Friday:
My first day at the con started off great! Because of the lower attendance this year, finding parking that was reasonably priced was easy.
Getting an early start in the expo hall, I was excited to try out Monster Hunter World. Luckily there was not a big line yet, though that would soon change . This was easily one of the biggest highlights this year. The game felt true to its Monster Hunter name, relying on teamwork for those harder beasts. Unfortunately my voice was gone for the better part of the weekend making my communications not as good in the game. Luckily there were others in our game that I could count on. The controls felt natural, making the game feel inviting even to those new to the franchise.
After demoing Monster Hunter I made my way to Divinity Original Sin 2. One of the things I enjoyed most from this game was the immersive storyline. It almost seemed like the 20 minute demo was not enough. The game play was fun and did not take away from the story!
At this point of the day I was getting a bit hungry. Checking out the concessions, I was met with exorbitant prices. Luckily there were many places walking distance that I could grab a bite at. If you are looking for more of that authentic San Antonio experience, I completely recommend checking out the Riverwalk.
Back to the con I next went to demo Dauntless. This game was one of the highlights of the weekend. Having tried out the game last year, I was happy to see the improvements that had been made. Between new behemoths and weapons, the game has definitely come far. I love the customization of the game. While playing, the words “Become the behemoth,” echoed loudly in my head. This is a game I can’t wait for open beta which is coming out later this year.
Saturday
Waiting in the queue line to get in, I was struck with how few people were in line. This year seemed to not get the numbers that last year had. I was excited to make my way to the Obsidian booth to take a look at Pillars of Eternity II Deadfire. Being an RPG nut myself, I was particularly keen on seeing some of the changes from the first game to this one. While enjoyable, I felt that there was a lot of fine tuning this game would need. On the plus side, the customization was amazing! The character creation offered much, even considering other games in the genre. This was one of the most appealing features of the game!
After looking around the expo hall some more, I decided to walk around and see what else PAX had to offer. From the tabletop area to the arena, I found that there was a lot more I could do. I was able to paint my own miniature, something I look forward to each year. The tabletop area offered many board games you can try for free. This was a great way to try out some of those games you’ve always been curious about before buying them.
Sunday
Excited to try out a few indie games that caught my eye, I made sure to get there early to get as much out of the day as I could. Finding my way to a game called At Sundown, I was drawn to what seemed a simple game. What I didn’t notice was the nuances that went with it. Keeping track of where your character is, is just as important as anticipating what your opponent will do. Taking a walk towards the tinyBuild area, I got to check out Hello Neighbor and Streets of Rogue. Both games caught my attention last year, so it was nice seeing the transformation that each made.
Overall there were many highlights this year. While the con was smaller all around, the excitement and anticipation made the event enjoyable as always. With the indie scene growing each year, I am eager to see who they will attract in the future. Maybe we will see some new titles next year!
