By GameSpot Staff on Mar 27, 2019 08:09 am
The Games of PAX East 2019
For many years, PAX has been a popular destination for fans and developers alike to share their passion for gaming. It's also an excellent place to put your finger on the pulse of what's new and exciting. With PAX East 2019 quickly approaching, taking place in Boston from March 28-31, GameSpot will be on location exploring the show floor to check out the latest games and share our thoughts for those who can't make it to the show this year. To give you an idea of what to expect from PAX East 2019, we've put together a quick rundown of games that will make an appearance at the show. In addition to some new titles from Yacht Club Games and Devolver Digital, we're also seeing more gameplay from Streets of Rage 4 and the newest DLC for the roguelike Dead Cells. Over the course of the show, we'll be updating this gallery to include our thoughts on what we've played, and when you expect can play them. So with that, here are several games for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch that will be at PAX East 2019. If you want to see more of GameSpot's coverage of PAX East 2019, including updates, videos, and the latest news, be sure to visit our hub page rounding up the best of the show.
Alt-Frequencies | PC, Mobile | Accidental Queens | Release: TBD
As something of a radio-mystery, Alt-Frequencies tasks you solving a particularly strange case where the flow of time is continually repeating in a loop. Alt-Frequencies is uniquely designed to allow for players who are visually impaired to experience the game, which opens it up to a greater audience. Alt-Frequencies is developed by Accidental Queens, who've previously produced other games using a minimalist format to tell a complex narrative.
Barotrauma | PC | Undertow Games & Fakefish | Release: Spring 2019 (Early Access)
In Barotrauma, you'll have to use whatever resources and skills your crew has in order to survive. As a 2D survival-sim set in the incredibly hostile environment of Jupiter's moon Europa, you'll manage the resources of your crew trying to stay alive in the crumbling habitats below the surface. With your supplies dwindling, and more threats to your crew revealing themselves, you'll have to make some tough decisions for the sake of your group, some of which include choosing to utilize lost alien relics that may increase your chances of survival.
Bloodroots | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Paper Cult | Release: TBD 2019
Bloodroots is set in a chaotic world where might is right, and you'll take on the role of Mr. Wolf, a lone warrior seeking revenge against those who betrayed him. Essentially Hotline Miami by way of a Jackie Chan action-film, you'll be able to use every object you can get your hands on as a weapon, including barrels, lumber, and other inanimate objects. Coming from developer Paper Cult, Bloodroots keeps its action moving and at a fast pace, allowing you to chain a series of brutal, over-the-top kills together in quick succession.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | ArtPlay | Release: TBD 2019
Coming from Koji Igarashi, one of the key developers behind Konami's Castlevania series, Bloodstained is often seen as a return to form for the classic Metroidvania sub-genre. Taking direct inspiration from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the game that ushered in a big change for the series, Bloodstained places a great focus on exploring its large interconnected world while gradually collecting new weapons and abilities for your character. Funded on Kickstarter and now being published by 505 Games, the Metroidvania-style action-RPG is heading towards its release later this year.
Dangerous Driving | PC, PS4, Xbox One | Three Fields Entertainment | Release: April 9, 2019
It's been a very long time since the last Burnout game from developer Criterion Software, who've long since moved on to the Need For Speed series and other projects at EA. However, former Criterion developer Alex Ward and his new studio, Three Fields Entertainment, have made their own spiritual successor to the action-racer with Dangerous Driving. Focusing on the classic fast-paced action and brutal wrecks shown off in slow-motion, the new racing game places a lot of emphasis on putting the pedal to the metal and coming away unscathed.
Dauntless | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Phoenix Labs | Release: April 2019
Though Dauntless has been in beta since 2018, it's now ready for its full launch this Summer --with the PC version coming exclusively to the Epic Store. Essentially a free-to-play take on the familiar Monster Hunter set-up, you'll be able to craft and utilize a set of powerful weapons to take out larger-than-life creatures that roam the wilderness.
Dead Cells: Rise of the Giant | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | MotionTwin | Release: March 28, 2019
The developers at MotionTwin have shown off a new expansion for Dead Cells that plans to add an even greater challenge to the already difficult action game. With the Rise of the Giant DLC, you'll take the undead warrior to a new dungeon where you'll find new monsters, uncover lost treasure, and ultimately face off against the strongest enemy in the entire game.
Falcon Age | PS4 | OuterLoop | Release: April 9, 2019
Falcon Age puts you in the role of a wandering hero who must use his pet falcon to find and procure items for their journey. Over the course of their adventure, the pair will learn more about the land and their culture, all the while fighting off robotic invaders looking to colonize their home. Playable in or out of VR and with standard controls and motion-controls--allowing you to further interact with your bird--Falcon Age features an interesting approach to the first-person adventure that will get you to bond with your feathered ally.
Layers of Fear 2 | PC | Bloober Team | Release: TBD 2019
As the sequel to the 2016 psychological-horror game, Layers of Fear 2 turns things up with a new story that aims to push the scares even further. Like in the original game, you'll play as a tortured artist who's sanity is gradually slipping, resulting in some horrifying apparitions appearing before his eyes. Layers of Fear 2 appears to channel that same unnerving tone, where reality slowly falls apart, giving way to some genuine moments of terror.
Liberated | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Atomic Wolf | Release: TBD 2019
With an art style reminiscent of some of the more mature graphic-novels of the '80s, Liberated is set within a bleak, dystopian society where all citizens are under constant watch. Taking place within the frames of comic-book panels, progression through the story flows similarly to reading a book, with the proceeding levels following into the next pages of the larger story. Over the course of the game, you'll use stealth to evade enemies and overcome some complex puzzles to in order to escape to the outside world.
Indivisible | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Lab Zero | Release: TBD 2019
Developed by Lab Zero, the creators of the fan-favorite fighting game Skullgirls, Indivisible is the team's first crack at making an action-RPG. Paying homage to cult JRPG games like Valkyrie Profile, Indivisible focuses heavily on controlling your party of characters simultaneously, letting you pull off some exciting combos with well-timed spells and attacks.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead | PC | Unfrozen | Release: TBD 2019
Taking on the role of a resurrected necromancer, you'll command a squad of demons and undead creatures as you make your way across the frozen Norse landscape. In a similar vein to Darkest Dungeon, you'll manage and improve your squad of minions in the face of increasingly more challenges threats. However, the twist in Iratus: Lord of the Dead is that your army is made up of fallen warriors resurrected from previous battles. By pooling together resources and the spools of war, you'll be able to conjure up increasingly powerful demons to further plans to take control of the land.
Katana Zero | PC, Switch | Askiisoft | Release: April 18, 2019
In Askiisoft and Devolver Digital's Katana Zero, you'll play as a wandering katana-wielding mercenary who possesses the ability to control time, allowing him to cut through hordes of enemies with ease. Katana Zero blends the action and pacing from a retro-action game with the time-bending antics from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. With the central character able to die in one hit, you'll have to rewind time to just prior to your death and do things slightly different to clear the stage.
Kunai | PC, Switch | TurtleBlaze | Release: TBD
In Kunai, you'll play as an ancient warrior who's possessed the body of a computer tablet, appropriately named "Tabby.". It's an incredibly odd premise, but it's one that the game unapologetically embraces. Going by the name Tabby, you'll explore the post-apocalyptic setting fighting many foes with a variety of melee and long-ranged attacks. Just when you think it can't get any stranger, Kunai goes even further by showing off a series increasingly challenging and bizarre bosses that will put your reflexes to the test.
The Messenger: Picnic Panic | PC, PS4, Switch | Sabotage | Release: TBD 2019
Following the success of the original game, the developers of The Messenger are gearing up the main character's next adventure--which will be made as a free update for all owners. Picnic Panic brings you to a new land where you'll need to defend the local villagers from monsters planning to take over both the 8-Bit and 16-bit realms. Releasing later this year as a free update, The Messenger: Picnic Panic will deliver a set of new worlds to explore, and will undoubtedly maintain the same fourth-wall breaking humor that made the original such a joy to play.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Yacht Club Games | Release: April 2019
Since its release in 2014, Shovel Knight developers Yacht Club Games have continually added new expansions for the renowned retro action game. In King of Cards, the final expansion for Shovel Knight, you'll play as King Knight as he explores four new worlds to prove that he has what it takes to become the ruler of the land.
Shovel Knight: Showdown | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Yacht Club Games | Release: April 9, 2019
Along with King of Cards, Yacht Club Games is prepping another game set in the Shovel Knight universe--and this one centers around competitive brawler gameplay. In Showdown, you'll select one of the many Knight characters, including Shovel Knight, King Knight, and Plague Knight, and fight it out against the other brawlers to see who's the best one of them all. Similar to Super Smash Bros., you can compete in four-player fights with a variety of different stages, conditions, and items to use.
Streets of Rage 4 | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | GuardCrush Games & DotEmu | Release: TBD
The sudden revival of the Streets of Rage series last year was a welcome surprise. As one of Sega's most celebrated series from the Genesis era, its' return has many long-time fans excited for what's to come. Developed by DotEmu and Guard Crush Games, the fourth entry introduces some interesting innovations for its core combat, which will reinvigorate returning characters Axel and Blaze. Though there's no release date set, we got to play an early build of the game last year, and even then it delivered the same sense of style and pacing that defined the original 16-bit classics.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble | PC, Switch | Area 35 | Release: Spring 2019
As a stand-alone sequel to 2017's turn-based strategy game Tiny Metal, Full Metal Rumble increases the stakes by adding a game-changer for the warring factions--giant mechs. Intended as a spiritual successor to Nintendo's Advance Wars series, Tiny Metal puts you in control of a variety of different units to secure your place on the battlefield. Continuing on from the original game, you'll follow your squad of soldiers and pilots as they attempt to stay alive during the brutal conflict.
Warsaw | PC | Pixelated Milk | Release: TBD 2019
Set during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland in 1944, you'll play a squad of soldiers and survivors trying to stay alive in the war-torn city. Warsaw puts great emphasis on managing your crew of heroes as they struggle to fight back against the invaders. With your squad engaging enemies through turn-based combat, and with each attack leaving a lasting impact, you'll need to carefully decide your character's actions and moves during combat.
By Chris E. Hayner on Mar 27, 2019 04:10 am
It's been 20 years since The Matrix arrived in theater and proceeded to tear our brains apart, forever making us wonder if we're living in some kind of computer simulation. Honestly, we've all tried bending a spoon with our mind at some point. The Matrix was a revolutionary film, loaded with interesting sci-fi concepts, incredible special effects, and some truly memorable performances from the likes of Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie Anne Moss. More than revolutionary, though, it's simply great. The Matrix is a practically perfect film, even when you sit down and watch it 20 years later. So much about it feels iconic, and it's all played so well, from the incredibly understated opening moments to the final showdown between Neo and Agent Smith in a dirty hallway. Unfortunately, everything that worked so well in the first movie completely fell away from the sequels that followed. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions might look like the first movie and the same characters may appear, but all of the soul The Matrix has is simply gone by the time the third movie rolls around. Instead of the restraint the first film showed, which helped drive the narrative forward, Reloaded and Revolutions instead relied on heavy use of the visual trickery introduced in The Matrix and a convoluted story that lifted up Neo to be something of a computer Jesus and the only hope for all of human- and robot-kind. These are movies that weren't regarded as good in the first place and have only gotten worse with age. They are the albatross hanging around the neck of the original. The Matrix is an achievement on practically every level. However, the films that followed have done nothing but drag it down. Does it sound like I'm being a bit too hard on Reloaded and Revolutions? I assure you I'm not. I actually went back and watched the entire trilogy, from start to finish, and couldn't help but note every mistake I felt the sequels made. From the sillier moments like the orgy in Zion to bigger problems like what the movies chose to do with Smith, there's plenty to take issue with. So come along as we look back at the 34 biggest sins The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions made. Then, go ahead and watch the first Matrix again and realize just how wonderful that movie is.
The Matrix Reloaded
1. Unlike the first, this movie has no chill
The Matrix is a true study in restraint. The first half hour of the movie feels like a low-budget thriller that hooks you in with story and character. Reloaded, however, goes a different route. The opening moments of the sequel set the incredibly loud and often obnoxious tone of what's to come with explosions, an overabundance of "bullet time" shots, and so much of everything that makes these movies inferior to the original.
2. Why do they all meet up to discuss the Matrix in the Matrix?
If everyone needs to get together to chat about destroying the Matrix, is the best place to do it really inside of the Matrix? A Matrix filled with Agents, a rogue Agent Smith, and all kinds of things designed to stop them. They do have CB radios in their ships. Maybe they'd be better off talking over those.
3. Neo doesn't stop flying
Listen, I get it. Neo learned to fly at the end of the first movie and, if I were in his place, I'd make use of the superpower too. So much of this movie is just Neo taking off or flying around, though. It's, honestly, pretty ridiculous.
4. Why is some of Zion's security force plugged in?
Visually, this moment looks super cool. But why is some of the security team guarding Zion's gates plugged into a Matrix-like program, while others aren't? What purpose does it possibly serve?
5. The Zion orgy rave still makes no sense
We all know this scene. We've all been confused by this scene. When Zion parties, things get wildly erotic--and I'm not talking about the Neo and Trinity sex scene, which is mostly awkward since the two don't have a ton of chemistry.
6. Smith leaving the Matrix is not how computer programs work
Smith is code. He's a computer program that has essentially evolved to become a computer virus. So how, exactly, does he somehow leave the Matrix and take over a human brain, assuming the identity of an actual person? The first Matrix movie used tech in a way that at least made sense. Once the tech infiltrates actual human biology in the sequels, though, that's a thing of the past.
7. "You do not truly know someone until you fight them."
This is a cool-sounding line of dialogue. Ultimately, though, it's a terrible one. Even within the parameters of this franchise, is he saying Neo and Trinity don't truly know each other? Because I would beg to differ. The Oracle seems to truly know practically everyone, and she doesn't fight anybody.
8. The twins are weird and bad
Thank God these two were confined to Reloaded, rather than both sequels. The twins were a bizarre and not very exciting addition to the franchise. What's more, they were played by a couple of actual twins who decided to set whatever charisma they had aside and play these two as plain and boring as possible.
9. Using Matrix code to show a woman having an orgasm is a choice
A lot of choices are made in Reloaded but none is as puzzling as the scene where the Merovingian explains how he coded a piece of cheesecake to give a woman an orgasm. The film even briefly switches to Matrix code as the camera goes up her dress. Who thought this was a good idea?
10. Trinity threatens to murder someone for just asking to kiss Neo
There's being jealous and there's Trinity pulling a gun on Persephone because she asks Neo for a kiss. It's such an extreme reaction that seems very out of character.
11. For Neo, real kissing means taking off your sunglasses
This entire moment is so awkward. Then again, his girlfriend just threatened to murder the woman he's barely kissing. Who can blame him for leaving his shades on?
12. Persephone immediately sells Neo and company out to get back at her husband
If Persephone hasn't immediately sent a henchman to tell her husband she was betraying him, this movie would have been roughly 45 minutes shorter. Everything that comes after this moment is simply because she wants to one-up her husband--something that is completely forgotten by Revolutions.
13. Why do agents bleed?
Agents are code, right? They can take over any person in the Matrix and they are clearly not human. So why do they bleed? Why would the machines, who created the agent code, make it so they can bleed?
14. Neo reached inside Trinity to remove a bullet
That computer Jesus can not only reach inside Trinity's body to remove a bullet but also massage her heart back to life is astounding. The key to these movies is that Neo can do anything at any time. Unfortunately, that leads to moments like this.
15. Now Neo can control things outside of the Matrix?
If Smith can leave the Matrix, so can Neo's computer superpowers, right? It's these sort of things that got worked into the mythology of the sequels that make them dumb. Instead of sound reasoning for choices made, strange twists are seemingly thrown in because they look cool--even if that means Neo is now a superhuman in the real world. Or maybe he's not and the real world is also a Matrix. Is the Matrix a Matrix-within-a-Matrix? We'll never know. And, honestly, it's not worth a fourth movie, which would undoubtedly be called The Matrix Remixed or some such thing.
The Matrix Revolutions
16. Simply unnecessary gymnastics
Much like Reloaded, Revolutions starts with no chill whatsoever. From the jump, everything is over-the-top ridiculous, including Trinity's jumping a subway gate by doing a very fluid forward flip while everyone else just hopped over it like normal people.
17. Even for the Matrix, ceiling walkers are a stretch
Remember the first Matrix movie when it was incredibly impressive to see the likes of Neo and Trinity running up a wall to get a new angle on their foes? This is an extreme version of that, where the villains just live their lives running around on the ceiling for some reason because it's impossible for this movie to leave well enough alone.
18. The nightclub scene is just nuts
Is this a bondage nightclub? What was the pleather budget for this movie? Who designed these looks? How out of place did everyone feel on set this day? Why are Persephone and the Merovingian still together after that whole betrayal thing? That's just a small sampling of the questions I had during this baffling scene.
19. Smith is somehow more over-the-top
What made Smith so scary in the first film was how calm and collected he was. That started to crumble when he was interrogating Morpheus. However, any sense of Smith being scary is out the window now.
20. No seriously, Smith is beyond zany
The Smith we all feared is long gone, replaced with this giggling maniac.
21. This Agent Smith impersonation is equally ridiculous
But don't worry, since Smith also somehow escaped into the real world, another actor can do their take on the character.
22. Neo realizing Smith left the Matrix in real time
Neo can control the machines, seemingly knows everything about everything, and is best friends with the Oracle. The amount of time it takes him to realize Bane is being controlled by Smith, though, is shocking. Thankfully, the Wachowskis choose to show that realization in real time.
23. This strobe light brawl is just bad
This is another instance of style over substance. Neo and Smith/Bane didn't need to fight lit only by strobe lighting. But they thought it looked cool, so that's what we got. Unfortunately, it makes the entire thing difficult to watch and understand. Of course, it's not the worst fight of the movie, which we'll get to.
24. If Neo can see while blind, what's the point of blinding him?
If a blind Neo can still see the machines and their essences--because machines have essences, I guess--why blind him in the first place? He navigates his way to machine city, can still see Smith, and doesn't seem all that hindered.
25. Why is this what blind Neo sees?
And why is this what Bane looks like to him? If Smith became Bane in the real world, would his essence still look like Smith, glasses and all? Because that doesn't make a ton of sense.
26. The entire Kid subplot
I can't believe it took me this long to talk about Kid, the young Zion citizen introduced in Reloaded that, I think, wants to be Neo when he grows up? Clearly, the Wachowskis thought he was a major figure in the franchise, as he appears throughout the sequel movies. Unfortunately, he's just not a good fit. With so much going on, it's hard to care about this teenager who just wants to be part of the team. At least he gets a hero moment, though.
27. So little of this movie is in the Matrix
His hero moment highlighted a major problem for me, though. So little of Revolutions actually happens inside of the Matrix. You'd think a Matrix movie would make ample use of the computerized world. However, by the third movie perhaps they'd run out of ways to make it interesting? Whatever the case, we spend an incredible amount of time watching robots attack Zion and kill humans, rather than Neo dodging bullets or Trinity jumping motorcycles over exploding buildings.
28. I don't even know where to start
Speaking of things not happening in the Matrix, what the heck is this? A blinded Neo can feel the machines but is this the ghost of one flowing through him? The movie doesn't really explain what's happening here, though. Instead, it just happened and he and Trinity move on in their quest to reach the machine city. Whatever is happening here, though, needed to be explained in the moment. It's just another instance of something that looks cool for no reason.
29. Trinity's very long death
Much like Neo realizing Bane was Smith, Trinity's death happens incredibly slowly. I would say the scene of her dying is, conservatively, 45 minutes long. It's also fairly anti-climatic as she essentially dies in a car accident on the way to save the universe. You deserved better, Trinity.
30. The giant machine face
I'd forgotten this happens. The machines turn into a giant face to talk to Neo. There is absolutely no reason for this to happen but I'm so glad it does. Why? It highlights how ridiculous and silly these movies became, compared to how great the original was. It's like the giant machine face is laughing at us all.
31. The final Neo vs. Smith fight is awful
Remember when I mentioned a fight much worse than Neo vs. Bane earlier? This is it. The final battle between Neo and Smith is essentially Superman v. Superman, except it's at night, in the rain, and practically impossible to see. The setting allowed the Wachowskis to do some interesting things with the water but the scene, as a whole, is unbearable.
32. No, this isn't religious at all
Get it? Computer Jesus is actual Jesus. In case the religious undertones of this franchise weren't hitting you over the head hard enough, a literal cross of light burst out of Neo's chest.
33. The rules for the real world make no sense
And then, somehow, this happened. I don't understand the rules of the real world within the framework of these movies. They're more confusing than those inside of the Matrix. How light explodes from Neo's eyes and mouth while he's still a living being is senseless, but then again that's par for the course with this movie. And again, it makes me wonder if the real world is another Matrix.
34. Neo is antivirus software
And thus we get to the moral of the story. Neo is antivirus software. In the end, he saves the day by deleting the infection (Smith) and returning the program (the Matrix) to the status quo. It took three movies to just run a McAfee antivirus scan on this system and only thousands of people had to die.
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