10 Demos BETTER Than The Actual Game
2. Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation Demo)
After the staggering success of Final Fantasy VII, FF VIII was a huge disappointment. A broken, easily abused battle system and nonsensical storyline meant that the adventures of Squall and co. failed to get close to the bar set by Cloud and his companions. (Hey, "Squall" and "Cloud". I just got that!)
FF VIII's mediocrity was even more disappointing for those who played the PlayStation demo, which promised an action-packed war epic.
The demo in question showcased the Siege of Dollet - an early section from the main game in which your ragtag crew of teenagers storm a beach, sabotage a radio tower, then flee a giant mechanical spider. As that description implies, it's a rather hectic set-piece that sets an early peak the full game struggles to match.
FF VIII soon abandons the concept of child-soldiers forced into war for a more generic tale of amnesia and evil sorceresses, and the demo cleverly concealed just how broken the game's signature Junction system was by blocking you from customizing your characters. (In the full game, "Junctioning" allowed you to assign spells to specific stats, allowing for some ludicrously overpowered builds).
Final Fantasy VIII's demo promised a far more intriguing - and balanced - game than the one that made its way to shop shelves, and shows the pitfalls of creating an opening act the rest of the game fails to live up to.
And on that note...