This past weekend I headed out to Seattle to cover one of my favorite events, PAX West. The convention offered up everything a gamer could want, from indie darlings and new titles presented by industry favorite publishers, to even a spark of desire to dive deep into pinball. These are my highlights from the event, with something for every type of gaming fan, and numerous projects to add to your wishlist.
Fallout by Stern Pinball
First up, I checked out this newly announced (right before the convention, no less) Fallout pinball table, and I was shocked in multiple ways. I’ve enjoyed a good pinball session from time to time, but I was never a diehard, but after my time playing Fallout, I understand the obsession and devotion.
The table itself was true to the series design, with references and pieces from the games and show dotting every inch of the table. At one point, I was able to place a ball in an open vault door, leading to a secondary play space built inside of the main surface. I then used a magnet inside this second area to throw a ball around this underground vault. All the while, clips of gameplay as well as the show lit up the screen, showcasing the carnage I was laying around the wasteland. It was an awe-inspiring experience that left me giddy for the rest of the day, and now I’m rationalizing a way to build a pinball room somewhere in my house.
The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham
I checked out the excellent PAX Rising area of the show floor, a spot I’ve consistently found new indies that would later become favorites. The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham was that game for me this year, a noir-inspired detective game with a great supernatural twist.
You’re tasked with finding clues and solving puzzles in a seemingly abandoned hotel, but your main character has the ability to travel into a mind place, organizing clues to questions you mean to answer. This power eventually leads to you being able to change the reality around you, jumping between slightly different hotels to solve more of the mystery. You do this by editing a live-action film, which all leads to the weird David Lynch vibes, and is one to keep in your view for the future.
Ballgame
During each PAX West, I head to The MIX, an offsite event that hosts a ton of games. Ballgame was the one I headed straight for this time, a physics-based platformer where you inhabit a living golf ball. Each level has a certain number of strokes you want to get under to make par, while utilizing power-ups and collecting gems that take a stroke away from your score. Knowing the perfect angles to launch yourself is the only way to achieve the best score possible. The chase to beat these challenging levels and the feeling that you’re breaking or cheating the game kept me on that station for longer than I had imagined. If you’re in the market for a score-chasing platformer, Ballgame hit all the marks.
Thank You Bus Driver
Double Fine Productions is now independent, and they’ve jumped straight back into lovable whimsy with Thank You Bus Driver. It’s a black-and-white game where you drive a bus around town, picking up an assortment of weirdos looking to get to different destinations. During rides, different rules would appear, forcing you to check the rearview mirror for a violation and turning around to slap or throw out anyone who was acting unwieldy. Evoking the feelings of The Simpsons: Road Rage, the charm was constant, the driving was reckless and silly, and I’m ready to see Double Fine get back to what they do best.
Truckful
Indie Games Poland was the next booth I sat down with, playing the next two titles on this list. Starting off first with a mysterious delivery game, Truckful.
Almost immediately upon sitting down, I could feel the influence from a personal favorite in Dredge. The spooky vibe, an ever-changing environment hiding dark terrors, and organizing items in a grid-based cargo hold all brought back memories of that other game, but Truckful’s twist on those touchstones kept me engaged on its own merits.
Controlling the truck felt physics-based, with upgrades to tires, suspension, and the like, making it easier to deliver boxes over the torn-up, bumpy roads of the game’s world. I would love to get it in time for the spooky season, as it would make the perfect fit as a fall game this year.
Valor Mortis
My second demo at the Indie Games Poland booth was Valor Mortis, a first-person souls-like taking place in a horror-inspired Napoleonic world. The combat was challenging as you’d expect, but parrying an enemy for a critical hit, shooting an enemy’s weak spot, and sidestepping attacks gave me the tools I needed to deal with the monsters that set upon me.
I loved the feel and the risk and reward felt perfectly balanced for the genre, and I wanted to explore more and discover what was really happening in the strange narrative. This one releases October 13, and the demo had me rushing to wishlist it the moment I stood up and walked away.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered
A bit of a throwback title, and one for the true ball-knowers as it was, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a love letter to a bonkers fighting game from the early 2000’s.
Being published by Atari, it was a joy to play this throwback, an arena fighting game featuring 12 Kaiju from the world of Toho. I played a one-v-one session and proceeded to toss Godzilla around a cityscape, picking up buildings as throwable objects, landing over-the-top dropkicks, and throwing massive haymakers to finally win the battle. It’s dumb fun at its most pure, beautifully remastered with quality-of-life improvements. I will be happy if Atari continues to bring back pieces of my childhood, in ways I remember them playing, for years to come.
TANUKI: Pon’s Summer
Last but not least, I headed over to check out a game I heard great things about during PAX East, TANUKI: Pon’s Summer.
You play as a Tanuki, working for the local post office, heading out to complete deliveries on your BMX bike, of course. What unravels is a game full of charm and goofiness, as you are able to perform tricks, à la Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, on your way to drop off important packages.
Once you’re finished hitting backflips off the small-town buildings, certain characters ask Pon to do extra tasks, such as sumo wrestling or cutting down trees to help an old man build a torii gate. Chill vibes, sick tricks, and a wacky cast of characters left me with a grin on my face, and another PAX West standout I’m keeping an eye on for release.
