There was a lot to experience at PSX last weekend, including a few indie titles that I feel are worth talking about in a more regimented fashion. Here are three titles that I found interesting in one way or another:
Guacamelee! 2
Developed by Drinkbox Studios, Guacamelee! 2 is an action platformer that’s full of life and oozing with style. In the demo I played I was set against an evil magician named name. I learned that his defining characteristics are his wishes to be friends with the game’s big-bad, and his fondness for chickens. It makes sense then that myself and our Managing Editor, Austin, while playing the rather well-designed multiplayer, would obtain the ability to turn into a chicken. Swapping between the far stronger human form (to beat up skeletons and other baddies, naturally) and the smaller chicken form (to slip and fly through gaps) provided a bit of strategy to the demo, especially in the stellar last boss fight. The combat is satisfying, the fights felt fair, and the visuals are astounding. Guacamelee! 2 is looking fantastic, to say the least.
Mulaka
Based on the rich indigenous Tarahumara culture, Lienzo’s upcoming 3D action adventure game, Mulaka, is still pretty early in its development. While the build I played was still early, it has a ton of potential present. Mulaka’s world is so full of passion and history that it’s difficult not to feel the genuine love and respect Lienzo clearly has for Tarahumara culture, with every gameplay mechanic being based on some form of tradition or belief from the culture. While the gameplay still has room to grow (the combat, platforming, and world design feel somewhat basic), the transformations and other “powers” your character gets are unique and exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing new info for Mulaka in the upcoming year.
Swords of Ditto
Cartoon Network meets A Link to the Past sounds like a match made in heaven, and Swords of Ditto is proving that to be true. I had a lot of fun playing locally with Austin, as we ran around the world while killing enemies and bickering with one another. The game is full of color and character, with each NPC and character feeling as though they were pulled straight out of Adventure Time or Flapjack, while the gameplay is incredibly satisfying. The different secondary weapons/tools are a ton of fun to use, largely in part because of their designs that go all over the place (a golf club, a flaming torch, and a big foot from the sky are just a few examples). I’m looking forward to giving Ditto a whirl when it comes out, as it seems like a light and fun journey through an always-changing cartoon world.
So what games featured at PSX are you looking forward to?
