PAX Australia is the biggest game focused event hosted in Australia, and Austin just recovered from his first time experiencing it.

The Penny Arcade Expo has been a long standing staple for fans of games within North America since 2004, and has expanded into three separate shows spread throughout the year, hosted in Seattle, Boston and most recently San Antonio. Australia is the first place outside of The US for PAX, and with a growing games industry it’s no wonder that the convention has become the destination for Australian gamers since it first opened it’s doors to Melbourne in 2014. Managing editor Austin Adamson was onsite for the entirety of the show, and here are his impressions.

I have always enjoyed my times at the different PAX events I have attended in both Seattle and Boston and when my ‘Great Australian Adventure’ schedule lined up with being in Melbourne during PAX Australia, I jumped at the opportunity to attend.

The Show.

PAX Aus feels a lot like a bunch of the smaller conventions smashed together. A large presense from Twitch.Tv with various streamers being hosted, streaming directly from the show and then meeting up with fans, very similar to that of their own convention, TwitchCon. Another component with a huge presence was the eSports scene from ESL with their Counter-Strike GO tournament.

The Big.

Nintendo only had two kiosks setup for people to play games which were not yet released for purchase. Really the only reason I spent any time there was to play the Australian (PAL) version of Rhythm Heaven, which is known as Rhythm Paradise out here, as I took a break between appointments.

Microsoft had a strong presence with a large collection of indie games newly coming and released to Xbox, as well as a very large queue for Dead Rising 4 which will be out later this year.

Sony had their collection of indie games, special areas for people to play PlayStation VR (if they were lucky enough to book an appointment ahead of the show) and one very special queue where fans could play the much anticipated:

Horizon: Zero Dawn 

This game has been high on my must play list since it was first teased back at E3 2015. After getting a chance to play the PAX Australia demo of Horizon Zero Dawn, I was left wanting more. The section of the demo given to attendees consisted of a slice of the open world. Players were given limited equipment and a series of tasks that involved tracking and hunting robot dinosaurs in a stealthy manner. The combat was easy to adapt to and the environments were fun to explore. The demo was way too short though, and by the time I was beggining to understand what to expect from the world, I was already being asked to leave. Nonetheless I can’t wait to spend an extended chunk of time with this game when it finally launches in February of 2017.

Various large third-party studios were set up, showing off their latest products but only one truly caught my eye and managed to baffled me: the ever gigantic queue to play:

Final Fantasy XV

I spent some time with it and was underwhelmed. The combat and movement excited me in preview coverage but after getting some extended hands on I was left unsatisfied. I can only assume that things pick up and become better later in the game, but the sluggish, clunky taste in my mouth paired with the cringe inducing writing and voice acting killed any excitement I had, and I am still hesitant to pick up the full game.

The Weird.

PAX is generally a great place for weird types of promotion and the Australian event is no exception. The two weirdest promotions I encountered were for food products. Bethesda handed out limited edition cinnamon rolls to attendees standing in line, in an effort to promote The Elder Scrolls Online. The other weird food item was the microwave popcorn that a company was distributing. Attendees could snag a snack back to microwave at home, or come back at scheduled times for freshly popped kernels. Buttery food never seems like a good idea when shared controllers are involved, but despite the amount of free popcorn distributed, I didn’t run into any slippery devices.

The Indie.

PAX is known as a haven for indie games from across the globe and PAX Australia sticks with the formula, even going so far as to highlight the games that are made in Melbourne.

HyperJam

The first thing that caught my attention of HyperJam is its neon colors in the menus and design. HyperJam is a topdown 4-player brawler where the last man standing is the victor. The brutal weapons (ranged and melee) and fast paced combat rewards players with passive ability upgrades at the end of each round, which lets players tweak their characters by increasing speed, damage and health properties. By the end of the match, each player has a different range of stats and abilities.

BrambleLash

Cooperative games that become competitive are some of my favorite experiences with multiplayer games. Bramblelash makes this a big focus of gameplay. Players link each other up into pairs, connected by a lethal throned tether that stretches to the distance of the 2D. These tethers are used to kill the enemies, but friendly-fire is also on. If you are working to get the high score, you only work with your other pair when you absolutely have to. I found myself being ruthless, cut-throat and being willing to sacrifice my partner for my own glory.

Birdsketball

Minimal sports games have been a trend over the past few years among the indie development scene, but Birdsketball does things a little different by using tank controls mixed with flying, passing and shooting to bring together what could be a great addition to your local multiplayer games night.

Inflatality

A fighting game where two wacky, wavy, arm-flailing inflatable tube men are trying to pop each other is a quick way to get me excited about a fighting game. The simplicity of Infatality makes it easy for new players to pick up, but only extended time with the game will determine if the game has any legs, or if it quick to lose its wind.

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PAX for me is equally about the people you meet as well as the games you experience, and this is what made my time at PAX Australia so wonderful. If you ever have the chance to attend PAX you must do so, even if you go in alone you will be sure to come back with friends, don’t be shy, there are others just like you looking to make friends and play games.

Be sure to check out this podcast I recorded with some new friends at PAX, where we mostly talk about things that aren’t video games. HorseSkeleton Ep. 008 PAXAus…tin Adamson