Best place to get demos is usually GamersHell.
http://www.gamershell.com/download_10902.shtml The single-player is well worth playing (run in DX7 mode for speed).
The multi-player... has been dumbed down so the console folks can play in the same pool as the PC folks. Microsoft had *way* too much input on the design of the game.
Things that will drive you nutz:
- No sprint
- Separate grenade key (which dumbs down the tactical decision of "do I go for a grenade and make noise or risk being shot while I'm throwing the nade or do I stick with the weapon in-hand")
- Grenade indicators (eh? WTF?)
- No vehicles, maps are about the size of shoeboxes
- No cookable grenades unless you install server side mods
- Infinitely respawning enemies until you pass a checkpoint. Which is sad, because this was a key problem with the MoHAA single-player game. In fact, one of the early interviews with the old CoD team, they specifically mentioned that design shortcoming and said it wouldn't be used in CoD.
- Infinitely respawning allies. Which makes them cannon fodder, rather then AI actors that need to be assisted and protected.
- Grenades that drop like candy off of nearly every german that you kill in the single-player mission. In CoD, grenades were rare and you had to use them tactically as you progressed through the level. In CoD2, spam away!
Needless to say... I'm not a fan of COD2. IW went back to their MOHAA roots rather then staying true to the COD choices.