I just attended the Rezzed games event in London, this is a spin-off from the main EGX (originally, the Eurogamer Expo) with a primary focus on indie games. It also seeks to attract young budding games-makers and journalists. The weekend had a very relaxed theme and people were immensely friendly. The location in London's Tobacco Dock was also well-ventilated (very important when there are lots of gamers), there wasn't much queuing required (often none), and it made for a thoroughly pleasant experience.
There were a number of games that I enjoyed both playing, and looking at. Here are some of my highlights:
Codemasters.com
There were, of course, smatterings of "triple A" titles, and the one which I enjoyed the most was a racing game developed by Codemasters called Onrush. This was a fast-based arcade-style racing game with various types of vehicles on a hilly terrain and it was setup as a 6vs6 competition in the expo. It reminded me of the Excitetruck remake on Nintendo Wii and MotorStorm on Playstation. The gameplay was very crisp, and it was obvious that the makers have put a lot of time testing the game to make sure it plays beautifully. The soundtrack was outstanding too. The release date is 5th June 2018.
http://www.homomachina-game.com/
This gorgeous 2D exploration game from Darjeeling Productions is inspired by the medical illustrations of Dr Fritz Kahn. Think of the concept of the Pixar film "Inside Out" with tiny little humanoids controlling your actions. I just wanted to watch the game, can't wait for it to come out on mobile and tablet formats.
This game caught my eye in the Nintendo Switch section (though it will be released on all formats) - a compact little real-time strategy game on rotatable islands inhabited by humble island dwellers who are under attack from Vikings. It may look simplistic but the minimalist charm and movements (e.g. the way the arrows and rain drop) were zen bliss.
Image: Bitloomgames.com
This was such a wacky offering from Bitloom Games - you and a friend control a double-ended dog as you solve puzzles on various floating islands, with the aim being to feed a giant worm with either an acorn or a globe-shaped light bulb (!) The cooperative mechanic (both players sharing one controller) was amongst the finest I have every played, and the lovely pastel colours were joyful to look at. Loved it!
Me sitting on some Phogs-theme upholstery
Image: Strangebrigade.com
This cooperative third-person shooter by Rebellion Developments had an exuberant 1930s theme to it, I played a level as one of four diverse heroes fighting hordes of mythic beings in some kind of Egyptian setting. The visuals were stunning and the gameplay mechanics felt great, but the main attraction of the game was the over-the-top British pulp style narration.
This hand-painted game set on a British island seemed to have an ET/Stranger Things/Super8 style theme to it, with an 80s feel and coming-of-age theme. In the small part that I watched, there was a clear emotional underpinning to the game which suggests a lot of heart has been put into the writing and design.
There were some awesome little indie games in the Leftfield Room - the ones which stood out for me were Wobble Garden: a spring and light based installation which provided a sensory experience unlike any other game I'd played before. Haiku Adventure had a beautiful Japanese ukiyo-e inspired landscape scene in a puzzle game which seemed to involve using Haiku to chill out a flock of assorted wildfowl.
The show also had some very nice retro games, and also had a few multiplayer units for games which had already been released. I particularly enjoyed re-awakening my old puzzling skills in Sega's Puyo Puyo Tetris. My younger brother Sina The Doc, who first suggesting we attend this expo, also enjoyed meeting some of his podcasting heroes and had a go on a game which appears inspired by the classic Theme Hospital, Two Point Hospital:
My younger Brother on the left, Sina The Doc
A nice weekend, maybe I'll come again next year!
