These PAX West games wear their inspirations on their sleeves, on their pants legs, and on neon headbands on their forehead.
Troy Dunham
Lies of P Has a Silly Gimmick, but the Core Gameplay is Perfect
I assumed that the Pinocchio gimmick was all Lies of P would have to offer, but after just a few hours it’s already my favorite non-From Souls-like!
Retro Revivals from PAX West 2023
PAX West 2023 featured a few games that throwback to a simpler time in gaming, but with some modern twists (for better or worse).
30XX Is Great, But Might Be a Bit Too Random
30XX is an immensely satisfying and easy-to-pick-up Megaman-like, but victory feels a bit too dependent on random ability upgrades.
AEW: Fight Forever’s New Stadium Stampede Mode is Perfectly Stupid
The Stadium Stampede matches in AEW are some of the dumbest things I’ve seen in professional wrestling, and the new game mode matches that tone wonderfully.
Garlic is a Precision Platformer Full of Meme Culture
Fans of Celeste will love the fast-paced platforming and clever level design in Garlic, as long as they can get past its weird sense of humor.
Blasphemous 2 is a Shockingly Good Sequel
Blasphemous was a brutally tough Metroidvania. The sequel hits just as hard in every way but with a smoother difficulty curve and an outstanding first act.
Sephonie is a Sleepy, Surreal 3D Adventure with a Slippery Twist that Falls Flat
The newest release from the makers of Anodyne is a 3D platformer with a slippery take on running and jumping that has me bouncing off of it.
Legend Bowl is a Slam Dunk for this Lapsed Sports Fan
I’m the last person in the world who’d ever end up on a Wheaties box, but Legend Bowl reminds me of playing NCAA Football with my older brother.
Lunark is Not Fun but I Really Liked It (I think)
Lunark is an absolutely amazing game that I had a horrible time playing, but I still liked it. I think.
