In praise of the video game demo Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. In praise of the video game demo This week's TGS introduced us to a whole new demoscene. Blog by Martin Robinson Editor-in-chief Published on 18 Sep 2022 19 comments This article originally went out to Eurogamer supporters as part of the Eurogamer Essentials newsletter that goes to all members every Friday. If you'd like to find out how to become a Eurogamer supporter you can find out more here. Over in Japan right about now the Makuhari Messe is thrumming, its halls filled with the hushed excitement of a Tokyo Game Show that's approaching full swing after three years on the lowdown. It's an odd feeling seeing it all unfurl from afar - one of the great privileges of my job in pre-pandemic years was attending the show for Eurogamer, and being on the ground in Japan as it celebrates its gaming industry really was every bit as wonderful as you'd imagine. I've enough anecdotes over the years to fill a fairly sordid book, though to preserve the dignity of those involved - and myself - very few of them will ever see the light of day (and I'm pretty sure Wes and Tom still haven't forgiven me for the stress I put them through as they tried to drag me from a Shinjuku bar in the early hours of the morning to get our flight home). Getting over there this year was always going to be tricky thanks to the overzealous bureaucracy surrounding border control at the moment, but it's at least been possible to keep up with things from afar, whether that's via this week's Nintendo Direct or State of Play - both of which, the skewed expectations thanks to some wonky leaks aside, delivered some fun surprises - or publisher efforts to bring the show home. Over in Woolwich Square Enix just put on a fine show highlighting its frankly preposterous slate for the rest of 2022 - Diofield Chronicles! Harvestella! Crisis Core! Tactics Ogre - while Koei Tecmo just punted up a demo of the curious looking Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a fascinating hybrid of its musou heritage with Nioh's Soulslike action. Watch on YouTube The meaty Harvestella demo - did I spell that right? Does it really matter when it comes to Square Enix's increasinly nonsensical titles? - lets you carry your progress over to the final game. The demo's substantial, and has swallowed up a couple of evenings this week. I'd even go as far as to say it's a properly generous thing, its walled off area - a colossal space full of vertiginous possibility enabled by the fantastical Chinese setting, and something that sets Wo Long apart from its predecessors - providing a satisfying standalone experience. It's a promotional beat I'd love to see more of, and a welcome twist of this new situation we find ourselves in is that demos once built for show floors are now getting a wider audience. For Team Ninja, it's a chance to gather some serious feedback as it gets this small slice - the first area the team developed as a proof of concept, I was told, and where Wo Long's brand of martial arts-infused Soulslike action can be seen at its starkest - in front of millions. And I'm grateful to get a taste of what's on the showfloor at Tokyo Game Show from the comfort of my shed. Elsewhere this week Square Enix's Harvestella just dropped a healthy demo on the eShop, something that's also stolen a couple of hours of my time - indeed, all I've really been playing this week is public demos that have accompanied TGS, which reminds me of my formative gaming years when demos were pretty much all I had. When money was tight, why drop forty quid on something new when four would get you a neat magazine with a cover disc that let you play dozens of fresh games to explore. I'd saved for a PlayStation but never had enough money for games, so almost my entire experience of that console was through demos. I've never played beyond the warehouse of the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater yet every inch of that level is etched indelibly in my mind (along with the sole Primus' track that accompanied that demo). It's one of my fondest gaming memories, and one I cherish just as much as those special trips to Sega or Treasure's Japanese headquarters when I was lucky enough to be over for TGS. So it breaks my heart a little that I'm not over in Tokyo for this year's show, especially as it's been one that's delivered so much - from Radiant Silvergun to news, some seven years after Miyamoto first told Tom about it, of Pikmin 4. At least I've had a little of the show here with me thanks to those demos, and fret not because next week there's a show on my doorstep I'm certain to attend. It's EGX at Excel from next Thursday, of course. I'll hopefully see some of you there - you'll find me by the Street Fighter 6 booth, obsessing over another demo plucked from the TGS floor. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More Blogs Digital Foundry DF Direct Weekly: do we really need a Horizon Zero Dawn remake? Plus: path-traced Quake, PSVR2 and the new Need for Speed. 34 VR Corner 13 confirmed PSVR2 games we cannot wait to play Pleasing to the eye. 50 Digital Foundry DF Direct Weekly: Stadia is dead - so what will it take to make cloud gaming a success? Plus: Intel's Arc GPUs arriving soon at a price that's right. 12 Support Eurogamer and get your first month for £1 Quid's in. 101 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store