The Best Games of PAX West 2017
All games great and small
Another PAX West has come and (almost) gone, and the city of Seattle will feel a little lonely until next year. Until then, there are a ton of great games on the horizon, and gamers got to go hands-on with a lot of them at the convention. Whether you’re looking for the biggest budget AAA titles or small, unpredictable indie fare, PAX West had something perfect for you. Here are some of the games you’ll want to keep an eye on.Image Credit: PAX
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Assassin’s Creed Origins looked good when it debuted at E3, and its PAX West build looked even better. In 49 BCE, three civilizations collide: traditional Egyptians, Ptolemaic Greeks and encroaching Romans. At the center of it all is Bayek: an Assassin trying to navigate history’s murky waters. The world in Assassin’s Creed Origins is enormous, the combat feels fresh and exciting, and the reconstructed ancient Egyptian cities are just what fans have wanted to see for years.Image Credit: Ubisoft
Battle Chef Brigade
Combine Iron Chef with Bejeweled, dress it all up in a pencil-sketch anime style, and what do you get? Well, you might get very confused; Trinket Studios got Battle Chef Brigade. This cooking sim/puzzle game/side-scrolling brawler stars Mina Han: an aspiring chef who must challenge a variety of competitors, including orcs and demons, in a cooking show to last the ages. The game’s bizarre balance of action, puzzle and simulation aspects make it compulsively playable, and the art is simply gorgeous.Image Credit: Trinket Studios
Brass Tactics
“Virtual reality” and “real-time strategy” may not seem like they go together, but Brass Tactics makes it feel like the most natural fit in the world. You’ll challenge your opponent on a wooden tabletop, but you’ll compete with fully mobile infantry, cavalry, archers and siege weapons rather than static miniatures. Collecting resources and upgrading units are only the beginning, as you’ll need to constantly expand your territory in order to construct a full range of buildings. The tight gameplay and impressive visuals make this one worth checking out.Image Credit: Oculus
Final Fantasy XV (PC)
To be perfectly honest, the Final Fantasy XV PC demo was not perfect. The frame rate was a little jittery, which, in turn, made combat feel slightly stilted. But getting Final Fantasy X – one of the best games of 2016 – in front of a whole new audience is its own reward. When the game is complete, it will offer full 4K resolutions, frame rates of 60 fps (hopefully!) and full support for mice and keyboards, for the old guard who disdain controllers.Image Credit: Square Enix
High Hell
High Hell is one of those games that you need to play in order to understand its appeal. It’s a madcap, zany first-person shooter, in which both you and your opponents die in one hit. The result is a fast-paced, breathless experience with a distinctive red-and-gray color palette, and an abstract, minimalist story where anything goes. From burning piles of money to mowing down mind-controlled chimpanzees, High Hell is pure kinesthesia in video game form, and as such, it’s incredibly hard to put down.Image Credit: Devolver Digital
Kingdom: Two Crowns
Kingdom came out of nowhere to become an indie darling, and Kingdom: Two Crowns builds on its winning formula. The basics haven’t changed too much since its first iteration: You play as a king (or queen) in a pixelated fantasy world with a horse, a crown, a few coins, and no instructions. It’s up to you to figure out how to build and defend your kingdom – and in Two Crowns, you don’t have to do it alone. Two players can now tackle Kingdom together, making the adventure even more enjoyable.Image Credit: Raw Fury
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm
Life Is Strange entranced fans with its strong characters and trippy time-travel mechanics. In Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, Square Enix is betting that fans will still love the game, even without time travel – and it seems like the company is right. The game winds the clock back three years before the events of the initial game and lets you play as teenager Chloe Price. Chloe must navigate life and love, death and disillusionment – and the choices you make along the way matter a lot.Image Credit: Square Enix
Monster Hunter: World
The Monster Hunter series, long a handheld staple, is about to make a big splash on consoles. In Monster Hunter: World, four players team up to take down all sorts of gigantic birds, beasts, dinosaurs and dragons. Having a full party to hunt monsters rather than going it solo changes the whole experience, encouraging players to work together and try out different combinations of weapons and abilities. Tracking your quarry and engaging it in battle is as satisfying as always, with the added fun of sharing the victory with friends.Image Credit: Capcom
Pokken Tournament DX
Like Mario Kart 8, Pokken Tournament is a Wii U cult classic that’s about to get a second life on the Nintendo Switch. Pokken Tournament DX is a fighting game that lets players take control of various Pokémon, then pit them against one another in 3D battlefields with fast-paced punches, kicks and special moves. The game’s cast is half the fun, including Mewtwo, Lucario, and Pikachu dressed like a luchador. The big draw is the pick-up-and-play nature of the Switch, letting players duke it out anywhere at a moment’s notice.Image Credit: Nintendo
Yono and the Celestial Elephants
Traditional Zelda-style games are all the rage on the indie scene, but how many of them star elephants? Yono and the Celestial Elephants is the only one I can think of. In this isometric action/adventure game, you’ll take control of Yono: a small, helpful elephant who uses his brains, his brawn and his prehensile trunk to solve puzzles and fight off deadly enemies. The gameplay is tight and the challenges are clever, but the game’s gentle humor and its adorable art style are what set it apart.Image Credit: Neckbolt