Have you made plans for the weekend? Cancel them. This week we're seeing a huge blast of playable game demos, ready to download for your enjoyment and scrutiny.

Why is this week such a hot week for demos? It's the perfect storm. Over in Europe, the Leipzig Games Convention is roaring into full swing. Check out IGN's Leipzig Coverage or GameSpy's Coverage. Then, this weekend, the Penny-Arcade Expo lights up Seattle -- this home-grown show has boomed to the point of having tens of thousands of attendees, and it's now one of the major gaming shows of the convention year. So, it's about a month after E3, and about a month before the holiday crush, with a weekend of huge conventions going on ... yep, the perfect time to release a killer demo. Let's see what's out there!


• BioShock Demo: Earlier this week I already raved about the setting and storytelling, and as reviews find their way to the 'net, it becomes more and more obvious that BioShock is going to set the tone for the season. People are going to be talking about this one for years to come. Want a taste? Download the BioShock Demo for a meaty glimpse of the first half hour of gameplay. Then you'll probably want to Download the full BioShock Game from Direct2Drive.

• Medal of Honor: Airborne Demo: I love the direction that EA is taking the franchise. You literally airdrop into each level, and you can land where you want and tackle the level however you want to -- it's way more compelling than the linear way you play most shooters nowadays. The demo is only single-player, but the multiplayer -- with players spawning in from the sky -- should be unreal. Download the MoH: Airborne Demo!

• The Settlers: Rise of an Empire Demo: The screenshots of the latest in the Settlers franchise are pretty awe-inspiring -- your cities really come to life, teaming as they are with animated citizens going about their daily routines. Strategy buffs will find a lot to love: a detailed but transparent economic model, diplomacy, empire building, and outright warfare. As our friends said in the IGN UK Preview, "There's a certain Ying Yang element to The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, with its relaxation one minute and fighting tooth and claw the next." Download the Demo and see for yourself!

• World in Conflict Demo: [NEW!] A little later this week war is about to come to U.S. soil. World in Conflict depicts a Soviet invasion of the United States heartland. Aside from the cool setting, there's a unique flavor to the gameplay -- especially in multiplayer -- that makes this one to watch. Players join in, each with a defined 'role' or 'class' that impacts the kind of battle they can fight. Multiplayer cooperation is a must. The World in Conflict Demo landed on our laps Friday morning, so the nation is yours to defend...

There you go -- two great shooters and two great strategy games with wildly different themes. It's a good time to be a gamer.

      -Fargo