of a grenade being close to you is the beeping noise that it makes when it's counting down to detonation.  Also be weary of throwing your own grenades as it seems that the time you have 'til explosion is less than on usual videogames.

This demo does everything a demo is supposed to, it gives you an exact feel of what the game will be, cuts you off in between the level which makes you whine for more and shows you a montage of great footage in slow-mo while revealing quotes form reviews.

First of all, let me mention were I stand at Killzone 2 so far.  I wasn't particularly "excited" about this game because I was pretty skeptical based on the performance of the first Killzone; yea the graphics were kick ass, but I needed to know what was inside this beautifully packaged present before I jumped on the Killzone 2 party boat. So after reading A LOT of reviews and related media on the game, I am happy to say that I am "aboard".  This download is about 1.4 gigs and after said download, be sure to listen to its adrenaline pumping music before loading it up.

Just to get this out of the way as quickly as possible, these graphics are amazing; the shadowing and lighting effects are one of the best I've ever seen and textures are very detailed. The actual demo isn't long and cuts you off at a point that does what a demo is supposed to do... have you craving for more.

Before jumping into the actual action though, you might want to fiddle around with the controls. At first, I changed the button layout to the "Alternate 2", and if you've played it, is a lot like Call of Duty 4.  I soon found out that this is not going to work.  You must always hold down the cover button to take cover and in Alternate 2, cover is L2 and zoom is L1, so it is very uncomfortable.  Eventually, I just went back to the default controls and they work well once you get used to them.  What I do recommend on changing however, are the game's sensitivity settings.  Your character moves left, right, up and down fairly slowly and this through me off a bit.  I set the X and Y-axis sensitivity three settings higher than the default, and so far that seems about perfect.

Action in this game is very thrilling, all kinds of confusion will be occurring in the world around you, and you will feel like a small part in a larger conflict.  The enemy AI isn't something to take lightly, and you will need to find cover and stick behind it waiting for an opening to pop out and lay down some fire on these fools, and trust me, these mutants will need more than just a couple shots to take down.  Your enemy is the Helghast, a group of "mutant" humans that want regular humans dead cause we're inferior or something.  You can shoot off their helmets to reveal their bare sculls, which led me to believe that these "mutants" have some sort of advanced cancer which caused the mutation and those helmets are actually portable chemotherapy machines that keep them alive and causes baldness as a side effect.  Theories aside, the firefights will have you ducking behind cover and constantly surveying your surroundings because the enemy will advance on your position instead of staying in fixed positions.  Grenades might also be something to point out, as if you are not paying attention, a grenade thrown by the enemy can be devastating, and the only indication of a grenade being close to you is the beeping noise that it makes when it's counting down to detonation.  Also be weary of throwing your own grenades as it seems that the time you have 'til explosion is less than on usual videogames.

This demo does everything a demo is supposed to, it gives you an exact feel of what the game will be, cuts you off in between the level which makes you whine for more and shows you a montage of great footage in slow-mo while revealing quotes form reviews.

I really have to agree with the AI statement. In my (so far only) first playthrough of the demo there was a point where I was pinned down in a corner of a battlefield. Right as the AI realized this, a grenade was thrown at me, causing me to run to to the only place I could, to the right. Right as I started to move, I realize that there where two other Helghasts that had flanked over to that side to cut me off and I was gunned down.
I have not seen tactics like that implemented so well since the first F.E.A.R.

Really? I found the cover system using Alternate 2 fine. Maybe that's because I hated having to click R3 to zoom though

Agree on the AI too. On one occassion I actually had an enemy sneak up behind my position and kill me. I was like "WTF?!" until I realised what had actually happened.

They do some silly things mind but the AI as a whole is far superior to pretty most games I've played.

"Really? I found the cover system using Alternate 2 fine. Maybe that's because I hated having to click R3 to zoom though"

Just imagine them to be clones of Darth Vader instead. Much easier.

i thought the AI was impressive. I mean, lets compare it to COD4. its way better than that...that game got away with soooo much simply because the online was so addictive, KZ2 however is being ridiculously scrutinize. i CAN"T BELIEVE i keep seeing in reviews that there are some bad textures here and there in the game. but i shouldn't whine the reviews have been spectacular across the board. 

"Just imagine them to be clones of Darth Vader instead. Much easier."