Prodemo

[used44]

I just finished Enslaved: Odyssey to The West and I was thinking, I never would have played this game if it was not for enjoying the heck out of the demo a few months back (it also helped that I got it for $25).

I had seen favorable previews/reviews for Enslaved, but I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. I had no familiarity with Heavenly Sword, so it was pretty well below my radar.

Then I played that demo, and it propelled the game to a must-have for me. So charming. Have demos ever positively changed your outlook toward a gam like that?

P.s. Negatively changing your opinion of a game happens too. I played the Majin demo, a game I was really looking forward to, and now, meh.

 

[Green_Lantern]

Enslaved seemed cool until I tried the demo...Then it was meh...

The most recent demos I can think of that made me like a game more than I had originally thought though would have to be the trail version of Costume Quest....Didn't really know what to expect before trying it out, but found out it was totally awesome.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Let's start with the bad.

Con: Uncharted
This is seriously the worst demo when compared to the finished product. I remember playing this demo and thinking: Lame. I ended up avoideing this game for a long time until a couple of you talked it up. And I really enjoyed it and it's sequel. Unfortunately, it's a game that is completely enjoyable because of the characters the intrigue and the story, and they don't show any of it off. Instead they give you some rinse-repeat shooting a cutscene and the promise of more for only $60.

Pro: Valkyria Chronicles
I know we laud this game a ton around here, but this game won me over with it's fairly limited demo. I love tactic games and at the same time it had the third-person movement and the first-person shooting. It just had such a fresh feel and I ended up loving every minute of it and bought it shortly after release (something I rarely do). To be completely honest, if I had never played that demo I probably never would have heard of or played that game.

Demos are one of those things that has to be soooo nerve-wracking for a company. What if you give out a bad demo and drive off consumers? What if you're relying on that thing to pull in consumers? I mean, you can put that "this doesn't represent the finished product" screen in the biggest, boldest script you want, but let's face it, you only get to make ONE first impression.

Heavy Rain was one of those demos that killed my "must have" drive. I ended up getting it and enjoying it, but that demo should've set up the story more-like a trailer for a movie-instead of just showing us two levels.

 

[De-Ting]

Con: Uncharted
This is seriously the worst demo when compared to the finished product. I remember playing this demo and thinking: Lame. I ended up avoideing this game for a long time until a couple of you talked it up. And I really enjoyed it and it's sequel. Unfortunately, it's a game that is completely enjoyable because of the characters the intrigue and the story, and they don't show any of it off. Instead they give you some rinse-repeat shooting a cutscene and the promise of more for only $60.

Oh Reginald... I DISAGREE!

The demo for Jolly Rover was actually half the game, and the first demo released for Undead Knights on the PSP was actually the entire game itself. I have, I just don't have enough space to download it.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

What? De-Ting, keep in mind that I love that series. That demo sucks and I'm not alone. I've had to beat several friends over the head to borrow those games so to convince them that Brett is not crazy. And every single one of them (three) cited that demo as the reason for lack of interest.

 

[used44]

Oh, Brutal Legend. I wouldn't have bought it without that demo.

 

[De-Ting]

I love the game too, Bret. But the demo was an excellent cliffhanger in that the level you play doesn't give away anything big and lets you use several of the game's key mechanics, while other levels would have revealed too much or too little of the story and/or had more condensed combat and traversal options.

That level is awesome, no matter what you and your homos thought about it.

That's the right word, right? Homos? Man friends? Guys you do stuff with?

 

[madster111]

The Heavy Rain demo was a piece of shit and made me have bad doubts about spending my cash on it.

Mirrors Edge demo almost drew me in, until i started reading reviews and such and finding out how bad it really is.

Also, the demo for soldiers of fortune back in the day had the gore permanantly set to off. Only until a friend showed me it on his PS2 did i finally get it.

 

[used44]

I know what you mean about Mirror's Edge. Played the demo, thought it was interesting, then rented the game and quickly realized it sucks.

 

[Kijan]

I know what you mean about Mirror's Edge. Played the demo, thought it was interesting, then rented the game and quickly realized it sucks.

I wanted that game to succeed!

 

[Bretimus_v2]

First person just doesn't work in certain game types.