More PAX East coverage - there are always tons of things to see and do
at a PAX show and early on I had a chance to try a fantastic small game called
Ape Out and a few other games that could be big hits once released.
Enjoy the continuing coverage I put out while attending the show for
Blogcritics.org
PAX East 2017 Preview: Ape Out
Sometimes a game comes out of nowhere and surprises you with it’s sheer
playability, intelligent design and dynamic systems, at PAX East that game for
me was Ape Out by Gabe Cuzzillo and published by Devolver
Digital. I was walking through their booth looking at other games and Ape
Out kept grabbing my attention. Featured a good deal of the time on
their large screens it attracted constant crowds and people lining up to try
it. Ape Out is a simple game at face value but the
graphical style, dynamic musical beats and striking animation made this a game
I came back to multiple times despite the hundreds of other options on the show
floor.
At it’s heart it is a frantic smash ‘em up about primal
escape, rhythmic violence, and frenetic jazz that has you playing an Ape
escaping from some sort of facility full of guards. Each level is
procedurally generated meaning you will never escape the same way and guards
roam the halls trying to stop you. Thankfully you are a massive Ape and can
grab, through and smash everyone you meet, take too much damage though and the
level will end. The game does have numbered levels and if you fail on level 2
or 3 as an example you continue from the start of the level you died on, so at
least the game does not push you right back to the start.
PAX East Preview:
Elite Dangerous PlayStation 4
Elite Dangerous is not a new game; it has been around for a
few years on PC and Xbox One, but the team at Frontier Developments is
constantly evolving the game and their next big step is launching the title on
the PlayStation 4 in line with the upcoming 2.3 update to the game. At
PAX East I had a chance to chat with the development team and find out what Elite
Dangerous is all about, why update 2.3 is a big deal and what to
expect when the PS4 version is launched. What struck me most when
chatting with the the team (both on the show floor and socially later at an
event) is how passionate they are about their game and the
community members that play it. They have a genuine interest in
delivering a better product each and every day and work with the community to
tweak, change and add features with every version they release.
For those who have not experienced Elite Dangerous it
is a space adventure, trading, and combat simulation video game set in an open
world 1:1 scale galaxy modeled after the Milky Way and set thousands of years
in the future. You start the game with a small ship and the galaxy is
yours to explore at your whim as you trade, battle, escort and try to thrive in
the dynamic and complex world Frontier Developments has created. The
truly interesting thing about Elite Dangerous is how you can
choose your path in a truly customized way. If all you want to do is be an
intergalactic trader you can do that, if you want to be a bounty hunter that is
an option as well, a space courier, feel free to go that path as well.
In Elite Dangerous there are so many options it can
often feel overwhelming, but if you stay focused and work with the community
resources a very compelling experience is at your disposal. Despite the game
being quite complex the developer has expertly translated it to a console
experience on the Xbox One (and soon PS4) as well as a hardcore Space Sim
option with Joystick controls on the PC.
PAX East 2017
Preview: Dauntless
Dauntless made a big
splash when
it’s trailer debuted at the Video Game Awards but many were
left wondering just what the game is all about. I had a chance to visit
the team and try out the game at PAX East and, while I still have some
questions, I at least know that Dauntless is something fairly
unique in the PC multiplayer shooter world. At first I thought Dauntless was
going to be like the ill fated Evolve (which also had huge
pre-release buzz) but in fact it is more like Evolve meets Monster
Hunter with a little Dark Souls mixed in. It
was quite fun to play and has a visually striking look that
inspired thousands of fans at the show to line up for their chance to
check out the game.
Dauntless is a co-op action RPG set in a fantastical world were giant beasts
called Behemoths have risen up and are terrorizing the world. Your
characters are called Slayers and you take contracts to destroy the Behemoths
and save the world. The game will be free to play, which always concerns
me, but the developers were quick to assure me that the free to play mechanics
will not hinder solo or non-paying players, instead they will add options and
customizations to make the game more unique to your play style.
Regardless of how they go the game itself looks and plays great with a
striking art style and quick gameplay.
PAX East Preview:
Hob
Runic games made a huge splash in the gaming industry when it released
the original Torchlight game. This team composed of
some ex-blizzard devs seemed to go places Diablo would not, and fans came
in droves to experience the game and it’s sequel Torchlight 2.
These were both excellent games and the world was expecting a third title
in the series, instead the team at Runic surprised us with the announcement
of Hob, an adventure game set in a changing dynamic world and
featuring no dialogue or exposition. This is a bold step for the team,
but after my visit with Runic at PAX East, where I had a chance to try the game
out, I can say Hob is another great experience from this
talented group of developers.
Hob is set in a dynamic changing world that is influenced by your
actions; as mentioned the team is presenting the story as a Wordless Narrative,
meaning all lore and story will be communicated by the actions and set pieces
as you explore the world. It is a bold choice, especially after the
narrative heavy experiences of Torchlight, but one that is executed in a very
satisfying way. At various times as you play through Hob the
camera will pan out and show vistas, transforming bits of the world or
autonomous creatures going about their business. It reminded me of scenes
in Starbreeze studio’s brilliant title Brothers where they
would pause for a moment and enjoy the vistas. In this age of instant
gratification and screen filling explosions, it is a nice change of pace to
just experience a game and scene instead of flowing through it without a
thought.
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