6 Things We Learned At PAX East 2017
PAX East 2017 has come to a conclusion, and we’re still trying to gather ourselves. With hit games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Resident Evil 7 already raising the bar for the year early on, you’d think there wouldn’t be much left to be excited about. The opposite is true, as 2017 is shaping up to be one of the most important years in gaming history. Amongst an enthusiastic crowd, develops and publishers as big as Sony, Bethesda and Nintendo showed off their big guns, while the little guys at the Indie Megabooth contributed their fair share of excellent gaming experiences at PAX. We’ve rounded up six standout points we learned at this year’s Penny Arcade.
Guardians of the Galaxy Is Getting The Tell Tale Treatment
Tell Tale Games announced this weekend that they will be bringing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy to consoles, PC and mobile devices in the early spring. In the wake of an epic battle, the Guardians discover an artifact of unspeakable power. Each of them has a reason to desire this relic, as does a ruthless enemy who is the last of her kind, and who will stop at nothing to tear it from their hands. The brand new story will feature the unlikely heroes Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot, following them from Earth to the Milano to Knowhere and beyond.
The series will feature a star-studded cast of voice talent, including Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series) as Star-Lord, Emily O’Brien (The Young and the Restless, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor) as Gamora, Nolan North (the Uncharted series, Pretty Little Liars) as Rocket, Brandon Paul Eells (Watch Dogs) as Drax, and Adam Harrington (The Wolf Among Us, League of Legends) as Groot.
Yooka Laylee Is A Dream Come True
At PAX East’s Indie Megabooth, Yooka Laylee proved to be one of the most popular destinations as players gathered around eager for fifteen minutes with the new game from Team17. Playing the game, it certainly brings back memories of Banjo Kazooie on Nintendo 64, and putting the controller down after the demo wasn’t easy. The game is less than a month away, and fans were itching for more in the crowd.
The Nintendo Switch Will Make You Believe in Love At First Sight
We got our hands on a Switch at Nintendo’s booth, and it felt sleek and natural. We jumped into some Mario Kart 8 and Bomberman, but we were lucky since we got there early. The rest of the weekend had three hour waiting lines for demos, but it didn’t matter. The Switch is a delight, and you could see many attendants of all kinds playing the hybrid console while waiting in lines, charging their phones, or hanging out with friends. The console is more than just a Zelda machine.
Mass Effect Andromeda Looks Incredible
Gameplay was smooth, the environments were gorgeous, and the game looks massive. The booth never slowed down, and Andromeda is poised to fulfill the space void we’ve had since Mass Effect 3 five years ago.
Quake Is In Good Hands With Bethesda
We’re at a point in the history of video games where reboots and remakes are becoming more and more common and expected. Quake is no different, and the return to multiplayer with Quake Champions is evidence of that. You can sign up for closed beta now here.
Indies Are A Big Deal
The Indie Megabooth featured a plethora of great games that shouldn’t go ignored. The list of 85 featured the likes of Night in the Woods, Northgard, Bleed 2, and much more. Check out the list at PAX’s Indie Megabooth website–there’s way too much to talk about here alone.
