Something for the weekend?
Slim pickings for gamers this week, but we have highlights of the demo releases of the last seven days
It's grim up north. It's grim down south for that matter as well (too bloody right, it's chucking it down at the moment -Ed). So if you're unfortunate enough to live here in the UK and want something to keep yourself off the rain-swept streets for the next 48 hours, these might just do the trick... For action and horror fans the demo of "Resident Evil 3 : Nemesis" (71Mb) is now available, giving a taste of the PC version of the hit console game, which stars the delectable heroine Jill Valentine.
For those of you looking for something a little more intelligent, not to mention compact, the demo for strategy game "StarLines Inc" (6Mb) is out, giving you the chance to make yourself a quick buck running a company to transport cargo and passengers between the stars. The demo features the training mission from the main game, but for $20 you can download the full version, which includes 8 missions to sink your teeth into as well as a freeform mode, which just leaves you to get on with it without any objectives to worry about. With influences ranging from "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" to "SimCity", it should be worth a look for sci-fi fans and strategy buffs alike.
The "Cossacks : European Wars" (45Mb) demo is also out, giving a taster of the impressive looking historical real-time strategy game. Set in Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries, it supports literally hundreds of units in a single mission, opening the way for some truly epic battles. It's the closest you're likely to come to an "Age of Empires III" in the next year, and a great game in its own right, so make the most of it while you can!
Finally, if you fancy a little off-road racing then the official demo for "4x4 Evolution" (34Mb) is now available from Terminal Reality and the Gathering Of Developers. More polished than the previous public test versions, and featuring two tracks to race on and two vehicles to drive, judging from what we've seen of the game so far the full demo should be well worth a closer look... And there's even a Mac version for all you blueberry loving hippies!