First Impressions: Army of Two: The 40th Day Demo

One of 2010's most anticipated games has finally gotten a demo, so just like with Divinity II, I figured I'd share my own opinions on what I thought of it.

The demo is only multiplayer so don't be expecting to try the solo experience quite yet. You have the ability to play in either a split-screen multiplayer or online multiplayer.

The visuals are pretty good but not mind-blowing but Army of Two really shines in it's gameplay. The only issue I had with the demo and I think the final game will probably have the same problem is that during online play, the game will constantly stop and wait for the other player's connection and if they decide to abort the match, the whole demo ends. I also don't care much for the controls since it feels a lot like Resident Evil 5 and is extremely touching making some of those pinpoint shots harder to make.

From what I experienced, The 40th Day has a cinematic flair to it the likes of which only Michael Bay could create. Buildings get blown to pieces and collapse all over Shanghai and I kid you not, a full-sized jet liner smashes into a building directly underneath your character's feet in real-time. It's really quite something to behold.

The demo also gives you a taste of the vast weapon customization options allowing you to alter and edit basically any part of any gun you happen to have by using currency that you collect through completing objectives and killing foes.

Army of Two: The 40th Day will be released this January and I am most definitely putting this one at the top of my anticipation list.

Hype Level: 5/5

12/22/09 Colton West

First Impressions: Divinity II: Ego Draconis Demo

The demo for Divinity II: Ego Draconis has recently been released onto the Xbox Live Marketplace so I figured I would download it, give it a playthrough and give my opinion on what I thought of it.

The game seems to play almost exactly like Dragon Age: Origins and I don't mean similar I mean basically exact. The demo is pretty lengthy as far as demos are concerned but there is just one big problem. It's not fun to play.

The framerate is constantly messing up even when you're just walking around, the voice acting is pretty much just average and filled with pointless one-liners and the graphics are just so bland it isn't even funny. They actually look like something you'd see on the original Xbox system.

Now is it possible that these issues just exist because of the fact that it's an unfinished product? Maybe, but the game comes out next month so I'm thinking this is basically the finished product meaning this could very well be the next "Two Worlds."

If you are a fan of Dragon Age: Origins then it's possible that you may actually like D2 but if you haven't then just trust me and go grab Dragon Age instead because it's far superior.

Hype Level: 1/5

12/22/09 Colton West

First Impressions: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Demo

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the newest handheld iteration of the popular series and the full game will be released in 2010. But how well does it fair against the other titles in the franchise?

The demo doesn't last very long but one of the most notable things about it is that the visuals are actually quite stunning and on par with the PS2 versions of the Metal Gear Solid games, which is truly impressive for a handheld.

All of the basic MGS trademarks are here as far as gameplay is concerned except now, 4 Snakes can play at once thanks to the game's messed up storyline and the multiplayer function which this demo does contains.

You have access to a few missions that will test just how well you can sneak and it's always fun catching a faceless bad guy and tossing him off a bridge. Good times I must say.

Does the demo have flaws? Yes but there isn't very many of them. The cross-hair when you are manually aiming is a total pain and extremely touchy and the camera has a tendency to be irritating as well sometimes.

If you're a fan of the MGS franchise then you should definitely give the demo a shot as it is only around 100MB in size and pretty fun to play.

Hype Level: 4/5

12/22/09 Colton West