It’s no secret that PAX Aus is one of the most talked about events in Australian games industry calendar. With that being said, you can imagine it’s quite busy, with three days of non-stop action for fans from across the nation and the world. With an overwhelming amount of AAA titles, indie marvels and everything in between available for punters to send time with, I thought I would cover just five of my favourites experiences from this year’s PAX Aus.
5. Spin Rhythm, Super Entertainment
Yes I know it’s cheating as I’ve already covered this in my top 5 indie titles from this year, but this game is so damn good I just couldn’t resist including it in this list, it’s just that good. I love rhythm based games, and Spin Rhythm fits right in with its DJ Hero inspired feel complete with gorgeous neon aesthetics and a killer electronic soundtrack. Spinning a disc around in order to match the oncoming notes felt natural and intuitive and I simply cannot wait to dive back in and experience everything else Spin Rhythm has to offer.
4. Jump Force, Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
I’m not a huge anime or manga fan, but this is the game anime game I never knew I needed. Joining some of the most ell known anime characters from franchises such as Dragonball Z, One Piece and Naruto to celebrate the 50th anniversary of popular manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump seems like a no brainer. From the small slice I played, I can safely say the combat mechanics are as frantic and chaotic as they seem in their respective shows, and that’s a good thing. There may be a slight learning curve in order to adapt to such a blistering pace, but it all seems worth it in the name of authenticity. Let the battle begin.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo
2. Kingdom Hearts III, Square Enix
Make no mistake, we’ve all been waiting for this game for a really, really long time. While I haven’t delved into the world of Kingdom Hearts for quite some time, I was more than eager to jump back in, and boy am I glad I did. With two stages to choose from , either a Toy Story themed exploratory mission or a Hercules themed boss battle, i naturally chose the latter, personally wanting an insight into the combat mechanics. To say I was impressed was an understatement. Gorgeous visuals, and epic score and accessible yet deep combat mechanics combined almost flawlessly, as I battled a giant colossus along a mountainside. Please hurry up Kingdom Hearts III, now I actually know what I’m missing out on.
1. Resident Evil 2, Capcom
This was well and truly worth the wait. I haven’t played the original Resident Evil 2 since the days of the original Playstation so my memory is a little hazy. But after a couple minutes with it, I can safely say that this remake is no joke. While the Resident Evil series has faltered over the past few years, losing its identity with Resident Evil 6 and morphing its vision with Resident Evil 7, I can safely say that Resident Evil 2 takes what reinvigorated the series in Resident Evil 4 and pairs it with a sense of dread and true horror not seen since the series’ early days. Scary, tense and engrossing, I can’t wait to jump back into Racoon City once more.
