PAX West Adventures! Part 1

Well, it’s over. The whirlwind ride that was PAX West is in the books. It was a phenomenal event but man, my feet are paying the price. Regardless, I had tons of fun and met a lot of amazing people. It’s also nice to finally put a face to the PR agents I’ve been talking to for the past few years. Unfortunately, jet lag kicked my ass, putting me to bed at 7 pm, causing me to miss a bunch of parties, but hey, at least I still got to play some gems. I want to outline my first impressions of them in a three- or four-part series. There’s a lot to discuss but I want each piece to be short and easy to digest. Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into my thoughts.

CAPCOM!

When I heard Capcom was bringing a demo for the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, I was stoked. I ate up the original, doing the same for the remaster in 2016. I didn’t care that they had Monster Hunter Wilds or a preview for the Terry Bogard DLC for Street Fighter 6. I was laser-focused on DRDR. My impression is that it’s exactly as I remember it, but with a new coat of paint. The buttons are snappy. I was curious about the ability to walk while aiming, and it’s better, but it’s a bit slow. It remains an improvement but I suppose I expected faster.

For us blood enthusiasts, our fetish will be satisfied. What I also like is how DRDR retains the detail that if I shoot a dead zombie, it flops. Yeah, it’s tiny and won’t have any consequence on gameplay but that silliness is what I adore about this franchise. Now, the reports that PP is given liberally are true. I was leveling after killing twenty or so of the walking dead. I didn’t do a mission but I imagine when those are factored in, it’s worse. That said, AI seems to have been tweaked. Perhaps this change is to counteract how quick I got upticks. If so, then mission accomplished as I did die a fair bit.

DIGITAL ECLIPSE!

Digital Eclipse was my first appointment because in no world was I going to miss trying a Power Rangers brawler. The 90s kid in me was flipping the heck out as I dove in. The developer explained that the story is light, but it’s original. It occurs after Power Rangers: Once & Always. I’m stoked to see the time-traveling concept be recycled in Rita’s Reward. Naturally, the villain is Robo-Rita as she utilizes her thirty years of knowledge of the Power Rangers thirty years in the past. It’s a ripe idea that I’m so happy is going to be explored.

As for the gameplay, it’s beat ’em up bliss. You know, punches, kicks, jabs, and weapons. It’s standard fare, with each ranger having a special gauge that fills as I pound booty. Once full, I can then unleash a skill that is tied to their prehistoric spirit animal. What caught my eye above all else was how in co-op, the bad guys onscreen actually dynamically scale to the number of players - four friends had me confronted by a gaggle of putties, while only two was a small group. If that’s not enough, first-person megazord battles are on the menu!

ATARI!

If I’m being frank, I wasn’t initially interested in Yars Rising. It didn’t catch my eye from the first trailers so I’m happy that Atari brought it to PAX West because that demo is incredible. With Wayforward attached to the project, it shouldn’t be too shocking that I felt some Shantae vibes during my session either. The character motions were reminiscent and the script has a good sense of humour. Not to mention that the voice acting is amazing based on what little I heard. It added charm to an aesthetic already oozing it. I think it’s safe to surmise that this release is now a highly anticipated one.

As for gameplay, something I was worried about was how it would combine modern with old. It’s a remake, after all, but it’s achieved nicely. For instance, there’s a mini-game that has a modified space invaders look to it. I’m shooting a slithering row of aliens, keeping them from my avatar. As their ranks start to diminish, the speed is boosted, making it tougher, but doable. It’s super delightful and there’s a good variety to mix things up. As a Metroidvania fan, I ate it up. It’s like I said, I’m eager to get my hands on Yars Rising when funds permit.

UKIYO STUDIOS!

Ukiyo Studios were actually at PAX East and had a big selection, but they lost weight for West. A lot of what they were showing, I already tried, except for a pair of gems playable on a Rog Ally. If you’ve lost yourself in Vampire Survivor before, behold Vampire Survivor in space. The premise is basically the same - I’ve got to shoot nearby foes. Since my attacks are automatic, I could concentrate on avoiding the projectiles while I collected the EXP drops. After leveling, I get to pick between a trilogy of perks. The one difference is that it felt easier. Thankfully, that didn’t negatively impact my engagement.

Of course, what caught my eye was a Waifu-centric Brawler called Phantom Breaker Ultimate. I mean, it has a cutesy anime look with beautiful pixel art - need I say more? For Code of Princess fans, you’ll notice the inspiration. Like it, there are three rows - top, middle, or bottom. I had to concentrate on where the bad guys were and alternate between them to ensure victory. Couple that with how chaotic it gets and it’s great. There’s a co-op mode, too. Sure, I may have had a blast on my own, but I could imagine how insane it gets with a partner. For those enthused by rank systems, the rep did tell me that leaderboards will be implemented.

PHOENIXX INC!

Phoenixx is a Japanese publisher that’s known for quirky titles. As of late, though, they seem partial to the Touhou IP. Seriously, there were three here at PAX West, with two of those having been at PAX East. As such, I ignored them, indulging in the third; Hero of Ice Fairy is a neat bullet hell. I had to dodge and weave energy beams and pellets. If I wasn’t paying attention, then I punched a ticket for the death train. It tested my reflexes. I felt engaged but because the demo wasn’t very long, I couldn’t truly appreciate what it was trying to do. As a result, I was lukewarm by the end of it. Yeah, it’s cute, but it’s also meh.

What shocked me was just how invested I became in a game about a slab of Tofu. The backgrounds tend to be colourful and quirky - although there’s an aura of simplicity, as well. It asks me to leap towards a red pot to essentially cook myself so I can progress. I’ve got to control the velocity of my launches to nail the landing. As a Canadian, I do appreciate having geese acting as obstacles. I couldn’t tell you why I found the title enjoyable but I reckon that it has something to do with the puzzle element. Whatever the truth, I’m keen to see it evolve.

IN CONCLUSION…

There’s a wide buffet of genres to dine on and why I had no issue spending thousands to be at PAX West. The electric atmosphere is fantastic as we gamers fill the floor. It’s enjoyable and I’m sad it’s done. My next article is going to focus on XSeed because dammit, they came packing heat. Whether you refer to them as AAA or AA, I think that we can agree they usually have quality under their belt. At the end of the day, that’s what matters. Look forward to coverage on the likes of Slitterhead and Potionomics in Part 2, and until then, see ya!