TYF @ PAX East Days 2 & 3

SATURDAY

HoloGrid: Monster Battle – HappyGiant & Tippett Studio 

I got to talk with developer Michael Levine about the project that has been conjoined with animation veteran Phil Tippett, to bring creative monster to life using Augmented Reality Game cards, not unlike those seen packaged in a Nintendo 3DS or other products that, as Levine calls them, “parlor tricks.” Acting as a real card game first and a video game second, the development team has been hard at work on making sure that “HoloGrid: Monster Battle” is able to be supported by most smartphone and tablet devices, utilizing a front facing camera to depict the cards coming to life on the table in front of them. The eventual hope for this card game is to see multiplatform release once VR tech has become standardized and less rough around the edges, which, after seeing Oculus and PS VR hardware firsthand during PAX, could very well be sooner than later. To check out the game for yourself, see our interview below, and more details on the game at HoloGridMonsterBattle.com and look out for their big announcement on May 4th. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONB4okcRL8w?rel=0]

Furi – The Game Bakers (PS4, PC)

This game is absolutely stunning. It is immersive to play, and equally immersive to watch, and if you’re a fan of hyperactive rhythmic dueling, or even just boss rush modes in action games, this is right up your alley. “Furi” is on the tail end of a two year development, and will release this summer. I already can’t wait to get my hands on it again. I have never seen something so clearly influenced by Japanese style, yet so original to itself. The Game Bakers have something special on their hands, and if this is a solid indication of what a small team is capable of, I strongly anticipate what they plan to do next if “Furi” becomes the runaway success I see it could be. See more at FuriGame.com, and strongly consider checking it out on PS4 and PC when it launches.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtDIxG_UWFo?rel=0]

Thumper – Drool (PS4, PSVR, PC)

This game looked cool when I saw the trailer prior to PAX. However, experiencing both it and PlayStation VR for the first time together makes me a believer that Sony knows what they’re doing with the hardware. The gameplay feels like a Dualshock controller equal to “Guitar Hero,” as hitting the X button, or strafing side to side is contingent on the rhythm of the game, and if you hit the wall a couple of times, you’re starting the stage over again and it will loop infinitely if you don’t get on the offense and hit the specific beats to kill the boss locking the gateway in front of you. “Thumper” is slick, upbeat, explosive, rhythmic and I have never felt the pressure to get good at a game like this since “Super Hexagon,” which I mean in a positive way. “Super Hexagon” is probably my most played game in my Steam Library if I’m going to be honest.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0pNGvfF_8?rel=0]