Project Gotham 3 available for test drive

The Xbox Live Marketplace shifted into high gear yesterday with the release of a downloadable demo for Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 3.

Weighing in at a beefy 1.25GB, the free trial version of the highly rated driving sim gives gamers a taste of speed in two events (a street race and a time trial) that wind through the streets of Tokyo. The demo also gives players the luxury of getting behind the wheels of six cars, including a Ferrari F430, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and a Lamborghini Murcielago 6.2. The demo version features no playability over Xbox Live or access to race replays.

PGR3 joins Kameo: Elements of Power as Microsoft-published launch games with demos available through Xbox Live. The third (and perhaps highest-profile) of Microsoft's own launch lineup, Perfect Dark: Zero, has yet to receive the Marketplace demo treatment. Other 360 titles recently receiving the downloadable demo treatment include Fight Night Round 3, Quake 4, and Condemned.