We had a great time at EGX last month, managing to see so many awesome games, as well as being able to meet the awesome people putting them together! Whilst it’s always enjoyable to get your hands on a variety of new games, meeting the developers and the team behind them can be an incredibly insightful experience, plus it's an interesting look into our industry and helping to keep us to date with the trends and issues.
We saw an amazing mix of AAAs, Indies, Games related courses and other experiences at EGX this year, some of the most hotly anticipated games in the industry even made an appearance!
Speaking of which, our first highlight of the evening was…
Cyberpunk 2077
Unless you’ve been living under a really large rock, you’ve probably been hearing non-stop about CD PROJEKT RED’s new sprawling cyberpunk RPG game, and with generation-defining Witcher 3 still fresh in our minds, the bar couldn’t be set higher if it tried.
The Cyberpunk 2077 EGX Experience (which was NOT easy to get into!) promised us 45 minutes of completely unseen gameplay full of Night City goodness.
We were treated to a much more polished and refined version of gameplay since the last showing, with aspects like animation, visual effects, and user interface shown in full glory this time around. We were taken through a scene with our player character, V, hacking into a gang-controlled warehouse, shooting her way through hordes of augmented criminals, and bantering with a constantly cussing Keanu Reeves. Charming.
Let's be honest, I was never going to not be enthralled by sneak peeks of one the industry’s most hyped games ever, but its always good to see that CD PROJEKT RED are keeping the bar sky-high…
Moving out
Moving up is a game about moving furniture.
Wait, come back!
In a similar vein to the chaotic silliness of Overcooked, Moving Up is a couch co-operative arcade game, in which you and up to three friends have to tackle increasingly awkward situations of shifting furniture through busy highways, alligator-infested rivers and erupting volcanos.
Moving Out also features a bit for an emphasis on physics, meaning there are plenty of impromptu puzzles dotted around maps that you can use for your advantage. Eg, we found that the most efficient way to transport fragile goods from building to building is by slingshotting them across the rooves of skyscrapers. Who knew?!
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
EGX 2019 definitely seemed to be the year of remasters, as we also managed to see some gameplay of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Taking the original and hugely adored second best selling Playstation game of all time (damn you Gran Turismo) and creating a truly next-gen experience was always going to be extremely successful, but Square Enix has had this one in the oven for a long long time, ensuring that this game will be an instant classic for a second time around!
Upon getting our hands on the title at EGX, there were a few changes (aside from the obvious graphical and mechanical improvements) that I think will surprise a few players. Some examples of these are that the game's combat will be entirely real-time, the game will be divided into individually released “episodes” and even the story is changing up, allowing players to dive much deeper into parts of the story they couldn’t beforehand, which hardcore fans may not be too happy about…
Marvels Iron Man VR
If there’s ever a good game to try out at EGX, it’s going to be a VR game! We’re not at the point just yet where a VR headset is entirely “average consumer” friendly, so I’m always interested to try out VR games to find that one game that finally pushes to me to get a Headset for that one console selling title, and Iron Man VR might just be that title.
Jumping in-game, it’s very much what you’d expect from superhero power-trip game. Blasting sky-high to take on aerial villains with Repulsor Jets, punchy hand-to-hand combat, and a variety of other iconic gadgets that any Marvel nerd is going to want to get their mitts on.
Speaking of a Marvel nerds dream, Iron Man VR also allows you full access to Tony Starks mansion, where you can freely explore, interact with some old friends, and upgrade and customize your own suit and abilities. Pretty awesome!
Concrete Genie
One more indie game to round everything off, and this one’s a soppy one, so get your tissues on stand by.
Concrete Genies protagonist, Ash, is a bullied teen stuck in his drab hometown of Denska, eager to bring life back to his world using a magical paintbrush that he found one day, capable of creating colorful and living masterpieces to push back against all-consuming darkness.
Playing it through made me realise the effort and love that the team had put into a game that really seemed to be a passion project for them, and much less just a source of income. The contrast in the spectacular lighting and colours, and dazzling imagery against the stark brickwork and grey tint of the world makes for some truly stunning experiences, and I think it’s definitely one where words can’t really capture what makes this game so charming and unique, so this should definitely be one to pick up!
Another month of excellent titles, a little bit of something for everyone!! As ever if want to discuss any of the titles in this month's Hotlist, have chat about what’s coming out next month, OR if you have something you’d like us to review… you can reach me on Twitter @SansonWray.
As well as playing games I also recruit for the world of games! So, get in touch if you’re looking for a new job in Games and Interactive. Also if you have a role you’d like us to fill get in touch!
**All opinions are our own. If you love them too, great! If not - don't hate the player hate the game. Also, we have not been paid to review any of the titles included in this blog. Links are NOT affiliate.**
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