There are so many good games to play at PAX South. From AAA game developers like Nintendo to the tiniest game studio started by a guy in his garage, this convention has everything. I’ve spent this week covering the show floor, trying to get as much hands-on time with as many games as possible. You never know what game might take off– out of the dozens of games, one could be the next Minecraft diamond in the rough.
I’ve compiled a list of the favorite games I played at PAX South. Some I’ve already covered, but others were just little surprises that completely caught me off guard. Here are the top three games I played this weekend. This doesn’t mean they are the “overall best games ever,” but they were the ones I had the most fun with on the show floor.
Dauntless
I’ve already gushed about this game before, but I need to do it again. Dauntless is the western Monster Hunter that I never knew my life was missing. The visuals are gorgeous, the gameplay is top-notch and it’s got owl bears. On Sunday, I went back to the Phoenix Labs booth and got to see their newest monster, a crystal dragon that reminded me of an ankylosaurus. It could shoot up crystal spires out of the ground and had a roll attack that knocked you down. My jaw hit the floor – everything about that beast was magnificent.
I need Dauntless in my life ASAP.
Brawlout
I suck at fighting games, but still love Super Smash Bros. Melee . But unless I’m playing Samus and just spamming projectiles, I’ll usually just get my face kicked in. Brawlout is a party fighter like Smash , but tones down the rules just a bit. There are no shields or recoveries (though I was told those might get added later on), just your hero smacking up to three other players off the stage.
Olaf Tyson, a walrus with a penguin on his shoulder, was my favorite to play. He could shoot balls of ice that froze opponents and create an ice wall under him to keep enemies contained or stop yourself from falling off a cliff. Brawlout is in open beta right now and will be coming to Xbox One and Playstation 4 over the summer.
Liquid Metal
Tucked away in a corner of the PAX South convention floor, I found Liquid Metal . Created by one guy with a passion for video game making, this platformer has you taking control of a robot who needs to save his electronic friends. He does this by slaughtering humans, who have decided to invade his little home. The people in this game all sound like generic “surfer bros” or Matthew Mcconaughey in Fast Times At Ridgemont High . It sounds tacky, but it’s actually really funny.
I kept finding myself coming back to this booth, just watching that robot jump on platforms and punch people. I’ve been sorely missing a good 3D platformer since Ginger: Beyond The Crystal left such a bad taste in my mouth and Liquid Metal could scratch that itch. I’ll be supporting this game on Kickstarter because this game deserves a chance at life.
