Got home and I was floored at how much I enjoyed it. It is hard as hell and the 20 min time limit doesn't seem long enough to take a monster down. The controls are weird but once I figured them out I kind of got into it. So ironically I will be going back to that guy and giving him my pre-order money. (I'm such a push-over.)
That's my biggest problem with the demo...it actually turns people off from the game. If you put your time in and actually learn to grasp the controls, it's very addictive, but the demo will communicate that to very few people.
Like I said on the podcast, the bosses are effectively living puzzles, and it's up to you to solve them through trial and error. You start to think things like, maybe you should use a different weapon. Maybe you could try a different tactic, like hitting them with a smoke bomb or paralyzing them. What's their "tell" that shows you they're weak and ready to be trapped? Can they call for help, and if so, how long do you have before you do so? How far away do they typically fly? When you enter the area, do they spot you right away? It goes on and on.
Monster Hunter Tri is not a quick-hit game. It's an unforgiving, old-school title that rewards those that take the time to learn its intricacies and idiosyncracies. It's not suited for a demo in the slightest.