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The Games Confirmed To Be At PAX East 2019
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.
More...
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.
More...