PAX Australia review and favourite games

DSC_0170So this weekend GiS ventured South to PAX Aus and what an adventure it was. Cosplay, action, games, hardware, tabletop games, t-shirts, it was like a geeky Aladdin’s Cave. Here’s the review by Declan P, our Senior Junior Gaming Correspondent.

Geek in Sydney went to PAX Aus. Yes, it is in Melbourne, but being the biggest gaming convention in the Southern hemisphere, we thought that we should write about it. For anyone who doesn’t know, PAX  is a gaming convention held in the US and Australia where indie and triple A game developers can show off their newest games to the public. The participants can  play and watch others play the games. There are also talks about games, boards games, pinball, arcade games and ESL competitions. It is also a huge cosplay convention with many people dressing up as their favourite video game characters.

First, the cosplays

There were so many cosplays at Pax Aus that it is hard to choose from them.

BorderlandsThere were a lot of Borderlands cosplays at PAX Aus 2015, and some of the people who did it even cell shaded themselves so that they looked like a part of the game. There were Lilliths, Gaiges, and more Lilliths and – for the win – an amazing Tiny Tina.

Team Fortress 2While we were at PAX Aus 2015 we saw 2 snipers and a pyro. The costumes were so true to the game and all of them looked exactly like the actual characters.

PaydayMany a day when you are walking down the street you get robbed by people in suits wearing Payday masks. No? Okay that’s just me. But all of the Payday costumes we saw were amazing, they looked just like the character, and they even had prop revolvers to enhance the effect (after they had been cleared by the PAX Aus weapons check desk).

Kingdom Hearts: We saw several kingdom hearts costumes while we were there. One of them even had a (literally) Goofy sidekick! Both of the costumes had the classic key blades and were easily recognisable in the crowds.

Hitman: Okay so everyone has been chased around a convention center by a bald guy in a suit with a barcode on the back of his head right? Only me again? Okay. But this costume was my favourite. It looked It could blend right into the Hitman games.

The Indie games

There were a lot of Indie games at PAX Aus and we spent a lot of time playing them all, but I am going to choose my top three.

3. Evergreen.

Evergreen is still in Alpha, but it already looks promising. Evergreen is a game by Siege Sloth Games where you grow and create your own tree. You can cut bits off or grow it more, but as long as you keep it alive you win.

2. Kieru

I really like the idea of this game. It is a team based samurai game where each team is either black or white. The entire map is also black and white. black players can only be seen in the white part of the map and the opposite for white players. It is an intriguing game and I can’t wait for it to come to steam.

1. Polybridge

Polybridge is a New Zealand game made by Dry Cactus. In it you create bridges so that cars can get across and boats can get underneath. It, along with its art style, are simple but entertaining.

Triple A games

These are my three best Triple A games at Pax Aus.

3. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is the most modern game in the AC series so far, it is set in Victorian London, so there are carriages to hijack and much bigger buildings to climb. There are new abilities and a playable female character. There hasn’t been any reports of bugs and this seems to have brought the franchise back from the destructive force that was Aassassin’s Creed Unity.

2. Battleborne

Battleborne is a new, borderlands inspired game from 2k. It has a lot of playable characters and a unique leveling system that massively changes gameplay. You can play as a killer robot, a deadly elf, a mushroom assassin or a creepy wizard.

1. Star Wars Battlefront

Star Wars Battlefront is pretty much Battlefield Hardline with a star wars skin. But, as Battlefield Hardline is an awesome game, this had to be included on the list. Have you ever dreamt  of piloting an AT-ST into battle, or killing Luke Skywalker by crashing a TIE fighter into him, or even being Darth Vader! Star Wars Battlefront lets you do all that and more. I am personally in love with the game, which has heaps of diverse story and team based gameplay.

Apart from all this, there were freeplay zones, csgo, pokemon and rocket league competitions, laser tag and a lot more. And that was PAX Aus 2015. Overall, it has been an amazing few days.

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