God of War III, Darksiders demos drop on PSN

Sony has a number of premium additions to the PlayStation Network this week, ranging from new games to heavily discounted past releases. However, the most in-demand new content is likely to be what's free, as a demo for the hotly anticipated God of War III is joined by a prolonged sampler of THQ's Darksiders.

The God of War III trial is the same that has been previously parceled with the God of War Collection for the PlayStation 3 and District 9 Blu-ray release. As Kratos, players navigate the underworld, hacking their way through legions of undead soldiers and mythological beasts. The free sampler for Darksiders gives gamers access to the entire first dungeon of the game, called the Twilight Cathedral. THQ notes that the experience should take most gamers about 90 minutes.

W! Games' Greed Corp represents the sole new-game addition to the PSN this week. Available for $9.99, the game pits the military might of up to four players in heated battle against one another on a hexagonal playfield. As collapsing hexagons reshape the battle, players will have to make strategic compromises, balancing the need to destroy land for resources or to thwart opponents’ schemes with the need to preserve it for their own safety.

On the classic game front, Game Arts' acclaimed original PlayStation role-playing game Grandia is now available for $9.99. Released in 1999, the game won critical praise for both its story and its engaging combat system.

On the PSP store, Sony has released its place-and-time-bending puzzler echoshift for $14.99. Gamers can also pick up GTI Club Supermini Festa, an arcade-style racer that costs $29.99.

A full list of the week's deals and new PlayStation Store content, including themes, wallpapers, demos, discounts, and add-on content, is available on the official PlayStation Blog.