1) Um, no, and if you mean ground zero then I didn't see that earlier, but I didn't look for it (wasn't actually sure where it was )
2) Seriously, it really doesn't seem small, it seems huge. I couldn't say though. I didn't really explore everything.
3) There most likely is but I don't think I saw any
4) It's simple at 1 star, pretty easy at 2 as well, but from 3 onwards it starts getting challenging. You'll most likely need to use a pay n spray to get rid of 3 or more stars, unless you can find an amazing place to hide (under one of the bridges is a train track, so neither cop cars or helicopters can get you there)
5) Yeah the cover system works really well. Hiding behind a car or a wall gives you great protection, so you can just turn round / get up to shoot when they reload.
The AI is so much better. You'll first notice this with pedestrians as they go about their business. Some will be eating food, reading news papers. You can bump into them and they drop their food and they get angry with you.
Cops are better, they'll take cover behind their cars if you shoot back at them, and start shooting if you reload or start to run away etc.
Is the food detailed also? Like if they drop the food it is an actual object that won't disappear through the ground.
I'm guessing the AI will be like, gangs would stay away from open areas to do whatever it is they're doing, business men walk faster to get to work and are most likely on cell phones, tourists walk slowly with cameras etc. What would happen if you followed a random ped? Would they call the cops for stalking or would they eventually end up in a location to do something?
I actually have heaps to ask but there's just a million questions popping up in my mind all at once so I'll just keep it simple.