The First Hit Is Free: The 10 Most Surprising Demos In Gaming

If there's one thing gaming and hip-hop have in common, it's that the right sample can make a hit.

Video games are by no means cheap these days, so gamers usually play it safe by copping familiar franchise entries. But what about those titles that are more fun than you could have guessed? You know you've overlooked a release just because it flew under your AAA radar, and we're sure you've also copped your fair share of late passes when catching up on great games that developed cult followings. Thanks to the genius workings of Xbox Live Arcade andPlayStation Network, samples of upcoming and already-released titles are a dime a dozen these days—or, rather, a free a dozen. Before taking the plunge, have a go with a game demo and judge for yourself. It's safer to sample a game's single campaign stage or beta mulitplayer then pay for the full experience without knowing what you're getting beforehand. And over the years, there have been some doozies that pushed us off the fence and into must-buy mode. Join us as we get our 15 minutes of fun in with 10 game demos that convinced us to buy a game we might have missed...
By Elton R. Jones


10. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (360/PS3/Wii, 2010)

Complex Says: Bright colors, animal mascots, power-ups, oh my! Sounds like the perfect excuse to create a franchise kart racing game. Sonic and all his homeboys (and haters) are in tow here for a quick circuit around the Lost Palace in Seaside Hill. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this was a Mario Kart knock-off at first glance, but the quick demo race proved otherwise. It's fast, it's fun, it's loud, and it's addictive as hell.
Demo Score: 79
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Damn straight. The three laps of mayhem we got on the demo track turned out to be more of the same fun we'd later play in the full version. Family night just got real...and maybe a tad too bright.

9. Dead Space (360/PS3, 2008)

Complex Says: Any demo that has the word "dismemberment" centered in the intro screen has us automatically intrigued. Dead Space's creepy ambience and alien gorefest gunplay took us completely by surprise the first time we gave it a whirl. Walking through dark and dingy hallways with a gun that can subtract limbs from aliens = a damn good time. A lot of gamers assumed it would be a Resident Evil 4 copycat, but minds were changed.
Demo Score: 83
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Smell that? It's the scent of another multi-million-dollar IP out of EA.

8. The Darkness (360/PS3, 2007)

Complex Says: Top Cow Productions' famed comic book franchise finally got a vidja game! The Darkness demo let us live out the frantic scenes of the game's opening minutes. We played frightened passenger in the back seat of a car with insane mafia bosses at the wheel, then the true fun began after we crashed and burned. Turns out that voice in your head is hella evil...but good for enemy torment. Laying fools down with firearms and demon tentacles was too much fun to pass up.
Demo Score: 85
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Yep. The finished product provided a fun first-person experience with a good story to boot. The multiplayer was ignored like a fat cheerleader, but the game still got its props after release. Since we know we're getting a sequel, we're on the lookout for that demo as well. Give in to the Darkness—Rick James. #fakedrake

7. The Club (360/PS3, 2008)

Complex Says: First rule of The Club: you always speak of the club. Otherwise, you'll be doing this underrated shooter a diservice. Sega put out this sleeper hit a few years ago, and we're kinda sad that it didn't get much love from the gaming masses. Our hands-on time with the demo gave us a quick hit of third-person shootouts with plenty of baddies to blast and multipliers to rack up. We shot, we ran, we smiled. The quick pace of the gameplay made this one end for us a little too soon, we think.
Demo Score: 87
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Yes and no. The demo was just the tip of the bullet-riddled iceberg. The full package came with a dope multiplayer mode that was perfect for a game like this. There was a crapload of violence and gun pr0n going on here—so why didn't it fly off the shelves on launch day? Your fault, America.

6. Vanquish (360/PS3, 2010)

Complex Says: Another underrated Sega shooter. See a pattern developing here? Vanuqish crapped all over the usual pre-conceptions of your typical third-person shooter and gave us this masterpiece. Your main avatar was outfitted with a super-suit capable of extra speed and lethal kicks. The bullet time? Awesome. The boost sliding? Incredible to watch. The one chapter level we got for the demo was chock full of "OH SNAP" moments that had us ready for the full game. 
Demo Score: 87
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Yes. It. Did. The excitement we expereinced off that one sample was not enough.Vanquish blew our minds. Each and every chapter was filled with insane gunplay, humongous bosses, and spectacular QTEs. We could have done without the horrible one-liners, though. "WE'RE GONNA TEAR THIS CAVE A NEW ASSHOLE!" No. Just...no.

6. Vanquish (360/PS3, 2010)

5. Splt/Second (360/PS3, 2010)

Complex Says: Split/Second was the answer to the unasked question, "What if Michael Bay made a racing game?" We're used to just driving  fast, making tight-ass turns and trying to place first; we never had to worry about exploding gas tankers or incoming jumbo jets before. The airport level we got to take a spin on had us on the edge of our seat. Our neighbors complained about the constant explosions, and we lost out on sleep ourselves...because we couldn't stop drifting through this demo.
Demo Score: 90
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Definitely. The complete game came with even more worthy stages filled with more close-call moments and rabid racers. Real talk, though, did that difficulty spike around the fourth episode or what? By that point, we were more worried about falling boulders than other drivers.

4. Bulletstorm (360/PS3, 2011)

Complex Says: The dream team of Epic Games and People Can Fly created something so crass yet lovable we thought it was a Garbage Pail Kid. Bulletstorm graced the cover of gaming mags last year, and we became understandably hyped about the whole thing. When the demo finally dropped, we were hooked. For the first time in years, we were rewarded for getting creative with the way we punished enemies. Giving us the option to lasso enemies toward us and kicking them in the chest, Leonidas-style, made us yearn for more. There is no natural high greater than the one that comes fom crushing multiple baddies with a disconnected train, just with the push of a button.
Demo Score: 93
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Consider this game worth all the hype. FPSes come a dime a dozen these days, so Bulletstorm had to do something totally different in order to stand out. And what did it end up being? A no-nonsense, balls-to-the-wall gorefest with dirty jokes and crazy gunplay. Get to shootin', dicktits!

3. Enslaved: Odyssey To The West (360/PS3, 2010)

Complex Says: And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the equivalent of a movie trailer—only this time it's playable. The opening moments of Enslaved serve to get us intrgued about the plight of our trapped friend who seemed to be taken hostage on a ship. As soon as he breaks free, the fun really began. And Monkey is, quite simply, a beast. Dude wields a metal staff that makes robotic enemies bend to his will and the type of parkour skills seen in an action flick. The final escape sequence was full of drama that were sad to see end when the demo was done. Great work, Ninja Theory.
Demo Score: 95
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Kiiiinda. The game turned out to be a fun romp through beautiful environments and a fulfilling adventure with lots of action. We actually gave a damn about the characters in a video game for once. But, the game was a too short, plus the ending had us all types of confused. This game had so much potential that even when it ultimately let us down, it was still a more than serviceable action-adventure title.

2. inFamous (PS3, 2009)

Complex Says: When we say this demo is big, we mean it. It's kinda weird seeing an open-world title get compressed down to 30 minutes of action, but the guys at Sucker Punch gave us a good morsel to enjoy. Playing the superhero (or supervillain, depending on your behavior and desicions) role in inFamous was a blast. We ran around town shocking punks with our electricity-fueled hands and jumping from the top of towering skyscrapers with ease. It's a Cole world, son!
Demo Score: 98
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Sure did. SONY had another hit on its hands, courtesy of the Sucker Punch team. Everything we got to experience in the the demo was a part of an even grander adventure. The game did so well that a sequel is set to hit stores this summer. Time to get our taser hands ready for some more shock and awe.

1. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (360/PS3, 2010)

Complex Says: You know a demo is good when gamers still have the joint saved to their hard drives months after release. It only gives you one stage and one mode, but did that stop the oncoming addiction for this classic? Nope! Pac-Man is as timeless and memorable as any other video game out there, and Championship Edition DX came with a bunch of new modes and playstyles that were upgraded from the last downloadable entry. A quick burst through the sample maze was good enough to make us come up off our hard-earned digital bucks.
Demo Score: 100
Did The Full Game Live Up To The Hype?: Ya think? Pac-Man got souped up with a new power goblet and kept on winning. The new stages were creative, the gameplay was frantic, and the music was catchy. The OG Wakka Wakka became even more fun. Still a must-cop.

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