PAX East ‘22: Day Three Highlights
Third time’s the charm, particularly when it comes to our third day at PAX East 2022. In today’s segment, we take a look at five games that had us playing golf for your survival, beat up some bad guys as a turtle, and change the fabric of reality with your memories.
Cursed to Golf
Chuhai Labs | Thunderful Games
After being involved in a freak accident at an international golfing tournament, the only way to win back your shot - and consequently your life - is to play through the dungeon-like holes of Golf Purgatory. The levels are beautifully designed 2D pixel art and 2D levels, which threw me through a loop on what I expected a golf game to encompass. Similar to the PAX West 2021 experience, the goal is to complete various levels within a given amount of strokes. However, there are various hazards, side objectives, and creative abilities that will keep you on your toes. The gameplay was solid, but pretty brutal - which only emphasizes its likelihood in being a great roguelite during each run. Cursed to Golf is planned for PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch ‘soon’.
Demon Throttle tells the story of a beautiful vampires and dusty gunslinger on a quest for vengeance against a demon that stole her mystical chalices and slept with his estranged wife. This NES-inspired auto-scroller game exudes old school shooter with punchy combat and nostalgic vibes. The game dev and I were able to beat the four main levels of the game during our time and it was an absolute blast. However, despite us rolling credits, there are tons of secrets, optional bosses, and a true ending to hunt and find. What makes Demon Throttle even more nostalgic is that it can ONLY be played with a physical Nintendo Switch cartridge. Demon Throttle is set to release in summer of 2022, exclusively on Nintendo Switch cartridge.
You can reserve a copy of Demon Throttle here
This round of orders ends on April 25th, 2022. Copies are not limited, and will open back up once the carts are manufactured and begin shipping later this summer.
Elements
WreckIt Games | Apogee Entertainment
Developed by WreckIt Games, Elements is an open-world fantasy game that takes Breath of the Wild into a new lens. The demo for PAX East 2022 is a new version compared to what I played in PAX West 2021, so I was excited to check what has changed. In this version, I was able to combat several types of enemies, acquire magical abilities, and even fight a boss-level rival. The beautiful world looks much more dynamic with enemies and gives you a bit more to do. This was a fun game to see some new progression in development, and I’m delighted to see the final product down the line. Elements is planned for a PC release in 2023.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back with a precise, engaging, and downright fun side scrolling brawler. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, up to four players can take the mantle as one of the turtles, April O'Neil, or Master Splinter to bash through the Foot Clan’s ranks and save Manhattan from doom. The two levels I played during the demo were incredibly fun and captivating to play. Combat, the most important element in this genre of games, flowed easily with precision to attacks, fun special moves, and silly animations from the enemies. The audio and visuals of this game shine through as well, with plenty of references from the classic cartoon and brawlers of the ‘80s to keep fans engaged and reminiscent. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is coming to PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch in Summer 2022.
Wishlist Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge on Steam
RE:CALL
maitan69 | Whitethorn Games
One of my favorite sleeper games at PAX East 2022 is a 2D pixel mind-bending puzzle game, RE:CALL. As the game begins, you see a character being interrogated by an opposing opponent, along with a green-costumed henchman with a gun behind you both. The opponent begins to ask you questions that are difficult to answer, but as you struggle through deciding the answers on the screen, the game flashes you back to the past to the exact moment and decisions that you just answered. If you said you end up killing the green-costumed henchman in your past memories, then the game flash forwards to the present where the henchmen slumps down to his death. This push-and-pull of past memories and immediate future outcomes is such a wild high concept that really pushed my wrap my head around everything. RE:CALL is planned for a 2022 release on PC.
For more of our day three impressions, listen to our PAX East ‘22 Day Three Breakdown episode of the Six One Indiecast. And of course, check back here for highlights from the rest of the weekend!
Written by Harry Loizides