Split/Second

What do you get when you take the explosions of Michael Bay flicks and throw them in a blender with the wrecks of the Burnout series? Well, you're supposed to get Split/Second, but what you do get in Split/Second is not quite the action racing spectacle the creators of this game intended.

I was excited that there was a new game that wanted to take arcade  racing to the next level. Split/Second fails because although you get spectacular crashes and Hollywood level explosions, I was disappointed by the sense of speed you get. Triggering explosions was fun, but making you feel as if you're driving at a dangerously high speed isn't there. This might be fun for a while, but this is a one-trick pony I could see wearing out its welcome pretty fast. So this is a bad demo for me.

UFC Undisputed 2010

PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!!

If you love UFC, there is no way you're going to hate UFC Undisputed 2010.

I'm interested in the online features shown in the demo, so much so that I was disappointed that I could not use them in some form in the demo.

That's alright, because I get to punch dudes - IN THE FACE!

I loved using Rampage Jackson, because he seemed to dominate, while other fighters I used weren't as hard hitting.

This demo was GREAT, but I wish they included a tutorial mode. You get thrown into the game, not knowing how to perform more advanced moves. Punching and kicking will give you a win, no problem, but I wish I could pull of some more complex moves. UFC Undisputed picks up a win, proudly wearing the good demo heavyweight title.

If you want scif-fi action or extreme sports action, I've got you covered. Let's check out 2 demos available on the PlayStation Network:

Lost Planet 2

Ahhh! It's time to hop in a VS suit and gun down some fools!

Finish what you started...

It's weird and it's funny. No, it's not clown porn, it's Sam and Max!

I think this is the first time that Sam and Max have made it to the PlayStation, unless I'm mistaken.

Sam and Max are the oddest crime-fighting duo since, I don't know, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

Finish what you started...

I'M NOT A SPORTS GUY!

OK, so it's been nearly a month since a PS3 demo has been released on the PlayStation Store. Unfortunately for me, there is only one demo to play this week, and it's a sports game. Since I don't follow sports, will this be a good demo for me? Let's find out:

First thing I noticed is that EA saw it fit to show you how many teams will be in the final product- or maybe just tease you with all those choices in the menu.

All the scenery looks great, and the character models are, em, pretty alright.

Here's the entirety of what I know about soccer at this point: Kick a ball through the other team's net.

This may be great for soccer fans to check out, but it's all lost on me.

Well, maybe not all. I whipped Italy, one goal to nada. Just because I'm not into sports doesn't mean I'll lay down and take it while Utaly tramples all over me. No sir!

So, eh, I guess this is a good demo! Maybe people who have put years into playing Fifa will hate this, but I don't know whether this gameplay is good or lacking.  It doesn't utilize any fancy analog stick moves, so it reminds me of times past when I actually did play sports games and all the moves were simple button presses.

After all the games that came out, there are only leftovers to be had.

There is only one demo out this week, and it's called Brain Challenge.

I know that when it comes to the stereotypical  gamer, the only brain challenge they're into is how to perform the perfect headshot.

Still, there may be those of you out there who want to pwn with your intellect, not just through hand-eye coordination.

Brain Challenge is a series of quick games which challenge your knowledge in various categories. There is logic and math, for instance.

There are no complex button presses or series of movements to be made. All you have to do is be quick with the right answer.

If you want a hint on how I did with these challenges, here you go: stupid.

I hesitate to say that this is a good demo, because the demo only limits you to playing 5 minutes of gameplay. If I had any more time with this demo, I might have fared better. Maybe. I do give this a thumbs up because it's a challenging game, even if the demo is a tease and the graphics look better suited to a Wii rather than a PS3. (Sorry, Wii owners, but you know it's true)

The Brain Challenge demo also has online multiplayer, but it, again, is limited to 5 minutes of gameplay. So it's an alright game, but not that great a demo. This is the second demo I've ever downloaded that had a time limit. Just Cause 2 also had a time limit, but it wasn't a permanent time limit.

See you next week for more demoey goodness!