Game Update 12: PSN Demos 5

Demos demos demos.

Afro Samurai - Quickly wore out its welcome. Adequate sword fighting but little else.

Age of Booty - Cute, simple, entertaining strategy game. Didn't get to see much of it at a high level.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Demo showed a cool mix of stealth and combat while everyone in the world's gone apeshit over it. I'm generally averse to licensed games, but I might try this one.

Battlefield 1943 - I forgot to play this before the servers for the demo were shut down or abandoned, so I could only screw around in the tutorial. Still, pretty cool recreation of a good older game with newer game conventions.

The Bigs 2 - Goofy take on baseball, was perplexing at first but I think I got a handle on it by the end of the demo. Still, I don't see the point of a game that's so counter to what's good about the sport.

Brutal Legend - Let's mosh it up. Like Tim Schafer's last game, seems like a competent if unexceptional entry in its genre elevated by the humor and presentation. I wonder how all the different elements will fit together in the final product.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena - Interesting but difficult first person game, less about shooting in the demo area than sneaking around. Somewhat intriguing.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - Like the original, seems fun and a little spooky in alternation, but maybe less essential.

F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn - I don't think I've ever seen a demo for DLC for a disc game before. More FEAR, though the change in perspective to the other side is interesting.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game - Seemed like a unique third person shooter with a cool take on the conventions and the added bonus of the enjoyable characters and world of the series.

inFAMOUS - Much more of a shooter than I expected, just with a different sort of weapon. Lightning powers are cool, difficulty seems uneven though.

Killzone 2 - Pretty incredible looking game, and like the original it's fun to play but won't light a fire under your pants.

Lost Planet 2 - After failing to connect to a game after several tries for no discernible reason, I played on my own, which made it a bit of a chore. So many little things about it and the original just make the overall experience a lot worse than the sum of its parts.

MLB 09: The Show - Didn't convince me I needed to spend money on the series two years in a row, but still a high quality baseball sim.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift - The second demo for the game. Still seemed like a frantic, interesting racing game.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 - I had some fun playing this, but somehow it did the opposite of convince me to go back and finish the first Sigma. Will I ever? Analysts are skeptical.

Overlord II - I don't know if it's the demo or me, but I didn't really get much out of this. I'm not convinced the light strategy elements ever amount to anything truly interesting.

Red Faction: Guerrilla - Could be a ton of fun just running around destroying crap in this world. Demo is more directed, but gives you a taste of the meh shooting and awesome destruction.

Resident Evil 5 - Basically Resident Evil 4 with a partner, no pausing in the inventory, and better graphics. Tough but enjoyable.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate - Take the annoying snark of the movie and replace the dumb action sequences with standard third person cover-based shooting with a couple new tricks. Not bad.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh - Stupid comic-style cut scenes, boring gameplay. Some of the combos and finishers look pretty brutal but that's about it.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh Part 2 - Stupid comic-style cut scenes, boring gameplay. Some of the combos and finishers look pretty brutal but that's about it.

WET - Eliza Dushku stars in a game that is all style, no substance. Some of the tricks to the shooting weren't terrible but every aspect of the design is boring and contrived.

Wheelman - Over the top, somewhat like the Grand Theft Auto style of gaming but more focused on its lackluster driving. Vin Diesel is starring in video games now.

Wipeout HD - For some reason this seems to have vanished from the store, but it's a nice-looking, fun racer.

Wolfenstein - What is it it about first person shooters this generation that makes wet rocks look so weird? Game seemed non-terrible otherwise, special powers might elevate it past totally mediocre.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Hilariously violent, game is a pretty heavy rip-off of a certain other deadly action series. Not sure how well it would hold up, though.

Zuma - Simple puzzle games yay!