Along with a few nit-pickings, my number one concern about buying a PS3 was the controller. It's clunky, it feels awkward in my hand and it's quite frankly dated. I get what they are doing, trying to make that the standard for the Playstation. But Sony need to realize that their controller was passable at best and a pain in the arse at worst.

Wait, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah, Killzone 2. I'll give them credit for not over-hyping this game like they did the original. Let's not beat around the bush; This isn't Halo, and all the press in the world isn't going to make it that. Maybe that's why I got the distinct feeling of Gears of War while playing. Y'know, without the penis-shaped characters and if the Locust were wearing cheap armor with strobe lights. That might sound like an insult, but it isn't. Gears is an over-the-top Hollywood movie in a video game, and sometimes that's a great thing. Killzone 2 seems to be going for that same feeling, and assuming the story is nice and simple with some great action, I'll be sound.

First thing's first though, the demo. Getting straight into it was awkward. Like I'd said, I'd never played an FPS on a Sony console before, so getting used to the sticks was a challenge. They start you out simple, telling you how to crouch, fire, peek and reload (But never run oddly enough). After a while I was mowing down Helghast (That is how you spell it right?) with ease. The controls feel like a mix between COD4 and Halo, with the face buttons doing what you'd expect (Jump, reload, switch weapon and action), and the shoulder buttons feeling odd in their placement (L2 to crouch, L1 to melee, R2 for grenades and R1 for fire). If you are going to go through the trouble of attaching triggers to your new controller, at least use them to fire. You know, like pulling a fucking trigger on a gun?

But I degress. I was moving along nicely when I came to a standstill. A section of the demo asks you to blow up a bridge to clear out enemies. What, blow up that massive concrete bridge with my poxy rifle? I started shooting the guards on top but they kept spawning back. Then I went to look for something to use against the bridge only to find guards on a barrier above us firing down at me. I died twice looking for a rocket launcher one of the guards so luckily had before he bit the bullet (...), and unloaded into the bridge.

...Nothing happened...

Oh, you mean I have to fire at that giant red tank thing on top of the bridge? This is pretty much exactly what is wrong with Killzone 2 from the brief (Very brief) time I'd spent with it. Many of the games objectives aren't clearly laid out for you. A section later asks you to open a flood gate for the rest of the troops to pass through. I spent a few minutes looking for it, searching every room. Admittedly it was a small area and I found it quick, but I can see this becoming a nuisance in the future. Pressing Select simply tells you your objective, offering no insight into how to complete it. Halo at least had the courtesy to bring up a giant arrow if you ever got lost. No such thing here, the game just assumes you'll know where to go. And if not, well, tough shit.

That's really the only bad experience I had with the demo. Killing those ragdoll enemies feels incredibly gratifying, especially with grenades. The bodies spaz out in the air while they fall, and it just look hilarious. Speaking of how the game looks, and I know you all already expect this, but it does look gorgeous. Blood-stained walls after killing some bad guys, beautiful set-pieces being blown to smithereens, impressive and smooth character models. There's no slacking here. It really is one of if not the best game I've ever seen graphically. I just hope the game offers up enough unique scenes to really show off what they've done.

Overall, it's a short demo, it can get frustrating, but it's one every PS3 owner needs to play. I was already buying Killzone 2 before this was released. But getting my hands on the gameplay and getting used to the mechanics and engine has only made me want it more.