Here are some of the games I had the pleasure to play at PAX East this year. Most of my favorite games from the expo are in this list. There are some great games worth checking out and adding to your wishlists.
Out of Space
Have you ever wanted to play a game where you and your friends clean? No? Does that not sound fun? Well, in Out of Space, it is fun! It’s more than just cleaning though, you have aliens you need to dispose of by throwing in garbage compactor. Trash and aliens make batteries which are used to power appliances in the space ship. This game is actually a lot of fun! It should be out later this year on PC and consoles, so don’t sleep on it if you are looking for a party game with friends!
One Finger Death Punch 2
I don’t know the last time I had this much fun playing a simple beat ’em up! The concept is simple, you have two attack buttons, one for the left and one for the right. Enemies charge you from either side and all you have to do is hit them. Punches and kicks are random, but they do the same damage so it doesn’t matter. The music and sound effects are great! The whole game is a homage to old kung fu and Bruce Lee films. If a fast paced and fun beat ’em up is what you are looking for, give this game a shot! It will be available on Steam on April 15th!
BARON
Normally, shoot ’em ups (shmups) don’t interest me a whole lot. I watched the trailer for Baron and laughed out loud at it and decided that I had to try it. It’s a multiplayer game in which everyone picks a pilot (they are all anthropamorphic animals), a plane and special weapon. You then fly around and shoot each other out of the sky. The special weapons can have whacky effects on the battlefield and keep the aerial combat interesting. This game is simple enough for children to pick it up quick, or for you and your friends to mess around on after you’ve had a few wobbly pops. It will be on PC and XBox One mid year, so keep this one on the top of your list!
Keen
This is a slide puzzle game, you know the puzzles in other games where you push an object and it keeps doing until it hits something else. Sliding is one of the ways you can dispatch your foes as well. It has a great art style. Each “dungeon” has several levels in it, so if you like puzzles this game is full of them since every level is a puzzle. If you are looking for a game with a lot of puzzles, give Keen a shot when it comes out later this year on almost every platform.
Necrosphere Deluxe
This is a Metroidvania that uses only two buttons, move left and move right. If you are hit one time, you die. That’s ok though, because you will respawn almost instantly. As you move forward, if you it a bubble you will jump. This is how you get from one platform to another. Sometimes games add too many mechanics making them bloated. Necrosphere is bare bones and that is where it shines. The game is built for speed running aficianados. The devs told me the world record is 14 minutes. The people I watched play it had a blast. If you are looking for a simple Metroidvania, Necrosphere is one you shoudl try.
Killer Queen Black
This is a unique team based multiplayer game. There are two teams of 4, one blue and on yellow, that can achieve victory in one of three ways: 1) Economic victory by collecting berries faster than your opponent does, 2) by racing a Snail to your team’s flag, and 3) by Military victory by defeating the opposing queen three times. This game is amazing! I don’t how else to put it. If you like competing and multiple way to win, play Killer Queen Black when it comes out on Windows, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later this year.
Katana ZERO
Every now and then, a game comes along that completely impresses on all levels. Katana ZERO is one of those games. Ucing precognition, the protagnist makes it through tense levels filled with goons trying to kill him. One hit will kill him but since he uses precognition, he can make an unlimited number of attempts to get through an area. Another unique feature is the real time conversation system in which you can rudely iterrupt people. They will of course remember how you treated them and act accordingly in the future. This was one of my top five games I played at PAX. It will be out on PC and Nintendo Switch on April 18th. DO NOT SKIP THIS ONE!
Young Souls
In Young Souls, you play as twins that spend their nights in the goblin world to rescue their father. By day, they train to improve their combative skills. I really dug the art style and gameplay in Young Souls. You can swap between siblings at will, and there is an in depth gear system. Swapping pieces of gear also alters your appearance, which is something I am really a fan of. There isn’t a confirmed release date yet for this one, but I will keep it on my watch list and play it as soon as it’s out.
Streets of Rage 4
The latest title in the Streets of Rage series is a lot like the previous ones, and that is a good thing. It’s a co-op beat ’em up in which you will use your fists, feet and anything you can pick up to bash goons that get in your way. The graphics draw inspiration from the old 16 bit games, but have been enhanced and improved to fit modern standards. The game plays smooth comnbat is fun! I am glad games like this are making a comeback. Street of Rage 4 is one that could lead that charge. It was a lot of fun to play and I can’t wait to get my hand on the finished product. There is no release date yet but I am surely going to keep myself apprised of updates on this one.
Streets of rage 4! 😍
I am really impressed with it. It looks and plays buttery smooth