Gamers should know that The Bourne Conspiracy is in no way shape or form a movie-tie-in title. It is an original game based on the Bourne character, similar to the way we see Robert Ludlum books appearing on the shelves all continuing the story of the Bourne character. This is not based on the film, The Bourne Ultimatum in any way. 

The demo is split into three different chapters giving you a taste of different gameplay elements to show players what they may be dealing with upon The Bourne Conspiracy’s release. In short, it is much like a mini-story told in parts. The demo presents itself in purely cinematic form that gives the feeling that you are watching a movie instead of playing a game, and the characters and voice acting add to the movie-style authenticity. Player movements are made from one-action buttons designated on the screen at the appropriate times.  The Bourne character is a man built as the ultimate weapon.  

In the first session Bourne is tasked with escaping from an embassy and players must use their power and quick wits to pull it off. While the military searches all floors for Bourne, the hand-to-hand combat system is shown. As Bourne runs up through the floors of the building, he runs into a few enemies here and there. With the right timing of punches and kicks, players can easily finish off these opponents. Combat is assigned to the X and Y buttons while B is used for blocking. Holding X and Y together will add combos to the mix. 

The demo shows a fair amount of seamless movement from combat to gunplay. The second session has Bourne dealing with more military type personnel giving players the chance to use automatic weapons and fire against destructible objects. This introduces players to the cover system and gunplay in general. The takedown effect also makes itself known here as well. Pressing B will turn into an in-game cinematic showing Bourne killing off the enemies that he is currently facing allowing him to move on. Gunplay feels like it could be fun and thrilling, as it seems like The Bourne Conspiracy has just the right formula for it.  

The Bourne Conspiracy also has quick time events, similar to Shenmue or Uncharted, which requires players to quickly press the button on the controller which matches the one that flashes on-screen. The events come fast and quick so players will have to be on their toes or face starting the level over again. These events usually occur at times when the character is getting ready to take cover or fight an enemy.  

Finally, there is the driving section of The Bourne Conspiracy demo, which is the last sequence before it ends. Bourne must escape from the police in a small car, by driving around the streets and evading the police until they lose track of you as you make your way towards the tunnel when it opens up. The driving controls seem a little contrived as you use the right trigger for gas and left trigger for brake and reverse. The B button is used for the emergency brake to help make the tight turns in trying to lose the police. Hopefully, with more time before the game’s release, these controls might be opened up a bit.  

Overall though, playing through the demo leaves the impression that The Bourne Conspiracy could be one fun title. With cinematic moments and thrilling hand-to-hand combat, this title has the potential to sell extremely well when it hits retail in a few short weeks. Until then, check out the demo on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. The Bourne Conspiracy is set for release on June 3^rd in North American and June 27^th in Europe.