I’m forever glad that Microsoft decided to incorporate demos into Xbox Live. I’ve bought several titles on Live and a few retail games that I would have passed on otherwise thanks to a demo. The ones that stand out gave a huge chunk of gameplay allowing me to figure out if it was for me. So now I make a habit of checking out all the new demos hitting the Live Marketplace. Here are a few games from this month so far.
Split/Second
Release Date: May 18th, 2010
Price: $60
Ever since this game was announced I started getting it mixed up with Blur. After a short play session I can see these games are the same kind of different; vehicular-combat has come to life again in the form of a fake television show. Yep. That is the premise. In Split/Second you work to fill a meter by drafting, jumping, and drifting around the track to trigger a Power Play. This allows you to blow up sections around the tracks in hopes of wrecking opponents. It works best when you’re not leading. When I was, I just felt like all I was doing was dodging attacks or getting wrecked. The demo track is visually stunning. I caught myself looking around a lot. The HUD is so minimalistic it feels invisible. What else could you expect from Black Rock Studio (who brought Pure to life)? It will be interesting to see the full retail product. I wonder what sort of online following this game ends up with. It has the ability to become quite a niche product despite being released around the same time as Blur. I hope they can co-exist. I sure hope my wallet doesn’t make me choose when I know that I want both.
Skate 3
Release Date: May 11th, 2010
Price: $60
I’ve been a sucker for skate games since the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 glory days. And since that franchise has sort of taken a different route, I’ve taken a shine to Skate. Having played the first two games, I feel like I know my way around them. They are very realistic and can be a lot of fun. On the flip side, they can be hard and annoying. All it takes is one challenge to mess it up. So I was sort of excited having read about the improvements and changes coming to Skate 3. The demo is a decent sampler of some of these tweaks. I like being able to select a difficulty that changes how realistic the game is. But, it just wasn’t very apparent in the area that you are given. The terrain is so flat with no ramps. You can “drop an object” but it doesn’t feel the same as a developer-crafted skatepark. Mission structure is familiar and improved. I like the ability to chain together objectives in a certain area without a lot of skating to find the spots. The Hall of Meat is back and more focused on destroying your skater than ever before. The game looks even better than before. Off board controls are a little bit improved. Bails look more authentic. My only complaints are in the areas you are given and that there is a time limit to the demo. Skate 2 did a wonderful job of placing you in a skatepark with a variety of terrain. Seems that should have carried over. And who wants to transport back to when you’re parents said “you only get to play for 20 minutes.” Lame. Regardless, I have high hopes for this one and I think that people will still see it as the superior skateboarding game.
Mega Man 10
Release Date: Out Now
Price: $10
I was never a big fan of the Mega Man games including those of the 8-bit era. They are relentlessly tough and I could never make it very far into the game without a ton of controller rage. I maybe spent less than fifteen minutes with Mega Man 10 and that tradition has continued into this release. But the demo does give you the new option to set the difficulty to “easy” making it playable to the average human. And it’s still not “easy” either. I’m not sure how it compares otherwise to Mega Man 9 (I only tried the demo when it released), but I’ve heard how it’s a little bit easier thanks to the new mode. Now for the positives, I do like the old school graphics and the feeling I get of something from gold age given a new life on Xbox Live. The music hits the spot too. This faithful reconstruction feels like something that could have been released in the late 1980’s. I’m sure there are fans out there who praise this release and want to say “thanks Capcom!”
Final Fight Double Impact
Release Date: Out Now
Price: $10
Who doesn’t love a good beat’em up? For me, this is my introduction to the Final Fight series since my brawler memories were more in tune with Golden Axe. Final Fight Double Impact is a remix of the first Final Fight for arcade. It has a unique look; when starting a game it looks as if you’ve stepped up to an arcade machine. So awesomely retro and looks wonderful running in HD. The gameplay is pretty standard for the genre and the series, just more things to reward your experience. The player unlocks extra content by completing challenges in the game (like concept art or comic pages). The system reminds me of the one in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection. You can also play Magic Sword, though it’s not available in the demo. The demo is basically the first level which gives enough time to figure out if this belongs in your collection. This is a prime example that screams for other games to be revived in a similar manner. What about Bad Dudes? Come on. Make it happen.
After Burner Climax
Release Date: Out Now
Price: $10
Another blast from the past! After Burner Climax is a re-release of the 2006 arcade flight game of the same name. Except now you can play it in the comfort of your own home. Note that swaying with the aircraft and dodging missiles from the couch is optional. From the beginning I was worried by the menu, it felt so dated. Yet the visuals are quite impressive. Aircraft models and landscapes look beautiful even if they are flying by at top speed. I also dug the cutscenes when you liftoff. Controls are easy to work but I found shooting down other planes tough. This on-rails flight shooter takes some getting used to. I never even got close to destroying half of the enemy planes. Stages are short and I wish there was a little more explanation going into each one. There seems to be a lot of potential here for a good time especially for fans of the series.
Lost Planet 2
Release Date: May 11th, 2010
Price: $60
Having not played the first Lost Planet, I will try to make an informative preview. This third-person shooter gives you a multiplayer demo that pairs you up with three other people. The basic goal is to take down the large salamander-looking boss. There is nothing else to the level. An ignorable tutorial in the form of a half dozen message boards as you enter the fight is all the help you get. For toys, there are mech suits and weapons littered around the arena that will help your odds of beating the monster. The basic guns feel kind of gimpy. Almost useless in this scenario. The mech suits are where the fun is. My first attempt with a partial group was met in failure. I was the only person left in the game and I got crushed. I was upset with how it went and was about to write the game off. But, a second attempt with a full group allowed us to kill the boss in under 5 minutes. Our team basically just kept hitting the weak points on the legs and when it opened its mouth until it collapsed. It would surely be a blast with 3 of your closest pals. Not sure how well this sort of game handles in single player even if you do have A.I. help. I do want to give the Lost Planet series a try, and I think this demo just added fuel to the fire. Maybe I’ll post another review for a game that has been out for a long time.
Last Word
If you’re sitting the fence on any of these games grab the demos. It’s free (if you’re a Gold subscriber) and a no-brainer. From this batch my picks are Split/Second, Skate 3, and Lost Planet 2. Granted I won’t get to buy these at release since my backlog is so long and filled with lots of high quality games. Sorry.
Tags: After Burner Climax, Blur, Final Fight Double Impact, Golden Axe, Lost Planet, Lost Planet 2, Magic Sword, Mega Man 10, Mega Man 9, Skate, Skate 2, Skate 3, Sonic'S Ultimate Genesis Collection, Split/Second
A Life of Gaming 