It seems like it has become tradition; me going to PAX South each year. Far before I even started to write for SKNR, I was pulled towards this event. PAX South wasn’t my first PAX, but it is the one I’ve come to love. From cute cosplays, hoards of indie devs and even that old Texan charm, PAX South is a con all of its own. Located in downtown San Antonio at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the location is definitely part of its appeal. You have the beautiful and lively riverwalk, a mall just a skip a way, and of course, a Texas favorite, Whataburger. If you’re ever in the area, I promise you it is worth the stop. Parking was never really a problem, even on Saturday, by far the busiest day. All of these would culminate to a wonderful weekend.
One thing you can count on with PAX, is that each year will be different from the last. Walking into the exhibition hall on that first day holds a very unique feeling. Your eyes light up with excitement. You get a sense of almost being overwhelmed, but at the same time knowing you can tackle it all. The day was off to a good start.
First stop was Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, boy did it take me back. I’ve always been a big fan of the Resident Evil franchise, yeah, there have been some hiccups along the way, but it doesn’t stop me from playing most of the games. This installment was everything I could hope for. Beefed up graphics and smoother gameplay, my attention was definitely caught. If you haven’t checked out the trailer, I would highly suggest you do so.
Next I checked out Sony’s new game, Days Gone. I was able to play a survival mode, though not as successfully as I would have hoped. I can tell you from experience, it’s not one of those games where you can waltz your way though, you’ve actually got to use your other resources. Between traps and other means, it achieves that feeling of urgency and resourcefulness. All around, I’m excited to see all that this game has in store.
Jump Force sure made a big splash this year. An ambitious mash-up of some of manga’s favorite characters in a 3-D styled fighting game. It was definitely one of the highlights of the con. The gameplay seemed very natural lending to the overall quality of the game. This is definitely a good way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Weekly Jump Magazine.
tinyBuild had a lot of good games to show this year. Of course there was Secret Neighbor which is basically a multiplayer hide and seek version of their hit game Hello Neighbor. I also got to demo out Totally Reliable Delivery Service. I know it sounds… interesting, but it was a fun concept that was executed pretty well. It is a ragdoll physics game about, you guessed it, delivering packages.
Being a fan of board games, I was excited to see that North Star Digital Studio’s was bringing Evolution to the PC. Automating much of the tediousness from the game, I felt a lot more relaxed while playing. You can play both against friends or bots in a story mode. If you’re looking for a fun strategy game, then this would be right for you.
Of course, it isn’t just pc and console games that give PAX its charm, there is so much more.I see all of the charity booths and think about the difference “just a gamer” can make. Next time you’re at a con, take a second out of your day and talk to some of these individuals.
Among the gaming and merch booths out there, Mercury Learning aimed at attracting a different type of audience. With books meant to teach the individual in many different fields, it is perfect for those emerging indie game developers out there.
Then there is also the board games. When I say board games, I’m not talking about your grandma’s monopoly, I’m talking about complexly beautiful works of interactive art. Ok, that might be a bit much, but tabletop games really aren’t what they used to be. The tabletop area is perfect for those looking to explore new games without having to dish out all of the money before trying them out. Plus, it was nice to sit down for a bit.
Something interesting I noticed this year was the fact that Twitch was not present. This year, instead, the streaming platform Mixer was there. Does this show a trend in Mixer’s growth? I guess we shall see who’ll be present next year, I know I’m curious.
The weekend went just as planned. I shared many laughs with individuals from across the country, I traded Pinny Arcade Pins with pinny pals I never thought I’d meet, I had fun. And isn’t that what we all really want. I wish I could say that I took it all in, but, in the end, you can’t. That’s why there’s always next year, to try again, fail, but love doing so.
