PAX 2007: The Games

Here's the rundown of the games I played at PAX and how I felt about them. There are a number of other games I watched, but I'll keep those opinions to myself for now.


Recently Released Games

Overlord
Evil Pikmin. I never got very far in Pikmin 2 (the only Pikmin I own), but the joy of watching goblins wreck stuff would probably keep me playing Overlord for longer. It certainly kept the people watching me play it entertained. The lack of a map is a significant fun killer and time waster, though. I'd look around for a good FAQ or set of maps online before trying to have fun with this one.

Mario Strikers Charged
This was my favorite game of PAX. But it's also the only co-op I played at PAX, so that stands to reason. No game is as exciting as the crazy kids (Hey Tyson!) who scream and high five after every goal, especially if you're one of them. My big ass thumbs would often hit the home button when trying to pass under duress, and jumping up to the D-pad for sliding was awkward. Perhaps I should have rested my thumb on the D-pad, but that didn't feel right. Maybe my hands are just too big. Is anyone ever going to release first party controllers in more than one size?


Unreleased Games

Castle Crashers
I was never that thrilled about Castle Crashers. Then I played it. I'm still not thrilled, but I'm pleased. It's still impossible too see what's going on when the special attacks are flying, but it's a good casual game. Online co-op would be the big draw.

Conan
Hacking off appendages is fun. Doing the special kills when you parry at just the right time is cool (although I don't play enough Xbox to remember where the buttons are to pull them off regularly). The health jugs that Conan chugalugs to regain health are a nice touch. You do feel like your fighting the exact same guys over and over though.

De Blob
I played it twice. It's reminds me a little of Jet Grind Radio without the actual grinding. I didn't see much variety in the tasks you undertake, but then it was just a few minutes with a demo.

Lair
I couldn't get into the controls at all. There didn't seem to be any reason to not fly with the left thumbstick as it's only function (letting you look around) caused so much motion blur it was more harm than help. Also, constantly kicking your dragon for speed got old almost instantly. Maybe I just need more practice to get the feel of the game, but it's looking like Lair may well deserve that 6.5 from EGM.

Timeshift
I'd heard this game had a troubled development. It looked like one of the better FPS at the show to me, so it looks like they went back and did the right thing. At the end of the day, I predict fail for it though. It feels rather like Project: Snowblind, a competent effort without enough setting it apart to draw a big audience.

Turok
Killing stuff with a knife is fun. I'm hoping for a PC version. I'm rubbish at aiming with thumbsticks.

Metroid Prime 3
I was really worried after playing with the menus and reading the reviews of Red Steel that the Wiimote couldn't do shooters. The Prime 3 demo made me a believer. Sure, it's still a tich laggy, but it was good enough, and yanking robots out of the air with the grapple was cool. A lot of people take issue with it's linear design as opposed to the old exploration based Metroid games, but I got bored searching and quit every Metroid game I've played thus far, so it's all good for me.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Some people (mostly Shane Bettenhausen) are raving about this game. Why is that? Aiming is meh. The cover mechanics aren't anything new. The slo-mo during melee felt forced and out of place. Everything's so green it's easy to get turned around. (Did I miss some sort of goal indicator?) And your movement abilities aren't new or interesting. It looked nice, but not nearly nice enough to justify the hype.


Wrap Up

Despite the number of games I played at PAX, I don't feel like I played much of anything that was actually new. Even BioShock, the game everybody was talking about, is an evolutionary branch on the Looking Glass tree which goes all the way back to Ultima Underworld. That said, there were a lot of solid, fun titles I'll be happy to pick out of the bargain bin by the time the new console or PC I'll need to play them on is at a decent price point.