Killzone 2 information has been thin on the ground throughout the game's development. However, Sony and Guerrilla Games threw PlayStation fans a bone yesterday when they not only gave media a chance to play the game, but finally ended speculation around its ship date. An intended February 2009 ship date in Europe was confirmed during the Sony keynote address. SCEE representatives at the game's booth were quick to point out that they could have had the game on shelves this year but chose not to in the face of stiff competition from other AAA titles, including Gears of War 2.

Not surprisingly, the line to play the game was long. Although the game was tucked away in a difficult-to-access booth, the perforated walls made it easy to get a glimpse at the code being shown, long before a controller was in your hands. We were told the level in the demo came from around 15 minutes into the single-player campaign, and it sees you needing to assist pinned-down Interplanetary Strategic Alliance units after they've been shot down. You, too, are forced to the ground after being hit by what looked to be a laser attack. You're then thrown straight into the action, gun in hand.