Preview by: Justin Amirkhani
In addition to all the big name publishers, PAX East is host to plenty of fantastic independent and student projects. Along with the PAX 10 indie showcase there were plenty of great games shown off at this year’s convention. Keep an eye on these projects through the coming months; these are the games that will be causing a stir in the download scene later this year.
Bastion
Action adventure games are a dime a dozen on the XBLA and PSN, but with an impressionist-light hand-painted art style and an Alan Wake-esque interactive narrator, Bastion brings something new to the genre. As your hero traverses the dream-like world, the map builds itself around him as walkways and obstacles literally assemble from the sky. It may sound overly complicated but it acts like a traditional fog of war mechanic, albeit much more creative.
The combat feels like a classic Zelda game, but more fluidly allows you to balance ranged and melee attacks. It’s the narration though that sets Bastion apart. As you act within the world, fighting, failing, and finding items, a soulful narrator provides exposition to the actions as if telling a story in the past-tense. Bastion played well and has the visuals to match. Taking bold new steps in a tired genre, the post-show buzz was definitely earned.
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smiles
Visceral and gory are not words often used to describe XBLA action-platformers, but there are few other words capable of encompassing The Dishwasher: Vampire Smiles. As the follow-up to Xbox Live Indie Games champion Ska Studio’s The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, this sequel shows a remarkable growth over the original. While the demo at PAX retained all fluidity and fun of the original’s combat, there seems to be an added level of polish and complexity to the visuals. Characters have more detailed animation and the explosive effects radiate all over the screen.
Talking to creator James Silva on the floor it seems that the sequel has a much more evolved narrative, mirroring that of The Count of Monte Cristo. A highlight of the demo was when the final boss tried to take his own life rather than let the player end him; a counter to the over-powered villains of most games and a statement about cowardice behind corruption.
