First up is the WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania Demo and my obvious favorite of the three. This is potentially my return to the wrestling game genre as it is basically a simpler version of the Smackdown games with lots of QTE (Quicktime Events) moments. The first thing that struck me in a good way is the presentation as it is faithful to wrestling fans and those who appreciated it back in the day. You hear Hogan's enterance music, "Real American," when you boot it up from the XMB and then hear others' enterance themes on the main menus. The demo has an exhibition mode in which only Hogan and Andre the Giant are playable, but there's an option to put Hogan's title on the line and add along a manager as well. The demo also shows off the main mode the final game will have, which is the relive mode. The relive mode is basically trying to repeat what happened at a Wrestlemania event as the demo features Stone Cold Steve Austin's Wrestlemania 15 victory over The Rock. One nice touch this mode has is a WWE-style promo video to hype up the match just how the WWE does before big PPV matches. In this instance with Austin/Rock, you get to see the buildup to the match and then highlights of it showcasing certain objectives you have to do to gain points. The wrestlers themselves look good in the ring and the animation could be a little bare bones and not as fluid, which is expected, but the crowd themselves look pretty horrible and I hope it gets improved in the final game. The gameplay as previously mentioned is a simplified version of the Smackdown games with three bars to build up as levels. The higher the level, the more moves you have at your disposal. At level three, your finisher is available in which is two face buttons in this game. If you're trying to relive specific moments, these usually require a quicktime sequence (pressing one button at a time to initate an action) for them to go down. The same thing goes for finishers as Austin would his Lou Thesz Press as one button, his signature elbow for a second button, and then finish it off with a Stunner pressing another button (For Hogan, it is three punches leading to the Irish Whip as one button, the big boot as the second, and then his signature Leg Drop for the finish). The controls are also simplified, but you're still used to Smackdown vs. RAW's deep controls, it may take a little time to adjust. THQ and Yuke's wanted Legends of Wrestlemania to be more casual friendly as it is sort of a back to basics thing and I think it works. I had a fun time with the demo and I might actually buy this game because it is a representation of the good times for wrestling rather than today's era.
Next up is The Wheelman by Midway, Ubisoft, and Tigon Studios. This open-ended driving/action game stars Vin Diesel as he is the Wheelman and he's good at driving. You're given objectives or jobs to drive certain people around to their destination avoiding the opposition (either gangs or the police). Any car is actually a weapon and tilting the right stick left and right allows the car to sideswipe enemies. The game also has drive-bys using a gun while driving and also special powers that depend on a focus meter to initate a slow-mo sequence of shooting enemies out of the way. The focus meter is also used for boosting as well. The majority of the demo is a chase mission from the police as you go through the streets of Barcelona, both narrow and wide, to avoid getting busted. The driving and shooting itself feel a little awkward or janky at times. In addition, the graphics don't really impress me even though it is a demo as it looks like a early current-gen game. Sound-wise, its okay, but it mostly depends on whether or not you like Vin Diesel. The Wheelman could be a decent game, but definitely a rental at best.
Lastly, there's The Chronicles of Riddick: The Assault on Dark Athena Demo with more Vin Diesel action. First of all, this is a remake of the XBOX classic with the Dark Athena content added. Not a lot of people bought The Escape from Butcher Bay when it first came out on Xbox, as Dark Athena is its second chance. I didn't play Butcher Bay as this is all new to me. Just from playing the demo, I can see why Riddick was an amazing game from the atmosphere and the gameplay. The demo is quite short, but for those who never played it last generation, but want to now, I think it is worth it and still holds up compared to today's shooters.
So that's it for this week's PSN Demo Showcase. I recommended playing this demos in case you're not sure you want to buy them.
