Day 2 of PAX West was packed with bold, bloody, and imaginative experiences. From survival horror that weaponizes dismemberment, to a stylish tactical RPG, to a D&D-inspired dungeon crawler, the show floor was buzzing with creativity. Here’s a rundown of the standout games we got hands-on time with during the second day of the event.
The Lacerator
I’ve always been told a bold entrance is the best way to make a first impression, and The Lacerator revels in that by immediately introducing you to Max, a “man who loves sex.” Living boldly and loving sex gets you noticed, however, as Max and the rest of the crew on his porn shoot are kidnapped by the Lacerator and caged in his hideout.
After quickly escaping your cell, you learn the true horror: the game has tank controls inspired by old-school survival horror. I’m a staunch hater of tank controls, but considering its clear influences, it kind of works here, and I quickly adjusted. Helpfully, you can also choose to play with either fixed or over-the-shoulder camera setups.
Once I got used to the controls, I started making my way through the building, fighting off the Lacerator’s deranged prisoners. Greed got the better of me when I spotted a shiny pistol—reaching for it triggered a trap that chopped my arm off. In most horror games that would be the end, but that’s The Lacerator’s whole schtick: losing limbs doesn’t just restrict you, it opens up new possibilities. Missing my arm meant I couldn’t climb ladders, but I could now equip an Evil Dead-style gun arm. Lose both legs? You’ll crawl through tight spaces other players might never discover. It’s a clever system that encourages replayability, with different paths and strategies depending on which body parts you’ve sacrificed.
Eventually, I came face to face with the man himself. The Lacerator chased me through the dungeon before finally chopping me apart and ending my escape. The whole affair was equal parts silly and gruesome, and I can’t wait to see how many different ways I can break out when the game launches later this year.
The Secret of Weepstone
One of my goals during PAX is to try to find that surprise game that completely hooks me, and The Secret of Weepstone is exactly that. A dungeon crawler with a super high-contrast black-and-white aesthetic, the game’s shtick is that you’re literally playing a D&D game with friends. Hitting the map button zooms the game out to the table you’re playing on, with the grid map on the player’s handbook—which is just a really fun gimmick.
In the campaign you’re running, you live in the town of Weepstone, a place that’s become a shadow of its former glory. Its lord, Byron, has fallen ill, and a group of villagers have tasked themselves with exploring the long-abandoned keep to hopefully find a cure for Byron’s illness.
It’s a fun enough setup, and the D&D premise continues in the moment-to-moment gameplay as a narrator guides you along the path, having you roll dice to perform checks for traps or ambushes. I slowly worked my way through the entrance of the keep, fighting goblins and giant bugs throughout, as I looted gear to make my party stronger before eventually dealing with the dungeon’s boss. I wasn’t able to level my characters enough to fully play around with their classes, but they all seemed to fit traditional D&D types like fighter or thief.
Everything about The Secret of Weepstone was really gelling together on all levels and left me eager to play more when it eventually releases sometime in 2026.
PIGFACE
PIGFACE opens simply: you’re a woman named Exit, and a mysterious voice has jobs for you to do—and if you don’t, they’ll trigger the bomb they drilled into your head. No big deal.
After learning the controls, I was introduced to the main flow of the game: you hang out in your apartment, where you can accept jobs on your laptop or purchase new gear. Afterwards, you’ll hop in a van where you can customize your loadout of firearms, attachments, melee weapons, armor, and even a mask that adds special buffs to Exit. After getting myself ready, I left the van and the killing started.
My task was to steal back some drugs from a gang of hoodlums, but I had the optional objectives of wiping them all out or finding two hidden dossier files for some additional cash. My mother didn’t raise no bum, so I got to work sprinting around the farmhouse, taking out anyone I could see with my SMG, while swapping to a shovel for any up-close action that occurred. It all felt really fluid as I entered buildings and swept through rooms for goons, and the shotgun I found was stupidly satisfying to use.
My demo ended upon mission completion, and I overall had a lot of fun with it. It seems like a great pick-up-and-play sort of game, which, as someone with not a lot of time, I appreciate more and more. You won’t have to wait long to mask up, as the game is set to release in Early Access sometime this year.
Entropy
Coming fresh off last year’s Dread Delusion, Lovely Hellplace are back at it, but this time with a tactical turn-based RPG. While sharing the same aesthetic as their previous game, I wasn’t entirely sure if it’s set in the same world—but it’s still just as enchantingly stunning with its Morrowind-inspired style.
