Xbox Live Demo roundup

There's been a lot of new demos out on Xbox Live Marketplace lately, some good, some bad. Some of them might end up saving you $60, since the demo could be craptacular, but you could also find yourself desperate for the full version. That's the whole mystery of the marketplace. Roll the dice and see what you think.
Eragon: (415.28MB) This game is only going to appeal to fans of the book and the upcoming film. The graphics are not what you'd call "pretty," and it feels as if the game was tossed together over a drunken weekend using old code found on a floppy disk in a dumpster outside of Electronic Arts. It plays like Lord of the Rings meets Knights of the Old Republic. You have a sword, a bow, Jedi-like magic powers, and face an onslaught of identical foes. You can call in a dragon for air support every now and then, almost like having a special Dragon-whistle. *TWEET* "Hey! Take out that SUV in front of me! Thanks, girl!" Now that would come in handy.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent: (702.31MB) No surprises here. It's the same old Splinter Cell that you've come to love or hate. Ubisoft could just start calling these games Splinter Cell: The Sequel and you'd get the drift -- although this one has some big changes to the multiplayer, new plot, still fun ... if you're into that sort of thing. Fire it up and and see what you think of the latest installment. Then go try out the next one down and see which one knocks your socks off. Double Agent is the biggest download of the group, so get one of the smaller ones first and let this load in the background while you get some game on.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas: (477.57MB) Can they make the titles to these games any longer, please? Soon it'll be crossover time and you'll have Tom Clancy's Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Old Republic Theft Auto to deal with. This is the second smallest download, barely ahead of Eragon, but it really manages to put the money where the megabytes are. This demo alone makes us want to pony up the money for the real things. Plus come on, Vegas, baby, Vegas.
F.E.A.R.: (542.72MB) And then there was F.E.A.R -- an explosive ballet of destruction, clone commandos and kicking evil little girls in the head. In slow-mo. What more can you ask for in a free demo?
What demos have you been checking out? We wanna hear about it.





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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pauly D @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:06PM
Eragon sucked the big one -- I downloaded, played for 2 minutes, then deleted it. The Fusion Frenzy 2 demo is horrible also. But the Saints Row demo is pretty sweet and they let you play a good portion of the game.
gombard @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:13PM
Was super impressed with Rainbow Six demo. Was most likely going to get this anyways, but after playing the demo, almost as hyped for this as i am for Gears of War. Definite buy.
TheH2s @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:23PM
THP8 = best demo on marketplace right now.
lets just put the gun down and we go get me those fries @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:27PM
those demos suck
big time
Joe @ Nov 4th 2006 9:05PM
LSW2:OT- Got a few minutes in- confusing, doesn't tell you what to do. Fun diversion, but not too great.
Fuzion Frenzy Why's There A Second One- Crash-Bash, six years later. Same controls- SUCKS.
Sonic The Hedgehog- I figured it'd either be a rebirth of Sonic or many jumps into oblivion due to bad camera and controls. Guess which one it was?
BillyBastion @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:36PM
What theme is being used in the picture with this post? How do I get my dashboard to look that cool?
Wulkar @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:30PM
Wheres tonyhawks project 8?
Marc @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:48PM
The demos for rainbow six and Tony Hawks 8 both did thier job perfectly, IE: got me excited about a game that otherwise i would've ignored completely.
Eragon on the other hand had almost the complete oposite effect,that game is just horrible.
But the biggest letdown of recent live demos still has to be sonic the hedgehog, i wanted to like that game so so much. I wanted it to be a return to form for my favourite corporate mascot, I wanted it to take the handful of things they got right in the adventure games and expand it. I wanted them to fix those long standing control and camera issues before getting carried away with "next gen" graphics.
What i got was a demo that almost made shadow the hedgehog look like fun.
RazorElite @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:49PM
I don't really like Rainbow Six games, but I must say, the Vegas demo is definitely impressive. Truly next-gen.
T-Bag @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:52PM
Any specific reason why I don't get ads in that box to the right? All I've ever got was just an empty box...
Shadow Hog @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:58PM
It could be worse, actually.
Hyper Tom Clancy's Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Old Republic Theft Auto Fighter Alpha Zero X Battle Network Legends 6' Turbo: Third Strike: Special Championship Edition, anyone?
Neoxkc @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:19PM
I'm guessing Halo Trilogy Theme
menuka @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:22PM
Stupid xbox live...I can't seem to get any of the new demos I want...My xbox live says that there are only 27 demos...There's a lot more than that amount...Any thoughts?
Marcus @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:01PM
If someonecould please tell us how to get the adds on that big unused XBL logo, that would be helpful. I have never seen a option in the Systems blade for it or do you have to press something.
carbuncle2322 @ Nov 4th 2006 1:52PM
are they going to start making the XBOX LIVE gold membership different from silver? Of course, besides releasing demo's, or trailers like two days before silver (even though there on the internet before it even becomes on XBOX LIVE gold)
The3rdNuisance @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:48PM
Shadow Hog, I've heard someone is making a game called Barbra Striesand and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Present: World of Ultimate Omega Terror Box in Vegas with True Crime Ace Doom Combat: Warhawk Delta Force Call of Silent Residents of Evil Tournament of Quakieness 2K7 Unreantidisestablishmenterianismistic Edition.
Hopefully its the guys that made the Hotwheels game.
Spuky @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:51PM
i think that you can add:
Peter Jackson´s Hyper Tom Clancy's Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Old Republic Theft Auto Fighter Alpha Zero X Battle Network Legends 6' Turbo: Third Strike: Special Championship Edition - The Official Game of the Movie
boo @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:07PM
I know it's been up a long time, but I can't stop playing the lost planet demo.
Neoxkc @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:20PM
@ Boo
Those ads have always been on mine since day one, not sure what you are talking about.
alex g @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:33PM
ive been playin nothin on my 360 but the tony hawk demo for 2 weeks its that good
Wes @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:34PM
I have the same problem with the lack of those cool boxes. a.k.a. "ads"... for me, I think its because when I got my console I made the mistake of not lying about my age... I'm now nearly 18, but it seems ( and the service guy for xbox didn't know for sure...) is that if you're under 18, you don't get the ads, and therefore the boxes are empty.
Matt. T @ Nov 4th 2006 7:36PM
I really had hopes for Eragon. I mean the book could make a great transition to a game and it was one of my favorite books. But the graphic were like an Xbox game, and the gameplay was broken and shallow
Lou @ Nov 4th 2006 12:23AM
RB6: Vegas pushed out COD3 by the demo.
Demos I want: Blue Dragon, COD3, Civl War
lesserknown @ Nov 4th 2006 2:02AM
By this time it would be:
Sid Meier’s debauchery of Peter Jackson´s Hyper Tom Clancy's Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Godfather’s Old Republic Theft Auto Fighter Alpha Saints Zero X Battle Network of Pirate Legends 6' Turbo: Third Strike: Multi-player expansion of the Special Championship Edition - The Official Game of the Movie: IV Director's cut
Imadogg @ Nov 4th 2006 2:41AM
#19 Wes is correct, you have to be 18 to see ads.
Damn Microsoft... I only found out cuz my friend lied about his age and got the ads.
Played both F.E.A.R. and Rainbow 6 from OXM, so they don't count as my Xbox Live downloaded demoes. All my brother plays now is the THP8 demo, so I guess that might be the best.
Kennie @ Nov 4th 2006 5:49AM
I have the same problem, with the ads ... So it has nothing to do with me being from Sweden/Europe? I've always thought that only those in the US where the ones who got the ads. :P
So does that mean that I'll be able to see the ads when I turn 18, in February?
AcE @ Nov 4th 2006 8:23AM
Tony Hawk's Project 8 is a brilliant demo. Despite a few bugs it looks like its going to be the best TH game yet.
T-Bag @ Nov 4th 2006 9:21AM
Age has nothing to do with it. I'm 20 and I don't get the ads.
Ryan @ Nov 4th 2006 2:44PM
Who buys movie-ties games anyhow? I mean I'll probably go see Eragon but nothing compels me to go purchase the game. If anything I'll go buy the books.
Sorcy @ Nov 4th 2006 3:09PM
Tried the Eragon Demo twice, but the button mashing fighting just isn't for me. Rainbow Six looks nice, but the tutorial text is hardly legible on my non-HD screen. Played the THP8 demo from here to hell and back. I still can't figure out how they make the 180K highscore on the nail the trick mode (I even asked the guy in top spot, but his description ("you have to grind the plank, then you can do the nail the trick anywhere") did not really help). Well, I'm all fired up for Tony, but I was fired up ever since I heard about Nail the Trick mode.
dsub @ Nov 4th 2006 10:45PM
"THP8 = best demo on marketplace right now."
I agree 100%. This one is like playing the original all over again. No more of the over-the-top BS that was every Tony Hawk game that came after 4. The physics and motion-capture in this game are beautiful. ..and the nail the trick mode? So awesome. I'm in love with Tony Hawk games all over again. I suddenly find myself playing this more than SC:DA.
dsub @ Nov 4th 2006 10:48PM
BillyBastion-
if you've downloaded the new fall update your dashboard should look like that now. As far as the theme, that's either the Halo 3 theme or the new Halo Trilogy theme...not sure which one.
Brian @ Nov 5th 2006 5:26AM
Rainbow Six 3: Vegas looks completely next gen on my hi-def tv. I can't wait to have this and GoW in the same week!
Beatrat @ Nov 5th 2006 12:31PM
Why does everyone want ads????
I would love to eliminate advertising altogether, and here you all are crying because you don't get them?? What is this world becoming??
Ash @ Nov 5th 2006 7:43PM
I agree with #34.. what the hell are u guys crying about... its a good thing that you dont get those stupid ads
and #4 or someone said those demos suck... I can gaurantee he does not have a 360.. jackass
and Rainbow Six... just WOW... now I'm more hyped about this game then GoW...
cobrasvt777 @ Nov 6th 2006 11:28AM
That is the Halo3 theme. I know cause i have it. Makes alot of people go "wow! COOL!! " :)
Kalle @ Nov 20th 2006 9:08AM
Where can I find the Eragon demo? It´s not in the demo section of the Marketplace. So where is it???
xX_Matic_Xx @ Nov 20th 2006 11:42AM
I still dont have my xbox 360 but I swear I cant wait to play Tony Hawk's Project 8. So far its my most anticipated game yet.