PAX West Dispatch

Hi guys!

We spent the weekend at PAX West, and while we’re working on our PAX Dispatch video, here is a preview of some of the games we are going to feature! Video itself should be done later this week. 

UFO 50

Remember Action 52 for the NES? What if a bunch of talented developers made one of those? That’s UFO 50! in a nutshell! With the minds behind games like Spelunky, Downwell, this is 50 games of wildly varying genres. Racing, action, turn-based, but all created under the concept that this is one “studio”, so there’s similar visual and musical themes. Not to mention all games were “made” in the late 80’s early 90’s, so they all look like NES games. It looks like each game will have a decent amount of replay, it’s going to be one hell of a great package!

Way of the Passive Fist

Here’s a game that sells itself: a brawler based solely on counters. Imagine Final Fight or Street of Rage but your main attack is parry not punch. The idea is the game takes place on a mad max-style desert planet being bombarded with intense heat, therefore physical exhaustion is serious threat. Combat involved parrying your opponent's attack a until they tire themselves out at which point you take them out with a simple poke. It’s all about reading your opponents tells and timing your counters. The result is a neat rhythm/brawler hybrid that is actually pretty easy to get into but I’m sure if very hard to master. It’s a really cool concept, reminded me of Crypt of the Necrodancer in a way. 

Away

When your poster is your standard young, video game hero shaking hands with a skeleton, you have my attention. Away is a first person fantasy rogue-lite with a twist, your character is just a boy, not really a hero, so you must rely on the power of friendship to win the day! There are 15 characters to meet and befriend, including a cool skeleton, but also a treant with deadly berries and an old man with a scepter. Each has their different attacks and you can switch to them in the fly during combat (party caps off at 4 tho) And the art style is just gorgeous, vibrant, wonderfully animated, obviously inspired by Dragon Quest and Akira Toriyama. Movement and combat needs work but with a little gameplay polish this could be something really special. 

Dunk Lordz

My first thought was “that name wasn’t already taken?”. Dunk Lordz is an NBA Jam/Street Fighter hybrid with moba elements sprinkled in. 2-on-2 basketball but with a varied roster like a fighting game, special moves, and switches on the ground like xp bonuses and extra attacks. After each quarter you can spend xp to level up character attributes like in a moba. And the graphics are flashy and exciting, an overall great over-the-top presentation. No plans for online at the moment but it looks to be an amazing couch coop game!

Spartan Fists

A first-person, low-poly, roguelike based entirely on melee combat. The short story here is it's an ambitious gameplay style the devs appear to totally nailed. First-person melee combat is done so seldom in games because it’s a tough thing to do properly (for example, Away’s combat definitely doesn't feel as tight). Though the build I played didn't have much variation in enemy types, the combat just felt great. And the low-poly look game me Robopit flashbacks. The combat and aesthetic are a solid foundation, though I do worry there might not be that much to the game itself but this is definitely one to watch.

Ooblets

I’ve spent a good deal of time obsessing about Pokemon in my day, but I’ve felt like the most recent entries have missed what captured me about the original; a new, bizarre and joyful world that I got to discover. Ooblets is all that and more; it essentially is a mix of Pokemon and Harvest Moon thrown into a blender. While the gameplay doesn’t seem to be as deep as Pokemon can be (my Shrumbo didn’t have elemental attacks for example), Ooblets makes up for it with a delightful aesthetic I just want to chill out in.