We all knew this was going to happen. I published my Day One post at 4am last night. Andrew and Jay didn’t even try to wake me (apparently they even communicated silently this morning to not disturb my slumber).
Like last year, I went to bed too late and got the con late today. 2pm to be exact.
Not that I’m complaining. My shower was long and hot and I took my time getting ready. I learned from yesterday’s mistakes and ate a big, fat Jimmy John’s Italian sub to carb-load for the day. And after that, I simply crossed the street to the expo hall’s side entrance and walked right inside. It really doesn’t get more convenient than that.
Saturday is always the busiest day of the con, and the floor is packed. The line for Dead Island 2 is already long so that demo opportunity is gone for today.
Looks like my last shot to try it out will be tomorrow morning. I need to be up early anyway so that I don’t miss lunch with my friends Chris & Grace, who Andrew and I will be meeting tomorrow for BBQ around the corner from the con.
While heading to coat check I pass by several of the lounges, all of them returning from prior years: Just Dance, the speed-running stage, and of course, the ever-beloved Jackbox lounge. Up on the speed-running stage is someone named AlphaDolphin doing Sonic Frontiers. Maybe Chris knows the name.
I happen to pass the Polish Games booth almost immediately on the con floor. This is a golden opportunity to try out WW2 Rebuilder, which Andrew told me has returned from last year. Andrew gave it a shot back then and received a very memorable pitch from its developers (“It’s not M-rated, we swear. Not M-rated at all.”).
I’m ashamed to admit that I really like this game. It’s in the same vein of House Flipper or Powerwash Simulator except the remodeling you do is of bombed-out Polish cities. You first need to clear rubble and buildings using tools like a shovel, a sledgehammer, or even a bulldozer, and then use the material you gather to reconstruct various damaged structures.
It’s satisfying in the same way that you get to see the fruits of your labor after a long Powerwash session. The transformation is beautiful, and your mind stays so perfectly occupied while you’re playing.
The only downside: No co-op. What a bummer. Shaina and I would have this game beat together in two weeks. I forget to ask the developers if it’s M-rated or not.
Nearby is a large booth for Focus Entertainment demoing a very large selection of their games. I spot a display for Atomic Heart, a game released earlier this year that I had pegged as a Game of the Year contender. Apparently it got some average reviews. Nonetheless, it’s not worth a line when I can just play it at home.
There are also displays for Void Crew and Aliens: Dark Descent. I believe Jared and Eric mentioned both last night (or I’m mixing up conversations), but the line is long so I’ll have to pass.
While at the booth I pick up a copy of A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS5) with exclusive cover art for 33% off. I skipped it’s sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem last year because I never played the first, but I couldn’t pass up such a great deal on a physical copy of the first, so maybe it’s time I give the series a shot.
By now I figure I would have bumped into the Gigabash booth, but I still haven’t spotted it. It’s time to cut to the chase. I’ve discovered that the map is next to useless for tracking down publishers, so now I’m just Googling “gigabash booth pax east 2023” to figure out where the hell it could be.
Turns out its the booth right behind Behemoth, which is nowhere near where it was previously indicated yesterday. At least I can kill two birds with one stone.
The game is exactly as I anticipated: A modern take on Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters!. However, in addition to a handful of licensed Godzilla kaiju, you can also play as off-brand versions of the Megazord, Ultraman, and the like. There is even a character called “Kongkrete” that is literally a building.
This is a damn fun party game. I bet Randall would love this for a Saturday or Alfred because he’s really into the Godzilla movies. Unfortunately it’s digital download only and costs full price ($60). Yikes. That’s a bit much for a party game that I’m not sure either will enjoy yet. Maybe some other time.
My next stop is obviously the Behemoth Booth. Randall was a bit let-down by their absence last year and the delayed release of Alien Hominid: Invasion (which I first played here back in 2020 when it was announced). I don’t play any the demos but just ask for some updates.
A nice woman named Sarah from marketing tells me that both issues are tied to the same cause: COVID. Ah, probably could have guessed that one, I suppose. The game is estimated for release later this year, and they’re hoping to return to their normal spot right by the base of the stairs next year.
“Most of the smart people are stuck working on code this year”, she tells me.
She hands me a free Alien Hominid sticker as a sign of good faith. I think Randall will appreciate the gesture.
Speaking of Randall, he sent me some requests for the Limited Run booth. They don’t have any of them, unfortunately. I nearly have a heart attack when I see the line for the booth, but apparently its for an autograph from the River City Girls devs and not the actual store.
Since I’m still inside the AAA section, I might as well take a peek at Dead Island 2, even if I can’t play it. Well, I can at least say the game looks nice. Whether or not it plays nice is another story. I doubt it’s going to blow folks minds, but I just need to score at least a 70, god damnit.
This morning Jay recommend I try out Backpack Hero, so it’s time I tried out that. A quick Google search shows that’s its being shown off at… the Polish Games booth. Go figure. Andrew asks if I want to meet him and Jay at the PAX Rising booth, but I let him know I need to check out Backpack Hero first.
The game is a combination of Darkest Dungeon with the inventory management of Resident Evil 4. You progress through a grid of rooms with monsters, and after you kill them its up to you to fit whatever they drop into your satchel. Leveling up actually lets you add spaces to your inventory grid, allowing you to fit in better gear that determines your stats in battle.
I pick up Andrew and Jay’s voices behind me. They’ve met me here. Right after we’re off to Xenotilt at the PAX Rising booth. I was very into Sonic Spinball and the Maxis pinball games as a kid, so I’m intrigued. To be honest, I completely forgot that digital pinball was even a genre, but there’s a lot you could do with it using the near-infinite compute resources of a modern PC.
Hot damn, this game looks fantastic. This might be one of the most polished looking PAX Rising titles I’ve ever seen. It’s clearly going for an H.R. Giger vibe. I like this. The fun thing about digital pinball is how much you can do that is impossible in the physical space. It’s also far more lenient than traditional pinball, which is designed to eat quarters (though Andrew thinks he still lost a ball cheaply).
Twenty minutes left on the clock. Just enough time to try a game called Big Boy Boxing that Andrew insists I have to see. Its only got a single station open, but its wide open for me to try. A few feet behind me, some girl is sitting next to an amp absolutely shredding on guitar.
Like many other games at the con this year, its a modern take on a classic game. This time its Mike Tyson’s Punchout. The animation is glorious, weaving bouncy, traditional animation techniques with pixelated graphics. There’s only one boss fight open, but scrolling through the full list shows dozens of fights. Incredible.
The girl behind me is still shredding. God damn, she is so good. If we didn’t have to leave, I could spend another hour just listening to her. I was hypnotized.
Andrew and I wrap up the day with a debrief and dinner at M.J. O’Connors. Apparently Andrew’s Guilty Gear tournament today was an absolute joke. Towards the end we spark conversation with a woman named Ava sipping wine at the table next to us. She talks to us about the Pokemon tournaments she’s been to at PAX. I think she and Shaina would hit it off if they ever met.
That’s it for today. Some boozy lesbians the next table over recognize me from last night. They offer me a sugary drink they got an extra of, but I unfortunately need to decline due to diabetes. Honestly, it’s just nice to see you aren’t the only asshole awake at 2am, so the company is still appreciated.
Tomorrow is the last day, and with lunch at noon I’ll have to be picky with my time at the con. Dead Island 2 is slated for the morning. After that, I think a visit to the Nintendo booth is overdue. We’ll see what I can do with the time I have left after that!