10 Demos BETTER Than The Actual Game
1. Metal Gear Solid 2
God bless the Tanker.
Metal Gear Solid 2's legendary opening level was immortalized in one of the most sought-after demos of all time. People were literally buying copies of another game (Zone of the Enders) just to play the MGS 2 demo that came bundled with it. And frankly, it was money well spent.
The Tanker was a pitch-perfect introduction to Hideo Kojima's flawed masterpiece. A visually striking intro (those rain effects were jaw-dropping in 2001) led to a delightful playground full of guards to screw with, secrets to uncover and ice cubes to melt.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game failed to live up to the promise shown in the demo.
The majority of Metal Gear Solid 2 took place on Big Shell - a sterile, lifeless (and weirdly orange) oil rig with only a fraction of the Tanker's personality. The game also infamously swapped series lead Solid Snake for Raiden - a man so terminally uncool the only way to save him was to amputate all his limbs and replace them with cyborg ninja parts.
To this day, the Tanker demo remains a masterclass in level design and a great way to while away a spare half-hour. Metal Gear Solid 2 itself, however, is the gaming equivalent of losing your virginity - you're glad you did it, but the experience itself is messy, over-rated, and one that's much better the next time around.