The second day of this PAX East was certainly busier than the first – more people wandering the expo hall floor, more events to go see, and more interviews to handle. After a marathon of a day, we have some of our thoughts, with many more to come later (after we all get a little sleep).
Adam's Thoughts - The Thrill Of The Hunt
Nothing quite says adrenaline and embarrassment like getting in a solo seat for a demo, monitor overhead, with crowds of PAX-goers eagerly awaiting the spectacle of you fumbling with your controls for their amusement. Thankfully, that's not quite how my demo time with Deathgarden, Behaviour Games' new title, ended. In fact, it was a glorious bloodbath that resulted in a sweep of my two rounds as the hunter, tracking and killing a squad of wily runners in this futuristic bloodsport. It was only after I returned to talk to the developers, watching the monitors of the runners in the next game and the behemoth charging through the fog after them that I exlaimed, "Oh God, that's what I looked like?" It was gloriously terrifying. We can't say much yet about the price point or release date, but if you enjoy arena-based carnage on Twitch, this is certainly going to be a title to keep an eye out for. I'll be doing my best to bring more content to light as it becomes available.
My tabletop pick of the day goes to the demo of Fireball Island being shown by Restoration games. This game is as hot as its title right now, and their Kickstarter is currently live. Expect a full article shortly on our site for this one if you've been sitting on the fence about backing it.
Day two continues to build on the amazing experiences I've seen already here at PAX, and I cannot wait to see what day 3 holds!
Wyatt’s Thoughts – Familiar Faces And Fantastic Games
This was my first day at PAX, so I showed up ready to sprint through the show floor. There were a few good reasons for this, but the top of my list was State of Decay 2.
I’m probably a bit biased, because the original State of Decay was one of the first games I ever had a chance to review. It was a game that burst at the seams with ideas and fun moments, even if it had some rough edges. State of Decay 2 is looking to fix that. Our ten minute demo gave me the chance to play co-op with another, and back to back we went to take out a hive of zombies. It was intense; it showed off how combat has improved, how the new zombies are scarier (you can become infected, making your community have to find cures or deal with you!), and how there are more options when it comes to building community and bases to survive in.
The show floor had a ton of titles that when I walked by, I had to stop to try. Earthfall by HoloSpark looks like the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, but involving aliens and some plot rather than just rushing to safe zones. I had a chance to try out Frostpunk, the incredibly promising (and dark!) looking city manager game, where you are attempting to keep a community alive through an ice age.
Finally, it was great seeing faces that are becoming familiar. Chainsawsome games had their newest build of Aftercharge for demo, and it still is getting a lot of buzz from last year. I had a chance to stop by the Dire Wolf Digital booth and try out a just released expansion for Clank! – the board game that’s all about stealing treasure. I have truly enjoyed seeing how booths on the show floor can vary so wildly – from small indie platformer, to massive FPS, to smartly designed board games, PAX East really can have it all.
