Killzone 3 open beta starts February 2nd or 3rd (depending on what zone of killing you're in)

Killzone 3 is bringing its particular brand of first-person shooting (the "killing in a zone" brand, we presume?) to retailers in North America and Europe on February 22 and 23, respectively. Unfortunately for those of you who reside in the zone of killing known as Europe, the upcoming "beta" gives North American players the same one-day lead, according to the regional arms of the PlayStation Blog family.

For 12 days beginning February 2 in North America, all PlayStation 3 owners will be able to download the "open beta" (read: demo) and treat themselves to stereoscopic 3D, Move support, and access to just one map, titled "Frozen Dam." Inside that one map, you'll at least be able to try out all three online multiplayer modes – 16-player "Guerrilla Warfare," 24-player "Warzone," and 16-player "Operations" – in addition to the bot-based, offline mode cleverly titled "Botzone." Because it's Killzone ... with bots.

But look on the bright, less-killy side, Europe: When North America's open beta access cuts off on February 14, you'll still have one more full day of jetpack-enabled fun. While you wait, take a look at the latest multiplayer video after the break, showing off killstreaks in the game.