After much anticipation, the Dead Rising demo was finally released on XBox Live a few days ago. It is a very large file but definitely worth the time.

The demo starts out with a little story sequence and then you are in the middle of the mall. One thing you have to know is that the demo is fifteen minutes long and you have to stay within certain areas of the mall or you will trigger a cutscene and the demo will end. But aside from this you do get quite a bit of freedom as you can roam around the mall and check out different stores for weapons and clothing.

There is an impressive amount of unique weapons you can use to bash some zombie brains in such as a sledgehammer or an acoustic guitar. There are also some less useful items like the giant stuffed bear. It won't kill the zombie but it is definitely amusing to wack some undead upside the head with it.

The great thing about the demo is that it is only the tip of the iceberg in regards to what will be available in the final game. And I played through the demo quite a few times and found something new and fun to use each time. Every weapon has its uses and you will have fun discovering what you can do with each one.

I must admit I was cautiously anticipating this game but playing the demo has me excited about the final version. If you have XBox Live then you should go download the demo now.

Dead Rising will be available on Tuesday August 8 with an MSRP of $59.99 for the XBox 360.