Reviewed: Demos from the Marketplace

here are a few demos on xbox live's marketplace that are worth checking out. there's no fluff in these, just what i thought and a "try it" or a "buy it."

beautiful katamari - for all audiences. easy and simple to pick up and play. full game might be difficult to master. push your katamari (a big ball) around and pick up stuff within a specified amount of time. the bigger it gets the better you've done. the camera was difficult to control and was at times looking the wrong direction. might be corrected by the release. depending on the price point, just try it.

bio shock -definitely geared for an adult audience. simply put amazing. graphics are great. storytelling drew me in quickly. a lot of first person shooters are just replicas of each other in a new setting. this game sets a new standard that others will have a hard time replicating. it goes above and beyond all others. easy to recommend. buy it. it will be in my hands as soon as i get done with forza 2.

call of duty 4 - coming soon. expecting my token for the beta today. we'll see.

medal of honor: airborne - good game. new concept. you are an airborne soldier you can drop in anywhere on the map when it begins. there are safe zones to aim for. the level starts where ever you land. really cool concept. the AI appears to be pretty smart. they move around. they hide. fight smart in the game. however, it is still set in wolrd war II. how many of these games can we possibly play? great idea and twist on the gameplay, but i think the demo will hold me over just fine. just try it.

skate - skate has been promising a new gameplay mechanic that makes this skateboarding game more realistic. the demo is good be learning the controls was not simple. i think the good thing about a game is the learning curve. for me a good game, you can jump into and enjoy as you learn. this one wasn't doing it for me. the sterring controls were really touchy. the kick controls slow to respond. however, i did like the way the ollies worked with the right thumbstick. it might take some getting used to. try it and if you like it buy it. it is refreshing to see against the tony hawk series.

stranglehold - again for adult audiences. this demo took me by surprise. no article or review had sold me on it and i almost passed on the demo. for some reason i downloaded it anyway. i was blown away. fully destructive and interactive environments. you can use just about anything on the screen in gameplay. there were some really cool "bullet time" gaming sequences. as you jump the action goes into slow-mo which makes for some really fun gameplay. if you haven't already, give this demo a shot. it will take you by suprise. then when it arrives on shelves, buy it.