5 Of The Coolest Things I Saw at PAX West 2023 - Day 1
By: Mithrandiel
Another PAX West is now well underway, and as I wandered the show floor(s) yesterday I was once again reminded of why I love this show so much. The passion of the devs, the unique ideas and subversion of expectations and tropes…it’s just a great time overall.
With so much to see, it can be hard to pick just 5 things to spotlight, but here are a handful of demos and products that caught my eye:
Prince of Persia - The Lost Crown [Demo]
Ever since I saw the announcement trailer for this game, I wanted to get my hands on it. The gameplay looked smooth and it seemed like a cool way of bringing back this iconic property after a hiatus of over a decade.
Running through the demo, I was delighted to confirm that the gameplay feels as good as it looks. Dashing, wall jumping, switching between your melee and ranged attack methods, parrying…it doesn’t take long for you to start feeling like a one man army.
The environments are also rich, making me hopeful for an array of lush landscapes when the full game comes out.
If you’re at PAX, make sure to stop by Ubisoft’s booth (in the Arch building) and give this game a try!
Animal Well [Demo]
An 8-bit styled platformer with an aesthetic equal parts haunting and calming, Animal Well grabbed my attention the moment I passed by the booth.
A station became available almost immediately and as I sat down and put on the headset, I was instantly transported from the hustle and bustle of the PAX show floor to the stillness of a pixelated room. As I moved my protagonist, an otherwise unassuming blob-like creature, I felt the slight rustle of the grass. Finding a nearby ladder, I began to climb, and the 8-bit sound effects of ascending the ladder released a flood of dopamine as I savored the nostalgia that this game had to offer in just the first 30 seconds of play.
The game is essentially a puzzler/platformer, but there’s definitely something very special about the world being built here. Make sure to check out Animal Well on Steam, and if you’re at PAX - give the demo a try!
Stellar Watch [Demo]
Tower defense games are my jam. I sunk countless hours into games like Pixeljunk monsters and Kingdom Rush, but after a while it can start to feel a bit one-note. That’s why I was intrigued by Stellar Watch: a space-themed tower defense game that has you install defense nodes/towers in a sort of fixed position around your ship, except you can rotate the nodes as though they are in orbit.
Of course, variables like black holes can complicate your best-laid plans, so there’s a unique approach to the strategy there. Overall, it definitely has my attention, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on this game.
Lethal Shadows Custom Minis [Tabletop Product]
Have you found it frustrating when you’re searching for just the right mini for an upcoming D&D session, but nothing you find is just quite right? Exploring the tabletop section in the Summit hall, I came across Lethal Shadows’ booth, where hundreds of wonderfully detailed minis, covering a breadth of styles and themes, were on display.
Particularly ingenious is the way the minis are secured to the shelves using magnets - that way attendees can still enjoy the detail work without worrying about toppling over everything on a shelf due to an errant arm-swing.
If you’re at PAX, make sure to check out their booth, but otherwise you can find their merchandise here.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R [Demo]
Back in 1998, Star Ocean: The Second Story originally came out. A sweeping space opera featuring a dozen characters, numerous endings, and an addictive, action-oriented combat system, it remains a standout hit from the Playstation era alongside classics like Legend of Dragoon and Valkyrie Profile. Unfortunately for the trajectory of Star Ocean, Final Fantasy VII had set a course for 3D RPGs and much of the genre went full speed ahead, leaving behind what might have been if the Star Ocean franchise expanded on the design philosophy behind Second Story.
Then, back in June, Square Enix gave me the shock of a lifetime: an announced remake for Star Ocean: The Second Story, in the HD-2D format that has endeared fans to games like Octopath Traveler II.
Square Enix brought the demo to PAX West, and after spending 15 minutes with it yesterday I am falling back in love with the game all over again. The superb blend of the sprites and gorgeous 3d environments is a wonderful revitalization of the game, and its layered combat system and item creation mechanics are sure to win over a swath of new fans.
The game is due out in just two short months, so mark your calendars for November 2nd!
There are a number of other games and products that I’ll be sharing more on as the weekend goes on, but in the meantime, I hope this gives you some idea of what PAX West has to offer this year.
Now, back to the show!
