XBox Live Demos
The truth is one the best parts of XBox live is the sheer quantity of demos for download. I have a hard time spending more then a few hours with a game so often these demos are all I really crave, and more importantly I get to check out what games I like before spending money on them. Project Sylpheed is a great example of an excellent game that got bad reviews, just because the people writing the reviews apparently shared no love for X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter back in the day. So anyways with several of my friends and family finally joining the Xbox Live Nation here is my list of Xbox Live Demos NOT to be missed.
Ace Combat 6 - If you like complex combat flight sims this game is amazing, and if you just sort of like those games this demo is great, a straight up dogfight over a beautifully rendered city, it's truly amazing at low altitudes.
Bioshock - Without a doubt the best Demo on XBOX live. When the demo was released I quadrupled my reserves for this game. It basically allow you to play through the first level with some items moved around from the real game. It will knock your socks off. Be warned playing this demo will force you to buy the real game.
Bladestorm - This is a new Demo and I put it up because it takes what Dynasty and Samurai warriors did and really pushes it to the next level. Now instead of just controlling yourself and having bodyguards you take control of full combat units and give them commands. In addition it takes place during the French English 100 year war and you play as Mercenary who can jump sides to whomever is paying you more. The voice acting is a bit bland but the game play is the first game I've ever played that does unit combat on the ground level right.
Blue Dragon - Chances are this is all the Japanese RPG you'll ever need as the demo is quite long. The music is a bit of a mixed fair but this is the most flawless execution of turn based combat I have ever seen. Give it up for the Chrono Trigger team.
Call of Duty 4 - It's not up yet, but when it is DO NOT miss this game. BTW I believe the PC demo IS up so all you PC gamers should check this out.
Crackdown - Another excellent demo. They basically give you a full third of the game world to play around in and you level up at an accelerated rate. This game is so much fun, it's not a great game, but it IS very fun to play. if your the kind of person who likes to ignore the missions and Grand Theft Auto and just mess around this game was made for you, there is no real story just a list of people for you to kill at your leisure. If you do need more in the way of story then the demo is all you'll ever need, experience the fun and be done with it.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam - At last a game that gets Gundam right. It never made sense in Dynasty Warriors that your character was somehow super powered and could plow through hundreds of soldiers unscathed. In Gundam in makes PERFECT sense and they get the abilities of each Gundam done well and the Characters act exactly as you would expect. The story is a bit of a stretch but it's really just an excuse to let all the different ages of Gundam interact with each other and it works well.
Eternal Sonata - The best Japanese RPG on the 360 until Lost Odyssey and Last Remnant both hit. The combat system is very tactics based which some will love and others will hate so play the demo first, if nothing else than to see cell shading done correctly.
Lego Star Wars II - It's silly but it's also super fun, and the perfect game to play co-op with a kid. Their are so many inside jokes about the series even in just the demo that it's worth playing just for those.
Lost Planet - This demo is excellent, unfortunately the demo is so good that the full game doesn't really offer much more then extra levels. I say download the demo, beat it and be done with it. Grappling Hooks rule!
Overlord - Did you like Pikmin? If you did this game is for you, and if not check this demo anyways, it's a mix of action and puzzle solving where your a ruthless overlord sending worthless minions to their untimely demise. The humor of this game is fabulous.
Party Animals - Mariokart + Marioparty done with Rare's creative style to somehow make it feel all new anyways. Need I say more?
PGR4 - So Forza is awesome if you want realism, but if you just want to race cool cars real fast this demos is great. The demo is deep too so you may never need to pick up the full title.
Phantasy Star Universe - So as far as I can tell this is like the full game or maybe just the first episode of the full game but either way there is a lot of game here, too bad I couldn't figure what i was supposed to do because the world is so confusing. It's basically PSO but with more... maybe too much more.
Project Sylpheed - X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter gamers, Wing Commander gamers, I call you all back into the console fold with an excellent game complete with a compelling emo story done by Square Enix. Download the demo, either you'll think it's to complicated for you, or you will be in love. If only there was multiplayer, luckily it retails at $40.
Rainbow Six Vegas - Best First Person Shooter out there, until Call of Duty 4.
Skate - In Tony Hawk you can skateboard on powerlines. In skate it takes work just to pull of a 360 ollie off a ramp, or grind and land safely. What makes this game amazing is dead-on controls and a perfect physics engine. How perfect? The developers are still finding new tricks you can do, since the game doesn't use pre-rendered animations, it just mimics the actual physics of a Skater on a Deck.
Stranglehold - We always dreamed of John Woo doing a video game. This game is a PERFECT John Woo translation, the downside is you realize some things don't, or shouldn't be translated from film to game, and they work against the game, but the demo is all you'll need for some bullet time perfection.
Simpsons - OH MY GOSH this game is funny. Instead of trying to make a game tied to the movie they made a game that does nothing but make fun of games. It's camera is a bit spotty but the game really does look like your in a Simpsons cartoon and the demo is a spoof on Shadow of the Colossus. RAY, not to be missed.
Of the retail games those are the best Demos, now keep in mind there is plenty of games not listed on here that are great games but the demos are sub-par (Katamari) or non existent (Gears) and some of these games aren't great but the demos are fabulous (Crackdown).
I think my next list will be XBox Live titles. SETTLERS OF CATAN!
Ace Combat 6 - If you like complex combat flight sims this game is amazing, and if you just sort of like those games this demo is great, a straight up dogfight over a beautifully rendered city, it's truly amazing at low altitudes.
Bioshock - Without a doubt the best Demo on XBOX live. When the demo was released I quadrupled my reserves for this game. It basically allow you to play through the first level with some items moved around from the real game. It will knock your socks off. Be warned playing this demo will force you to buy the real game.
Bladestorm - This is a new Demo and I put it up because it takes what Dynasty and Samurai warriors did and really pushes it to the next level. Now instead of just controlling yourself and having bodyguards you take control of full combat units and give them commands. In addition it takes place during the French English 100 year war and you play as Mercenary who can jump sides to whomever is paying you more. The voice acting is a bit bland but the game play is the first game I've ever played that does unit combat on the ground level right.
Blue Dragon - Chances are this is all the Japanese RPG you'll ever need as the demo is quite long. The music is a bit of a mixed fair but this is the most flawless execution of turn based combat I have ever seen. Give it up for the Chrono Trigger team.
Call of Duty 4 - It's not up yet, but when it is DO NOT miss this game. BTW I believe the PC demo IS up so all you PC gamers should check this out.
Crackdown - Another excellent demo. They basically give you a full third of the game world to play around in and you level up at an accelerated rate. This game is so much fun, it's not a great game, but it IS very fun to play. if your the kind of person who likes to ignore the missions and Grand Theft Auto and just mess around this game was made for you, there is no real story just a list of people for you to kill at your leisure. If you do need more in the way of story then the demo is all you'll ever need, experience the fun and be done with it.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam - At last a game that gets Gundam right. It never made sense in Dynasty Warriors that your character was somehow super powered and could plow through hundreds of soldiers unscathed. In Gundam in makes PERFECT sense and they get the abilities of each Gundam done well and the Characters act exactly as you would expect. The story is a bit of a stretch but it's really just an excuse to let all the different ages of Gundam interact with each other and it works well.
Eternal Sonata - The best Japanese RPG on the 360 until Lost Odyssey and Last Remnant both hit. The combat system is very tactics based which some will love and others will hate so play the demo first, if nothing else than to see cell shading done correctly.
Lego Star Wars II - It's silly but it's also super fun, and the perfect game to play co-op with a kid. Their are so many inside jokes about the series even in just the demo that it's worth playing just for those.
Lost Planet - This demo is excellent, unfortunately the demo is so good that the full game doesn't really offer much more then extra levels. I say download the demo, beat it and be done with it. Grappling Hooks rule!
Overlord - Did you like Pikmin? If you did this game is for you, and if not check this demo anyways, it's a mix of action and puzzle solving where your a ruthless overlord sending worthless minions to their untimely demise. The humor of this game is fabulous.
Party Animals - Mariokart + Marioparty done with Rare's creative style to somehow make it feel all new anyways. Need I say more?
PGR4 - So Forza is awesome if you want realism, but if you just want to race cool cars real fast this demos is great. The demo is deep too so you may never need to pick up the full title.
Phantasy Star Universe - So as far as I can tell this is like the full game or maybe just the first episode of the full game but either way there is a lot of game here, too bad I couldn't figure what i was supposed to do because the world is so confusing. It's basically PSO but with more... maybe too much more.
Project Sylpheed - X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter gamers, Wing Commander gamers, I call you all back into the console fold with an excellent game complete with a compelling emo story done by Square Enix. Download the demo, either you'll think it's to complicated for you, or you will be in love. If only there was multiplayer, luckily it retails at $40.
Rainbow Six Vegas - Best First Person Shooter out there, until Call of Duty 4.
Skate - In Tony Hawk you can skateboard on powerlines. In skate it takes work just to pull of a 360 ollie off a ramp, or grind and land safely. What makes this game amazing is dead-on controls and a perfect physics engine. How perfect? The developers are still finding new tricks you can do, since the game doesn't use pre-rendered animations, it just mimics the actual physics of a Skater on a Deck.
Stranglehold - We always dreamed of John Woo doing a video game. This game is a PERFECT John Woo translation, the downside is you realize some things don't, or shouldn't be translated from film to game, and they work against the game, but the demo is all you'll need for some bullet time perfection.
Simpsons - OH MY GOSH this game is funny. Instead of trying to make a game tied to the movie they made a game that does nothing but make fun of games. It's camera is a bit spotty but the game really does look like your in a Simpsons cartoon and the demo is a spoof on Shadow of the Colossus. RAY, not to be missed.
Of the retail games those are the best Demos, now keep in mind there is plenty of games not listed on here that are great games but the demos are sub-par (Katamari) or non existent (Gears) and some of these games aren't great but the demos are fabulous (Crackdown).
I think my next list will be XBox Live titles. SETTLERS OF CATAN!