Displaying items by tag: pax west 2016

During PAX west we stopped in with our friends at The Behemoth, the same people who brought us Castle Crashers and got to play their new title, Pit People, an upcoming turn-based strategy game. Pit People takes a spin on what we have seen in other typical turn-based games with some unique changes that makes it stand out from the rest.

From the creator of the Clock Tower game series, director Hifumi Kono and the director of the Ju-on (The Grudge) Takashi Shimizu comes Project Scissors: NightCry from Japanese video game developers, Nude Maker and Playism. This year at PAX West, I got to play a quick demo of this game. The game plays like Resident Evil, but has the feel of a Japanese horror movie that will have you by the edge of your seat.

Through the Woods by Antagonist began as a Kickstarter, and it will soon be coming to Steam as their debut game. During PAX West 2016, I got to play the demo and had a quick Q&A with the staff behind Through the Woods. First, let me begin by setting the story. Through the Woods revolves around the story of a mother in search of her missing son in a forest on the western shore of Norway. The game plays in third-person, and the mother narrates her tale as you travel through the forest. Bit by bit, we learn more about what happened in the past; eventually bringing us to the present. This game is a psychological horror game with heavy influences from Norse Mythology and Norwegian folk tales. I only knew a little about the game from watching the trailer. I walked into the demo a bit intrigued and with an opened mind.

Having never played much of FFXII, I can’t really make a direct comparison. I can, however, talk about the things I saw and the gameplay I experienced at PAX West this year. I was lucky enough to be part of a two hour session with the folks at Square Enix for a hands-on experience with Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, a HD remake of the 2006 original that was announced earlier this year at E3.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past came out for the PS1 back in 2000 for Japan and in 2001 for US. Square Enix decided to remake it into the 3DS format for Japan in 2013 and now finally, the US is getting a localized version as well in the 3DS format which is scheduled to be released September 16, 2016. During PAX West 2016, I got to play Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past at the Nintendo booth on the 3DS.

Recently, Square Enix released a 52-minute gameplay video of the Master Version of Final Fantasy XV showcasing the game’s opening chapters. In all, the 60-minute features Chocobo racing, new monsters, side quests, equipment, ability and magic synthesis systems, and the Wait Mode. At PAX West, we were invited to participate in a 1-hour hands-on demo on PlayStation 4. From what I can say, the game has been improved, but for better or worse?

Hiroki Chiba began his career at Square Enix in 1993, where he assisted in the creation of FINAL FANTASY VI. He was also the Event Planner on the CHRONO TRIGGER and FINAL FANTASY series. After working on the development of the character Vincent from FINAL FANTASY VII, Chiba became the Scenario Writer and Event Director for DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-. Additionally, he has worked on the event scenes and the scenario for titles including FINAL FANTASY VII, FINAL FANTASY VIII, FINAL FANTASY X, FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 and LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII. Since then, Chiba has continued to work on the overall direction and scenarios for many titles. 

We managed to get a sneak peak at the new upcoming game, World of Final Fantasy, with the developers from Square Enix at PAX West this year. World of Final Fantasy is a RPG that takes place in the land of Grymoire where players will take the characters, Reynn and Lann, on an adventure to discover their past.

Among the games that I played at PAX West this year, one of the notable ones that I would like to talk about is Dragon Quest Builders from Square Enix. This game caught my eye once I noticed it has elements of crafting and the beloved enemies from the Dragon Quest series. Your character, the Savior, is woken up by a goddess inside a crypt with no memories and is told that humans of this world have lost the ability of creating. A back story follows and it leads her into teaching you the basic controls, how to gather, craft and create.

As the premier gaming convention in the Seattle Washington area, Penny Arcade Expo (or PAX) is split into multiple gaming events held in Seattle (West), Boston (East), Melbourne (Aus), and San Antonio (South). We got to experience PAX West for the first time, and I have to say I’m impressed by everyone attending and exhibiting. Everything about the show is all for the passion of gaming. From consoles to PC to tabletop, PAX has it all.