Luke's Top 5 Games of PAX West 2022
Luke’s Top 5 Games of PAX West 2022:
Killer robots are swarming you from every direction and you are almost out of ammo, but with perfect timing you discover a shotgun in a nearby weapons chest and the tides of this shootout just shifted to your favor. Dust and Neon is a top down isometric twin-stick set in a neo futuristic western setting. Developer David Marquardt Studios tackles an established genre and makes it feel new and fresh with clever gameplay mechanics and intentionally frantic pacing of its gameplay.
As you use your weapon in Dust and Neon, you have to jam on a face button in order to reload each bullet. While on paper this sounds frustrating, when playing, I found the mechanic required a level of precision that when executed well was incredibly satisfying to control. With the intense futuristic bass heavy metal music, the reloading mechanic felt almost rhythmic and very cathartic amidst the chaotic nature of combat as you’re swarmed by multiple enemies at once.
Additionally, each gun feels distinct and adds an exciting layer of strategy when deciding your loadout. Do you select the sniper rifle for its long range and risk the long load times or do you use a machine gun, but are forced to constantly reload each round in rapid succession? The varied gunplay kept me engaged as I experimented to find my preferred playstyle. An added level of depth comes into play with upgradeable weapons and an addictive roguelite based gameplay loop.
Based on my time with Dust and Neon, this is definitely a game to keep your eye on if you enjoy polished action packed twin stick shooters. Rogue Games, Inc. continues to make a name for itself in the industry with unique and compelling indie titles. Look for Dust and Neon to release in 2023.
4. Mina The Hollower, Developed By Yacht Club Games
Yacht Club Games seriously came to play at PAX West this year with an absolutely stellar line-up of games. I adored my time with both Mina The Hollower and Shovel Knight Dig. As a longtime fan of the studio, it is amazing to see them branching out to new gameplay styles with Mina The Hollower.
Mina The Hollower was one of the first games that I went hands-on with at PAX West and I couldn’t stop thinking about it all weekend. The game is a top-down action title inspired by games like the Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. With nods to Castlevania and souls-like titles with its challenging combat and exploration-based gameplay, this game is a joy to play.
Visually Mina The Hollower strikes a unique balance between cute/fun and dark/edgy. Much of the game’s art direction reminded me of Bloodborne in all of the best ways. The game still retains the beautiful pixel art that Yacht Club Games is known for but infuses some fun spooky vibes that permeate into the gameplay as well.
During my demo, the developer I spoke with discussed a clear inspiration to the Castlevania series. The inspiration shines through particularly with Mina’s chain whip and the ability to explore areas to discover secrets. The combat felt challenging and satisfying to master and the exploration helped keep me interested in each individual environment and what might be hidden within it. Not to mention, Mina’s signature burrowing mechanic helped keep the traversal fresh and fun throughout my demo.
During my short time with Mina The Hollower, it was clear to me that there is an incredible amount of depth to this game. It felt like I was constantly solving puzzles to access previously inaccessible areas. With your main hub in the game, you are able to upgrade abilities that further enhance your experience. I can’t wait to continue my journey with Mina The Hollower and uncover the secrets of its unique and intriguing world when the game releases soon.
It’s A Wrap is a charming and unique puzzle platformer with a twist. The style of the game centers around movie production in the 1980’s and Chanko Studios is paying homage to the cheesy big dumb fun of classic action movies of that era. The gameplay is a mix of tight action platforming and puzzle solving centered around film editing. You use an in-game UI that uncannily resembles video editing software to adjust the timing of a given movie scene so that you can platform your way through the level to safety.
The game exudes fun with an engaging sense of humor in its writing and visuals. Before each scene you get to read a charming handwritten screenplay that sets the tone from the stunts and cinematics you will encounter in the upcoming level. As someone who grew up loving classic action movies like Die Hard, Indiana Jones and RoboCop, I found the writing and overall vibe of It’s A Wrap to immediately put a smile on my face. The vibrant colors of the cartoony art style also sell the fun light-hearted vibes of the game as well.
My favorite level that I played involved outrunning a giant boulder as you platform on to rock ledges to make it across a large chasm all taking place inside an active volcano. Each of the five levels I played felt distinctly different visually and in terms of gameplay. From a snowy mountain to a volcano on the verge of eruption, the puzzles continue to become more involved as you are forced to navigate collapsing rope bridges, lava, avalanches and other cinematic obstacles to achieve the perfect take to “wrap” the scene and progress to the next level.
I was incredibly impressed by my time with It’s A Wrap. Not only is the premise unique, but the compelling film editing puzzles coupled with the strong and engaging action platforming make this game feel unlike anything I have experienced before. If you enjoy puzzle games, action platformers and crave movie nostalgia of the 1980’s, look no further than It’s A Wrap when it releases in early 2023.
As someone who knows very little about the world of wrestling, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about WrestleQuest going into my demo with the game. But despite not being a wrestling fan, I was immediately impressed at the clear level of love and care that went into the creation of the game. The fun turn-based combat combined with an unparalleled sense of humor help make this unique RPG something everyone should keep their eye on.
In WrestleQuest, you play as Randy Santos, an unknown in the world of WWE, but a dreamer who aspires to become a wrestling legend like his hero “Macho Man” Randy Savage. The story of the game follows Santos on his journey to make it big as a professional wrestler. You travel to different gyms, arenas and rings to meet, train and compete with some of the biggest names in wrestling.
As I mentioned previously my lack of wrestling experience didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the game. The writing is hilarious and seeing how Mega Cat Studios inserted unique gameplay twists into the tried and true RPG formula made the experience well worth it. From the taunting system to utilizing gimmicks in the rings, I was always excited to see what new element would be introduced next and how it would change up the gameplay experience.
The art-style is something that immediately stood out to me during my time with WrestleQuest. The world is so colorful and vibrant with its incredible pixelated toys to life aesthetic. The overworld map and overall style of the game resembles something out of Pokémon or Super Mario and further reinforces the idea that this game made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning in the sense that I couldn’t stop smiling, laughing or playing.
My 40 minute demo passed by in the blink of an eye. I found myself hooked and I wanted to keep playing if I had been able to. From the quirky/fun twists on classic turn-based battles to the laugh out loud writing, I cannot recommend WrestleQuest enough. This is a truly special game for anyone who thinks they would enjoy a wonderfully engrossing RPG unlike anything else.
Re:Call was hands-down my favorite game that I experienced at PAX West. I knew nothing about this title before and I was absolutely blown away by the engaging narrative structure created by developer Maitan69 and published by Whitethorn Games
Re:Call is a top-down adventure game with striking pixel art. The game opens on your character being interrogated in a high-security government laboratory. You are being asked how you got into the lab and to describe the events that took place leading up to your interrogation. Through dialogue options you craft the narrative of the game as you recall the memories of the events leading up to your interrogation.
The level of choice quickly has lasting effects on the narrative of the game because if you make a fatal decision you are presented with a game over screen. However you are quickly thrown back into the action to use your newfound knowledge to better serve you as you continue to progress through the game. Choices like what did you do with the gun found in the hallway or what did you say when confronted by a guard have immediate ramifications and branching paths that create engaging narratives full of varied outcomes.
Re:Call is a game best experienced for yourself. There is currently a demo available on Steam and I highly recommend you check it out. The variety of outcomes in the demo has only made me more interested to experience the full game upon release later this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Creating a remake of an iconic game like System Shock is a tall order for even the most talented studio, but developer Nightdive Studios has crafted a compelling sci-fi action title that feels like a modern game while still honoring what made the original game so significant.
As someone who had never played the original System Shock, I was not sure what to expect from my demo with the game. I knew I loved games like Bioshock that were heavily inspired by System Shock, so I was excited to see how the game compared in 2022. I walked away from my demo incredibly excited about the game and eager to play the original to better understand its place in video game history.
My favorite aspect of my time with System Shock were the game’s stunning visuals and sense of atmosphere. The art style is crisp and clean within a stunning and stylized cyberpunk world. The gameplay was particularly engaging due to the atmospheric visual aesthetic. As I explored Citadel Station, I scavenged for supplies and solved puzzles to access new areas. The dark environments add to the tension as you fight off enemies with guns and the game’s iconic pipe.
I didn’t get to experience the audio of the game, but I am eager to hear how the music and sound effects further enhance what was already an incredibly immersive and engaging experience.
If you are a fan of science fiction, atmospheric horror and visceral first person combat, System Shock is the game for you whether or not you are a fan of the original title. Look for the game to release on PC and consoles soon.
March March was featured as a part of the PAX Indie Rising Booth and I am so glad I got a chance to play it. Developed by solo developer Lepka Games, based in Ukraine, March March! is a strategic roguelite adventure that features fantastic tower defense style combat and resource management. The game is simple to pick up and complex to master, coupled with a delightfully cute artstyle, this is a must play for fans of the strategy genre.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Gunbrella. The game combines satisfying combat and fluid traversal to create a tightly polished action platformer featuring its signature weapon - a gun…that is also an umbrella. The beautiful pixel art style and intriguing cast of npc characters help round out an already awesome experience. I am really looking forward to blasting, soaring and deflecting my way through this cool noir punk adventure with my Gunbrella when the game releases in 2023.
If you are interested in any of these titles, please take a moment to wishlist them on Steam. It is a super helpful way to support the Development Teams. You can find the links to their Steam Pages on the title of each game!
