Review: The Bourne Conspiracy Demo for Xbox 360

Movies based off of novels often bare little resemblance to the writings they are taken from. In opposition, games based on movies often follow the film so closely that there is no room for any deviation in gameplay, content, or storyline. For many gamers this lack of originality has created a stigma for movie-based games that has them slated at the very bottom of any purchase list a gamer may put together. In the case of The Bourne Conspiracy; of which a demo was recently released on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, this straight-and-narrow style of game creation has been heavily relied upon; creating a demonstration title that fails to offer good tidings for the game's approaching release.

As content goes for demonstration downloads, The Bourne Conspiracy offers a bit more than most. Weighing in at roughly 1.2 GB in size for the Xbox 360 download, the title offers three full demo levels; the American Embassy escape in Zurich, a car chase in Paris, and a seemingly superfluous "flashback" style mission where Bourne must assassinate an escaping convict.

For a "Next-Gen" console games the graphics are adequate; the full motion video sequences are photo-realistic and the character animations are smooth. However, the switch from FMV and in-game scripted sequences to gameplay can leave the player feeling disoriented. This is especially true due to the fact that, although the levels are all pre-loaded to allow for a smooth playthrough, switching from movement, to FMV, to fight sequences creates a small "black-screen" effect that can force the action to hiccup. In addition, the enemies the player encounters in each level are similar, with very few personal deviations in texturing and design. This works well in identifying important enemies, as they look different from other characters, but it leaves the game looking bland and repetitive after very few encounters.