It's been a while (a long, long while) since I'd tried out the betas and demoes available on Xbox Live, so I spent the evening downloading the playing. I only got through 4, but you'll see why in a moment. Here are my impressions:

BioShock

Actually, Tycho of Penny Arcade fame has summarized my opinions more gracefully than I ever could: "It is my intention to secure two copies of the game, entire - one Collectors' edition, and one exclusively to shove up Roger Ebert's ass. If Bioshock isn't 'art,' then art is the poorer for it."

The short, short version: Buy this game.

Blacksite Demo

The short, short game for players with attention span difficulties? The sequel (in spirit, certainly, I'm not sure about fact) to their equally bland Area51 for... Xbox? Ps2? Gamecube? Ah hell, I can't even remember, nor am I inclined to. To plagiarize Stephen Crane, this game has stated plainly, "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied myself, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation."

It is my humble opinion that Midway made the lightgun shooter Area51 and then fired all of their designers, and has chosen to produce each subsequent aliens-inspired game via a committee of marketing analysts. It actually dares to call itself groundbreaking, which is surely grounds for litigation as this is patently false advertisement.

No, really, unless you just really, really need to get your cheesy aliens fix and can't appreciate BioShock at all (and you're a terrible person for feeling that way), then don't even bother downloading the Blacksite demo. Play through the BioShock demo twice. I certainly wish I had.

Blue Dragon

The only thing I can think of that's more unfair than the shortness of the Blacksite demo is that Blue Dragon imposes a 60-minute time limit, after which you are summarily dismissed from the game. Leaving that behind me, I was rather surprised at how unimpressed I was with this game, after feeling so much envy for the Japanese gamers that have been able to play it for months now. Maybe I just didn't like being dumped into a scenario where Gratuitous Attractive Female Party Member has been ensnared by MacGuffin, and finds herself as Gratuitous Damsel in Distress. It may be a Mistwalker title, but that particular plot hook is so very, very, very Squeenix and so very, very, very overused.

No, actually, this was just not the game I'd hoped it would be. The combat system struck me as needlessly complicated, and with a 60-minute timer I'm wasn't very inclined to take my time and thoroughly absorb all which the helpful, instructive NPCs were willing to throw at me. The learning curve of this game is almost certainly longer than an hour... so why only allow a player to play for 60 minutes? Why not let me take my time fighting through one dungeon, learning how the combat system works? 60 minutes...

I didn't find any real clues as to which elemental attacks would be effective against certain foes. When presented with something that seemed akin to the entire spell library all at once, I was very much intimidated since I had no idea how spells would behave. There didn't seem to be any final-fantasy-esqe "Libra" or "Scan" to helpfully inform me, either.

If my colleagues at work find the game interesting, I might give it a second chance. Until then, I shall enrapture myself with the far more interesting title to follow...

Eternal Sonata

Namco/Bandai, you bandits! It's easy to forget that, when you shovel out titles like Dot Hack and Xenosaga (admit it, Xenosagas 2 and 3 were shoveled more than they were produced), you've also made the Tales series of games. I find myself very much impressed with the Eternal Sonata demo, particularly with its combat system. The only feedback I might offer (which you doubtless can do nothing about now) is that I desperately wish I could have some kind of overview of the battlefield, or at least a way to pan or orbit the camera so I can see what I should move towards before I start moving people.

Still, consider at least one more copy of Eternal Sonata sold. I plan to vote with my dollars this September when this title is finally allowed into my patiently waiting hands.