The Penny Arcade Expo (aka PAX) is a gaming convention that started in 2004, and has since grown to become one of the most popular conventions in the industry. What started as a single annual event has turned into an international series of expos. Presently, there is PAX Prime (held in Seattle, Washington), PAX South (San Antonio, Texas), PAX Aus (Melbourne, Australia), and of course PAX East (Boston, Massachusetts) each year, with rumors of another venue in the works.
This year, PAX East took over the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for a weekend to celebrate gaming culture. In this article — Part 1 of a 3-part recap series — we’ll be highlighting the best games from the event. Without further ado, here are The Best Games of PAX East 2016:
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Pit People
Developed by The Behemoth, the maker’s of such popular hits as Castle Crashers and BattleBlock Theater, the team’s latest project is attempting a feat no previous game has been able to accomplish. Pit People is a tactical strategy game, and if that series of words makes no sense to you, you represent a large portion of the world. Strategy games aren’t typically very accommodating of people who haven’t played strategy games before, which makes them hard to play and difficult to be interested in.
Where Pit People makes its mark is by being the first strategy game that is not only accessible, but also incredibly fun for both non-gamers and avid gamers alike. Amassing an army of colorful, whimsical, and above all, silly characters while in the constant company of a hysterically maniacal narrator is an experience unlike any other. At PAX East, Pit People showed off a two-player cooperative option for the first time, which means that you and your non-gaming partner can experience all the fun together. For more information about the game, be sure to visit the official Pit People website.
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows
According to the team at Witching Hour Studios, Masquerada is a “colorfully grim song of masked deception, set amid a Venetian-inspired city haunted by the shadows of civil war, misplaced faith and fey manifestations.” The “Fey” are a type of monster plaguing the city. Gameplay-wise, Masquerada is a pause-for-tactics role-playing game (RPG); which in non-gamer speak means you literally have the ability to pause the game to choose combat actions.
The game had a playable demo at PAX (which will be uploaded to the digital gaming service Steam within the next week or so to try for free) which gave a fair introduction to both combat, setting, and the characters that players will journey alongside. What makes Masquerada so impressive is that the small team behind it aren’t expert game makers. And for a team that hasn’t been making games for very long, the level of polish and enjoyment Masquerada offers is nothing short of praiseworthy. You can see more on the website.
SEVEN: The Days Long Gone
If your eyes glazed over from seeing “tactical strategy game,” make sure you’re sitting down for this next part. SEVEN is dizzyingly classified as a non-linear, sandbox, 3D isometric RPG. (Wait, don’t click away yet!) Basically, you choose where you want to go and which activities you want to complete in any order you like.
The small team at Fool’s Theory is made up of ex-CD Projekt RED developers; their recent work includes the massively popular game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. One of the greatest parts of SEVEN is that players can climb on top of just about everything. If your objective is to get inside a building, there are usually a half dozen ways to do it. Whether that means finding a secret underground tunnel, scaling adjacent buildings and jumping onto the roof before working your way inside, using a lockpick to open a window, or pickpocketing a guard for his keys and walking in through the front door, SEVEN is all about player choice, and being sneaky. Check it out at http://seven-game.com/en/.
Dead Years
Much pop culture content centers around the apocalypse, but few answer the most important question: What happened to our pets? Dead Years is an action-adventure game by ZeroByte Inc.; it tells the story of a young girl and (wo)man’s best friend on a journey of survival; one filled with danger, limited supplies and, presumably, a fair bit of belly scratching. Both the girl and her canine companion have independent skill trees; as they gain experience surviving in the world, they unlock new abilities to make their journey a bit easier.
If you like to collect things, you’ll be ecstatic to hear that Dead Years allows players to constantly scavenge for items and resources that can then be crafted (i.e. repurposed) into survival gear and food. Both the girl and the dog can wear armor, while the girl can wield close combat weapons and guns. After a virus outbreak turns most of the world hostile, the two work to survive. To learn more about Dead Years, be sure to visit the official website.
Want to see more highlights from the best New Jersey events? Catch up on our recap series, The Best of!
Hero (Top) Feature Image: © Vinny Parisi / Best of NJ
Additional Media (Screenshots & Trailers) Courtesy:
Pit People / The Behemoth
Masquerada / Witching Hour Studios
SEVEN / Fool’s Theory
Dead Years / ZeroByte Inc.
