Just Push Start was fortunate to attend the recent EGX Rezzed 2017 gaming event in London. The Rezzed event is a yearly video game show which has a more indie game focus. Despite some big names such as Sega, Square Enix and Nintendo all exhibiting at the event the top games of the event were from independent developers. So let’s run down the top games of the event!
Dick Wilde
Dick Wilde is one of the more entertaining VR titles I have played to date, and that is even with such a unique name. At its core Dick Wilde is very similar to a number of VR titles. The player is stood on the spot shooting at incoming waves but the theming sets Dick Wilde apart from the rest. The majority of these games see waves of robots or zombies, in this title you are fighting waves of dangerous animals. Each of them, from the crocodiles and piranhas to jumping pufferfish and spitting fish, have unique traits for players to avoid or exploit. This all comes together to create an entertaining VR title that stands above much of the virtual reality content available.
King Under The Mountain
Rocket Jump Technology brought a great prototype of their title, King Under The Mountain, to Rezzed. While a number of necessary features are missing from the game, the artstyle and draw of the rather therapeutic nature of the title shone through. If you’d like to see gameplay of the title check out our gameplay video below or check out the King Under The Mountain Kickstarter page.
Hyperbrawl Tournament
The mashing to handball and brawling may sound like a recipe for disaster but Hyperbrawl Tournament was one of the only games that I made sure I had time to go back and play again at the event. Effectively showing off a 2 vs 2, best of three round mode, the game was great fun to play with a pleasant mixture of competition and fast paced action. Hyperbrawl Tournament is certainly one to watch for those whom love to play against guys on the same couch!
Augmented Empire
The second VR title on the list, Augmented Empire, deserves its place on this list as it brings something new to the Gear VR table. While the Gear VR is a great gateway into the VR world it does lack on the content side of things. With combat, reminiscent of the Shadowrun series, the game offers tactical gameplay from a side view. Players can look slightly around the cyberpunk themed map, while using simple controls to move, participate in turn based combat and select powers. It is this sort of VR content that has depth to it that could drive the virtual reality category forward.
Tokyo 42
While the game has been on many people’s radar for some time now, EGX Rezzed 2017 was the first time I got hands on with this little gem of a game. From stealthing with a katana to running in all guns blazing you have the option to play the game as you wish. It’s unique art style which can be rotated in increments of 45 degrees also helps the game to stand out from the crowd. While I was not able to test the depth of the Tokyo 42 during my short hands on it kept me hooked and left me wanting to play more!
Yooka-Laylee
Could this be the platformer to take us back in time? It certainly has the potential to. Releasing next week Yooka-Laylee comes packed with plenty of charm, wonderful bright colours and plenty of cheesy, ready to be grinned at, dialogue lines. While I was initially sceptical of the casino style world the team showed off last year, if they have given it as much attention as the floating green islands I got to play at EGX Rezzed 2017 my fears will have been massively misplaced!
Special Mention: Impact Winter
Finally, I’m giving Impact Winter a special mention as it is being published by one of the big guns of the industry in the form of Bandai Namco. This being said, what a game this has shaped up to be! The controls were intuitive allowing gamers to simply sit down and enjoy the art style and the narrative of the title. I was worried about the use of an overused theme of “Can you help the group survive the 30 days?” Thankfully this is a survival game you’ll want to play and won’t die a death in Steam’s early access. You are sure to fall for this game as soon as you see the tracks left in the snow behind characters.
