IDOLxISxDEAD
Another day at PAX West 2022 has come and gone, and we got a chance to play several other new games today, and just like yesterday, we got a chance to sit down for exclusive play sessions and discussions with the developers of the games to learn about what these games are all about and get a better idea of what we can expect from the full releases in the (mostly near) future.
Here’s a rundown of what we got to check out on the floor today:
Slave Zero X
First up was getting to try out Slave Zero X, a follow-up to the Dreamcast game, Slave Zero, from 1999 that was just announced about 2 months ago, and we got to play a good amount of gameplay today. This time, they’ve made the game into a 2.5D dark, violent and dystopian side scrolling hack-and-slash game, with some amazing gameplay and style for days. With 2D combat that feels reminiscent of Devil May Cry, Oneechanbara, and BlazBlue all rolled together, we were absolutely addicted to the gameplay here.
We’ll be following this release and covering it as development progresses, but from the 45 minutes we got to play today, this one quickly shot up the most wanted list. Check it out on Steam and wishlist if this looks like your kind of game!
Mirror Forge
Next for the day was an upcoming title from our friends at Dread XP called Mirror Forge. We got to check out 30 minutes of an exclusive PAX West gameplay demo that’s very different from the publicly available demo currently on Steam. This game is already feeling pretty unique for a first-person horror title, mixing in elements of mysterious mirrors, creepy cosmic horror, terrifying enemies, satisfying puzzles, and some oppressive environments and sound design.
We’ll be following this more in the future and can’t wait to check out the full game once it drops later this year. Check it out on Steam now and keep an eye on this one.
System Shock Remake
For our next hands-on session, we got to play the new gameplay demo for the System Shock remake, and this was quite a treat. Using the source code from the original game as a base and starting to build upon and improve the visuals, sound, controls, and small details for the modern game market and player expectations, while still keeping the visuals old school with fairly low-res textures makes this feel like a new experience but one that’s wholly faithful to the original at the same time.
They’ve been working closely with the original devs from Looking Glass Studios to make this experience as satisfying as possible for all players, new and old, and it definitely feels like they’ve struck a great balance that only enhances the game from all sides.
It was great to finally get hands-on with an updated build and feel it for ourselves, and this is shaping up to be a fantastic experience. Stay tuned for more updates as they work towards completion and we can finally get this in our hands. Head over to Steam now to wishlist or pre-order the game now.
No Return
The last game for the day at PAX was No Return, a first-person horror title set in modern China, with a story about family issues and cultural traditions.
This feels in line with games like Devotion, with unique cultural horror elements and repeated exploration of a past family home that warps and twists as your memories come back to you. Check it out on Steam now.
We got to try out a great set of games today, and we’ve got another pretty packed day with lots of new gameplay impressions coming tomorrow as well, so check back again for some of those updates and check out our Facebook page for live updates from the floor at PAX West.
