Case zero is out! Only 400 MS points. One could argue and cry foul that its a "paid demo", but the content in here is really solid, and its totally separate from the DR2 retail release. The story is set three (?) years before the events in DR2, and details Chuck Greene and his daughter Katey trying to make their escape to Vegas.
Even just a basic run through the "story" part of Case Zero takes a good hour and a half, and when you include all the side mission and item-combining stuff I think the content more than justifies the price. You even carry your progress (capped at level 5) into DR2 when the real game cames out!
The gameplay hasn't strayed too far from the original game, you still have time limits on objectives, and increase your character's level by gaining PP. The points where the game saves (at the end of Cases) seem to come a bit more frequently, although I"m not sure if this is a change for the game overall or just because of Case Zero's shorter length. Regardless, it does help ease the frustration of death that was a problem for some players in DR1. The game still gives you the opeion to restart the game when you die, retaining all your levels and money, and honestly this is sometimes the best way to go about things. Like DR1, you simply have to face the facts that you CAN NOT do everything the first time through, and you will die at some point and have to sacrifice your progress to get a "leg up" on the start of the game again. Embracing this fact will make the game a lot more enjoyable.
The biggest changes in gameplay are in the aiming controls (now more in line with modern 3rd person shooters than the janky shit DR1 had) and the replacement of the photo mechanic with combining items. The item combinations are always clever and actually useful for wreaking havoc on the undead. Think "electric rake", "drill bucket", or my favorite "beer hat".
There's also multiple endings to the demo, and some fun achievements to bust out. I say give it a shot!
