Game demos are nowhere near as popular as they once were; many companies don't even bother with them anymore. But Ubisoft is offering an incentive for people to download and play a sample of its Trials of the Blood Dragon title on PC: if you're good enough at the demo, the company will give you a free copy of the full game.
Anyone who wants to take up Ubisoft on its challenge needs to download the demo through uPlay when it launches on July 22. If you manage to complete it all without getting more than 15 faults, then the full game is yours for nothing. But remember - the offer is only valid for one day.
Trials of the Blood Dragon is an unlikely mixture of bike-based platform series Trials and Far Cry 3's 80s-themed expansion, Blood Dragon. The game places you in control of Roxanne and Slayter, the cybercommando offspring of Rex "Power" Colt - the Michael Biehn-voiced star of the first-person shooter.
The game is set in the Blood Dragon universe, complete with its distinctive neon colors and cartoony art style. While it mostly offers an experience similar to Trials Fusion and Trials Evolution, it also includes sections featuring classic platforming action, jetpacks, and even stealth.
Even though the free game offer does sound appealing, it's worth remembering that Trials of the Blood Dragon's reviews have been pretty disappointing, with most publications scoring it around 6 out of 10. PC Gamer's review was particularly scathing, awarding it a lowly 35 percent - turns out that the non-vehicle levels are pretty weak.
At least the trailer's pretty good.