Square Enix’s upcoming online action RPG Babylon’s Fall will be the next console exclusive to hit PlayStation, and it's getting a free demo on February 25 in the run-up to the game’s launch.
Available on PS5 and PS4, the demo will allow you to explore the game’s opening area through multiple hours of story content, letting you get to grips with its basics and the many character types on offer.
You’ll be able to dig into the game solo or team up with three pals in four-player co-op. Plus, all saved data made during the trial (including progress and achievements) can be transferred to the full game after it launches, giving you a bit of a head start if you decide to pick it up.
Square Enix has also said anyone who signs into the game during its first season of content will automatically be given the game’s Premium Battle Pass for free. It’s unclear whether that applies to players of the demo, though, and there’s no word yet on how much the Battle Pass will retail for.
Babylon's Fall is scheduled to release March 3, a week after this demo goes live. If you cough up a little extra for the game’s digital deluxe edition, you’ll get your hands on the game a little earlier on February 28.
It’s also scheduled to release on PC for the same date, but this demo looks to be exclusive to PS4 and PS5.
You can pre-order the game for $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.95.
Analysis: is a demo the best way to try a live-service title?
Co-developed by Square Enix and Bayonetta-developer PlatinumGames, Babylon’s Fall styles itself around a fluid co-op combat system, as well as its original fantasy world that reportedly draws from the aesthetics of medieval oil paintings. Taking the role of magical Sentinels, you’ll buddy up to fight your way through the Tower of Babel, collecting loot and facing progressively tougher challenges.
While Babylon’s Fall might not call itself a live-service game, it looks pretty close to one. Its developers have promised to keep the game updated with new game modes, areas, and story content after it launches, adding more features to the game for free. While it looks to center on small-team multiplayer co-op rather than competitive matches, the ongoing content releases should certainly give it a live-service feel.
But whether a short demo that's only a few hours long can give you a substantial feel for a live-service game is a little questionable. Games like Destiny 2 and Apex Legends are loved for how they evolve over time. A small snapshot of these games isn’t likely to do them justice; they demand you invest countless hours to fully appreciate the development of their stories and metagames.
Regardless, if you’re interested in Babylon’s Fall but aren't fully swayed, its try-before-you-buy demo will be well worth checking out. At the very least, you’ll know whether PlantinumGames’ new multiplayer focus is for you.
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