Author Topic: PAX South 2016 Game reviews and nonsense.  (Read 1916 times)

PAX South 2016 Game reviews and nonsense.
« on: February 01, 2016, 04:24:47 pm »
I don't know if any of you lovely folks made your way down to PAX South this year, but I went the whole weekend and played a bunch of games, but there were quite a few games I couldn't get my hands on.  I wrote down the names of the games that I didn't manage to get to play, which wasn't many.

After writing this, it occurred to me a reason why this year felt like a let down compared to last year.  Most of the exhibitors either relied to heavily on volunteers who know nothing about their product, or didn't care enough to explain their product or "sell" their product.  In too many situations I was left to just figure out what the game was and what needs to be done.

Black Ice (PC) $14.99
This is a first person shooter hacking game.  You are in a Tron like world filled with servers owned by corporations, looking at various servers you can see who owns the server and the level of security on the server (i.e. the difficulty of hacking the server).  To hack the server, you look at the server and press the hack button, the server then generates a ring around itself of presumably variable size and spawns enemies inside of this ring.  You must defeat the enemies without leaving the ring, by doing so you hack the server and gain resources.  Resources can be used to purchase items from a server that sells goods.  You also gain XP which upon leveling up will allow you to distribute points to various stats.  Fairly simple FPS RPG game, but very enjoyable.  One of several games that I enjoyed very much and will likely purchase very soon.  Demo available, let's you play until you reach level 4.

Capsule Force  (PC/PS4) $14.99
My whole group played this game, took us a few failures to figure out how to play as the exhibitor didn't explain anything to us.  2v2 side scrolling shooter.  Kind of a tug of war capture the flag.  Shoot each other, respawn.  Goal is to jump on one of 2 platforms which will, depending on your team, move you into a direction off screen, which will move you to the next screen, one screen closer to your goal.  Your goal, get to the other end of the level and pick up the orb.  Fun simple party game.

Color Thief (TBA) TBA
I stood behind what looked like a 4 year old playing the game for like 10 minutes, given that it was like a 4 year, I was impressed by her skills and she really liked the game, her dad said she had played it quite a few times during the expo.  I finally got to play, it has an interesting premise.  Game takes place in a mostly monochrome world, with a few objects having color.  You play a chameleon, you can absorb colors and then transfer the colors to other objects.  Color is basically a type of energy in this world, powering certain objects. Certain doors require certain colors to unlock and other elements.  Water needs color to be water (not necessarily blue), otherwise it is a solid walkway.  Trees and vines need color (not necessarily green) to be living, otherwise they are dead.  Water fountains need color to dispense water.  These are the puzzles.  There was a certain puzzle type that I didn't understand and I asked a few times how it was supposed to be done correctly, because the developer explicitly told me that I was cheating and that most demoers were cheating the exact same way all weekend.  Certain doors will only open if you are a color and the door in entirely that color as well, but behind that door is a color you need, but as soon as you absorb that color, the door will no longer open for you.  Most players cheated by placing the color they need near the door, absorbing the color that will open the door, stand in the doorway, absorb the color they need (thus shutting the door), but since they are in the doorway, the door cannot close, so they can walk away scot free.  I was in a similar situation later on, where I didn't understand how to get out, so I jumped onto a section of walk with a hit box, and walked along it to bypass what I didn't realize was a puzzle, the developer then walked by and explained that puzzle so I would stop cheating.  I asked about the first puzzle again since he told me how to solve that puzzle, but he never answered me.

Death Stair (PC/X1/PS4) July 2016
My wife and I played this game for a round.  I threw the balls and mines, and she tried to climb the stairs.  As the stair climber, your goal is to dodge beach balls, dodgeballs, and land mines getting to the top of the stairs.  As the defender, you throw beach balls and dodge balls at the stair climber and lay land mines to stop the stair climber from reaching the top.  The game seemed fairly balanced at first, easy to hit and easy to dodge, but right at the end I guess I figured it out or it is really easy as soon as the climber gets to the last set of stairs.  I was able to hit her in the face with a ball, and hit her again as soon as she stood up, really unfair.  Game might need more balancing, but still fairly fun, but probably not for the stair climber.  Demo

Den vanstra handens stig (PC) TBA (Steam Greenlight Process)
This game... I mean... it is barely a game.  But the concept intrigued me.  You have this game, the game is played by an AI, the AI has a goal of reaching the top of a mountain in the distance.  This AI will learn from its mistakes, it will die, but it will keep trying, it is persistent.  He will go on for all eternity unless you convince him to give up his quest.  You must only press a button to ask him to give up his quest.  But he will only give up if you give a blood sacrifice, so when you press the button on the custom "controller" (It's a wooden panel with shapes with a big blue button, the button has a whole in the middle) a needle will come through the middle of the button and prick your finger, thus giving the blood sacrifice, and the AI will give up his quest, die, and then a new AI will be born and will attempt the journey.  Now to explain some things you may be wondering.  No, the developer did not have a needle in the controller.  I watched him explain the game to some ghetto moron, he didn't yet get to explaining that there was a requirement of a blood sacrifice and a needle and the moron went and hit the button, after the dev got to that point the ghetto guy freaked out and thought he was bleeding, kind of funny.  I believe the dev said the game would be available for PC and smartphones, presumably for free based on their other titles, and there would be a limited edition that would come with the custom controller (NO NEEDLE).  Obviously this game is one of those existential games, it serves little purpose other than to make you think.

Enter the Gungeon (PC/PS4) 2016
I spent quite a bit of my Sunday watching folks play this game, I didn't get to play it, but I didn't need to play.  It's a 2D dungeon crawling game, not unlike Nuclear Throne, which I will talk about later on, but the dungeons are full of enemies who ARE bullets carrying guns shooting at you with bullets.  They had a giant bullet outfit that one of the volunteers would crawl into and walk around in.  Looks pretty fun and interesting, more things to do in the game than what I saw from Nuclear throne.  I believe they call it the "Bullet Hell Dungeon Crawler".

Feist (PC) $15
I played this game for a while to kill time, because I wanted to play the next game over, which I never got to play btw.  Another LIMBO clone.  I've only played LIMBO for like 5 minutes, so I can't atest to how much like or unlike LIMBO it is, but a 2 tone platformer where your character is a silhouette.  Fairly decent game, but the demo was unforgiving, if you died, you went right back to the beginning of the demo.  I don't believe that is how the final game will play, it just didn't feel like that was their goal, but it always could be.

Fluff Eaters (iOS/Android) ???
I didn't play this game, my wife and her friend did, I think it was the first game played at the convention.  From what I saw, I wouldn't like the game, even if it were free.  Basically you have a cat in a bubble, you raise the bubble up, and pop it.  The cat will fall and bounce.  Before the cat bounces a second time, you must grab as much "fluff"? or food?.  It's basically a game of jacks for your tablet or smartphone.  I'm not doing any research on this one, it's not worth my time, and it's probably not worth yours either.

Just Shapes and Beats (PC/TBA) Q3/Q4 2016
This game was at the show last year as well, I loved it last year and it was definitely in my top 5 games last year, and as such it is also in my top 5 this year.  I love music, I love music games.  I got burned out of Guitar Hero and Rock Band along with everyone else, but other music games that aren't gimmicky, they last.  This game will last.  It's Geometry Wars meets Rock Band... sorta.  The soundtrack they demoed last year was the same as this year, an original soundtrack, plus if you beat the demo, you get the bonus level "Mortal Kombat".  Dodge projectiles and survive.  The demo is 4 player, I assume you can also play with less, but that booth never didn't have a crowd of folks trying to play.  Definitely a great game.  I spoke with the devs again this year.  They intend on releasing on PC before PAX Prime, with a console release before the end of the year, but no story on which console, expect exclusive.  Again, I can't wait.

Karaski (PC) February 17th $14.99 (Preorder and get a free download of PostMortem: One must die MSRP $2.99)
Another game that I didn't get to play.  First Person mystery game.  You'll have to do your own research, my wife was sold on the premise alone, so we didn't even check it out.

Knight Squad (PC/X1) $14.99
They were also here last year, but they already released their game and they are here again. Bomberman meets Gauntlet, 'nuff said.  This game was probably my game of show last year, I had so much fun playing it.  I got the game during the free GWG on XBL when it released, I've only played 2 player with my wife, and I will say this game sucks when you don't use bots or don't have enough folks playing.  Still a great game, but you can tell that this game really needs the required number of players.

Kona (PC/VR) TBA
I didn't get to play this game, but this game looked more like a game for my wife and she wasn't feeling up to playing much of any games during the convention.  First person mystery game.  You'll have to read up on this one yourself, my wife was sold on the premise alone.  No release date AFAICT.

Light Fall (TBA) TBA
I don't remember this game very well off the top of my head.  Too many LIMBO-esque games.  This game is a side scrolling puzzle platformer.  I didn't really get to listen to the story or music or anything because I didn't put the headset on, but basic platformer elements, jumping, wall jumping, obstacles that WILL kill you.  Your advantage?  You can spawn a cube that you can use, it will power objects, block lasers and other uses I'm sure.  Fairly good game, the physics seem spot on, but the character doesn't control quite right for the physics, I'm sure they will tweak that before release.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2016, 11:13:54 am by ctracy87 »


Re: PAX South 2016 Game reviews and nonsense.
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2016, 04:27:02 pm »
Marble Mountain (PC/VR/iOS/Android) Q2 2016
I didn't get to play this game, but I watched folks play it for a few minutes.  I've played a game like this before, I would guess Marble Madness.  You control a marble and you navigate it through levels, most folks have played a game like this before.

Night in the Woods (PC/PS4) 2016
I had been waiting a good long while to play this game, but folks jumped in front of me to get on it every time, eventually I gave up, because I decided the game looks dumb.  I was probably bitter about the whole thing.  Supplemental stories available to play (Demo I guess?) Longest Night and Lost Constellation

Okhlos (PC) 2016
I didn't play this game, but I watched people play it for probably half an hour, I still don't fully understand what you do or what the goal is.  Looks like an RTS/Dungeon crawler.  You appear to control an army or mob of characters, you point and click for them to attack things or destroy things, you loot and level up.  They shut off the game before I had a chance to play and they put on Bro Force.

Omnibus (PC) Spring 2016
This game's art style looks exactly like Mega Man Legends/64.  I rather enjoy that.  It looks like a bus simulator, but that kind of goofy physics you get from a game jam (a la Goat Simulator).  The bus does not stop or slow down, you can only steer.  They demoed 2 modes, multiplayer and single player.  I played the multiplayer.  You have up to 4 players.  You select your bus, I believe the list of choices was, Ultra Bus (2 buses attached back to front, so it's double long), the Gravity Bus (has a feature to pull itself towards its bottom in whatever direction the bottom of the vehicle is facing), the Barrel Bus (the bus is basically a barrel on its side, so it can never be stuck upside down or on its side like other buses), Mr. Bus (just a regular bus), and there may have been one more bus, but I don't remember.  You are then thrown into an arena where you ram into it each other (and bumpers) with the goal of being the last bus standing, you lose by being knocked out/off of the arena or getting stuck on your side or roof.  Really fun local multiplayer game with short rounds.  Single player seems to be mission based, the one mission I saw showed a double decker bus with 30-ish astronauts on the top while driving on the moon, I believe attempting to get them to their destination.  Really fun game.  Demo

Overland (PC) TBA
I played this game for a bit until my wife basically told me to stop to let someone else play... like 5 minutes.  Look a lot like Lara Croft GO and Hitman GO, the set up and art style, not necessarily the gameplay.  Premise seems to be a post apocalypse, cause by little angry crustacean things.  Goal seems to be to get from the east coast to the west coast, you make stops to invite people to your group and collect fuel for your vehicle.  Whilst trying not to get murdered by little creatures.

Panoramical (PC) $9.99
I played with this for a few minutes, didn't seem a game so much as a little kaleidoscope.  Oddly enough, I'm interested enough in learning more about it.

Party Hard (PC) $12.89 (Other platforms soon)
This game was pretty amusing, it's basically a murder simulator.  Your character is a person who is tired and just wants to sleep, but your neighbors are having a party and just being too loud, what can you do?  MURDER EVERYONE.  It's a game we can all relate to, plus you can always stop your carnage and just dance.

RageBall  (WiiU/iOS/Android) TBA
I didn't get to play this game, but I watched folks play it, the crowd around this one was pretty big.  1v1 Pong game.  Slogan is "Everything else is just Pong".  From what I saw, it is a pong game that has multiple projectiles and it has obstacles on the screen that the projectiles will bounce off of.  Looks like an interesting take on pong.  Seems to be a Wii U console exclusive, with releases on smartphones and tablets.  I couldn't find a tentative release date, but it sounds like this studio only makes free games.

Realm Walk of Soul (PS4/PSV/PC) Q1/Q2 2016
I played this game, and I didn't quite get it, I wish my wife had stuck around me for this game because I think she would've liked this one.  1st or 2nd day of the convention, a cosplayer ran up to us, handed us a flyer and a sticker, dressed up as the character from the game.  Turns out she was just a random cosplayer and the devs saw her and asked her to do that, I assume they gave her a download code.  It was a really good cosplayer BTW.  Puzzle Platformer, not unlike The Fall.  Character can't walk and do things, so anytime you do anything, you have to stop walking.

Road Redemption (PC/TBA) 2016
These guys were at the show last year, with a tentative 2015 release date.  They were here this year with a tentative 2016 release date, sounds like the Wii U version may not happen since they are having trouble with porting it to Wii U.  It is the spiritual successor to Road Rash, and this game lives up to the hype.  The game is great, loved it last year, loved it this year.  My only concern is that it won't release.  The demo didn't seem much different than last year's demo.  I haven't bought the early access on steam because I'm hoping for a console release, but I may just need to bite the bullet and get the early access.  Steam Early Access $19.99

Screen Cheat (PC) $14.99 (X1/PS4) 2016
This game... oh my this game.  This game is probably my game of show.  IMO, this game, multiplayer wise, is the spiritual successor to Goldeneye and Timesplitters.  I played this game more than any other game during the expo.  I even bought the game, I also bought other games from these gentlemen as well as one of their TVs.  To sum up this game, 4 player Deathmatch, everyone is invisible, and you HAVE to screen cheat to win.  This game is a couch multiplayer game, they even brought an inflatable couch for people to play the game.  In retrospect, I should've asked about the couch when they were handing out stuff.  Group of devs from Australia, so they can't bring much of anything back with them, hence selling the TVs.  Out now on Steam $14.99.  I presume console versions to come.

Super Slam Dunk Touchdown (PC) $15
Now that's a mouthful.  They were at PAX South last year, I really enjoyed their game last year and I relatively enjoyed it this year.  Last year I set an expo record for getting 70 points in a single game.  They seem to have tweaked the game or I just don't remember how to play very well, it didn't seem that familiar when I played it this year, but they assured me not much has changed functionally since last year.  They had a Kickstarter at some point last year and I was a backer, but unfortunately they didn't make their goal, but they are still making the game.  The game is a team versus team, generally 4v4, game.  I can't exactly remember the scoring system, but you win by having the most points at the end of the game, via a set time limit.  You score points for putting the ball into the hockey net, through the football goal posts, or dunking it in the basketball hoop.  I believe the basketball hoop is the most points.  You play with varying balls (basketball, bowling ball, tennis ball, football, etc.).  Pretty fun party game.

Ultimate Chicken Horse (PC) March 2016
This was a pretty fun game, it is a multiplayer platformer, a la Super Mario Bros, but you collectively make the level as you play.  You start with a basic level that is beatable, and you are given a "Party Box" filled with a handful of obstacles, you each select an obstacle and place the obstacles simultaneously.  You then collectively attempt to beat the level.  You get points for winning, winning by yourself, winning first, successfully killing someone with your traps, etc.  My wife was hesitant to play this game, probably just in a weird mood or it didn't look fun, but she really liked the game, so I'm glad I convinced her to play.

VideoBall (PC/PS4/X1) TBA
This game is a hockey-esque game.  Think Asteroids meets Hockey for atari 2600.  2v2, Red circles spawn in the center of the screen every few seconds, goal is to get the circle on the other side of the screen, but the circle only moves when you shoot it.  You can charge your shot, you have a single shot buster shot, charge it a little bit and you have a shot that will push a little harder, charge it longer and you will shoot the size of the circle, if it hits the circle it will almost always go all the way across the screen unless it hits something... or someone.  And finally, if you charge it all the way, you will lay down a square that will block players and circles.  Pretty fun party game.  I wanna say this game was here last year, but I can't recall.

And as a quick sum up.  My Top 5 of the Show in no particular order

  • Screen Cheat
  • Black Ice
  • Just Shapes and Beats
  • Omnibus
  • Color Thief

Honorable mention to Road Redemption, I hope you guys release this year.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2016, 03:46:53 pm by ctracy87 »


Re: PAX South 2016 Game reviews and nonsense.
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2016, 04:28:50 pm »
Other games that I did not check out at all.

Speed Runners (Free runner racing game)
Freedom Planet (Sonic knock off)
Lovely Planet
Punch Club
Final Station
Road to Ballhalla
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
Bro Force
Heroes Must Die
Western Press (I think it's a western DDR game)
Super Mutant Space Alien


More games to review, but these are the only ones I wrote down.

Stories from PAX.

Story 1) I was walking with my brother to go meet my wife and her friend and I wasn't watching where I was walking.  That's my fault for sure.  My brother tried to grab me and stop me from walking, but he couldn't reach.  So this guy in an electric wheel chair rolled his wheel chair onto my foot, held that spot for a second or two while giving me a dirty look, and then finally rolled off of my foot and rolled away.  I even apologized before I realized that he was stopped on my foot.  I then proceeded to get very very angry.  It took a lot for me to not punch him in the face, I really really don't care that he has no legs.  You are riding in an electric wheel chair and you see me walking in the main walkway moving WITH traffic, and you ride perpendicular to traffic and see that you are going to run into me, YOU ARE IN FACT PAYING ATTENTION, and you purposely run over my foot, you even linger on top of my foot to intentionally hurt me.  You were wrong in every single sense of the situation and no one will convince me otherwise.  I really wish I had found an enforcer and explained the situation to get him booted from the expo.  What's the final rule of PAX?  Don't be a dick.  That guy was the living embodiment of a dick.  I think and hope unpleasant thoughts towards this douchebag.

Story 2) Went through the prize line on the final day with my group, 1 person gets a little red devil plush, 1 person gets an exclusive PAX pin, another person gets stickers.  Me?  I get a little business card that says that I basically get nothing.  Yay me.

Story 3) I mentioned this elsewhere, but I'll mention it again.  I noticed that the Screen Cheat folks had a sign saying "TVs for Sale" and I asked, chatted for a bit, and managed to get a bunch of swag, then bought some games, an exclusive ninja pax pin, and a 40" TV.

Story 4) My brother is a pretty big fan of Rick and Morty, he saw Mr. Poopy butt somewhere at the expo and wanted a pic with him, so he sent out messages to tons of people at the show and a bounty saying anybody who could find him, share the location, and successfully help him get a pic with him, he would buy them a game at the expo.  Well, I found him and my brother bought me Portal the board game.

Story 5) I saw CliffyB, I said "I love you man" he said "Thanks bro"

Story 6) I saw a Deadpool cosplayer, I asked for a hug, he lunged at me, wrapped his leg around me and then whispered sweet nothings into my ear.

Story 7) Right at the end of PAX, right before I was getting ready to pick up the TV and stuff from the Screen Cheat folks, Deadpool found me and hugged me again, wrapped his leg around me, and whispered that he missed me.


What's the character limit on a post?
« Last Edit: February 02, 2016, 03:55:03 pm by ctracy87 »


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Re: PAX South 2016 Game reviews and nonsense.
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2016, 06:29:11 pm »
Haha Deadpool cosplayers are adorable.  Saw this guy sleeping or pretending to be sleeping along the wall in one of the convention hallways, cuddling his sleepy Pikachu back at PAX Prime 2014:

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