All The Delicate Duplicates

Perhaps one of the stranger games I played at EGX was All The Delicate Duplicates. It’s a first-person explorer that focuses on the relationship between a father and daughter, and the strain that is put on that relationship after they inherit a set of arcane objects from the father’s Aunt Mo. Over time they begin to realise that these objects are changing their size. Eventually, they start to alter their memories and realities.

The demo I played saw me exploring John and Charlotte’s house across multiple different times. Each time I entered the house at a new point in time I found differences and evidence of a life lived. The whole story is laid bare for players to find at their own pace and in their own order. Each time I interacted with an important object I was given another piece of the story and started my exploration again, sometimes from a different time period. My 480 seconds with All The Delicate Duplicates was deeply intriguing and I can’t wait to dive into it some more.

All The Delicate Duplicates is due for launch later this year, with a VR version of the game planned for 2017.

Oh My Godheads

Oh My Godheads is probably the only game that got me sitting down and having fun with a group of strangers at EGX. Not only that but within about a minute of starting to play we were all engaged in banter and shouting back and forth at each other. It brought us together in a way that only a great local multiplayer game can. And make no mistake, Oh My Godheads is a great local multiplayer game.

Essentially it’s capture the flag. Except the flag doesn’t like to be touched. Four players are divided into two teams and are dropped into an arena with two tables at either end. The goal is to get the Godhead and get it back to your table to score, stopping your opponent from doing the same. The arenas are all different, with their own little gameplay quirks, as are the Godheads themselves – one explodes if you hold it too long, another reverses your controls every few seconds. It’s a massive amount of fun to play with friends (or strangers).

Oh My Godheads doesn’t currently have a planned release date, but there is a beta planned for sometime in the near future.

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows

I’m not sure how much more there is left for me to say about Masquerada: Songs and Shadows. In fact, I’ve said so much I think I might have said that before too. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this game since first laying eyes on it at last year’s EGX. This year’s EGX demo was quite short – a prologue to the main story with a couple of cutscenes and a couple of spots of combat.

It did confirm to me that this is still a game worth being excited for. The real-time tactical combat still feels excellent, the art style still looks brilliant and the game overall still looks fantastic. The story is intriguing and the part of the game that I am looking forward to dive head first into. Masquerada boasts the talents of such actors as Matt Mercer, Ashly Burch and Felicia Day, all of whom signed onto this project based on the strength of its script.

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows launches on PC on September 30, 2016.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

YIIK is about as quintessential a JRPG experience as it’s possible to get, without actually being a JRPG. It’s set in the 1990’s and follows a group of protagonists who are looking for Sammy Park, a woman who was pulled from an elevator by something otherworldly. The CCTV footage was posted online and ever since there has been a group of people fascinated with finding out what happened to her. YIIK makes great use of the 90’s as a backdrop for a turn-based RPG. Characters attack with such weapons as a keytar or using vinyl records as projectile weapons, money is in actual US Dollars, support items take the form of pizza and sodas.

It also has ghosts and monsters in it. One of the enemies you face is poop. It’s a surreal game. It’s combat system, however, is excellent. Blending the traditional turn-based JRPG elements with action-based systems, when you choose your attack you’re thrown into a quick time event that differs depending on the move you’ve picked. The same goes for defending. Master the QTE and you’ll dish out and receive less damage. Mess it up and you’ll take more.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG doesn’t currently have a projected release date, but is expected to launch on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita and Wii U.

Tokyo 42

Tokyo 42 is a striking game with a very distinct art style. It’s an isometric action game viewed from a top-down perspective, taking inspiration from classic games like the original Grand Theft Auto and Syndicate. After being framed for murder the main character is forced to become an assassin for hire in an attempt to find out who framed him. This means taking jobs and performing hits in this open world futuristic Tokyo.

Gameplay is challenging. You’re given free reign to approach your assassinations however you wish and need to plan your attack carefully. The levels in the game are massive and full of secret paths and vantage points to find if you look carefully enough, creating incredibly dynamic gameplay opportunities. Tokyo 42 will also come with a multiplayer arena mode that sees players attempting to blend into the crowds on a given level, attempting to identify other players before all hell breaks loose.

Tokyo 42 is due for release in Early 2017 on PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Aragami

The game formerly known as Twin Souls: Path of Shadows returned to EGX this year to show off its stealth-based gameplay once again. Aragami is a game of pure stealth, as getting caught out in the open by any of the enemy NPCS will generally result in death. It’s core mechanics revolve around darkness and light. The main character has access to a host of upgradeable abilities for helping him in his sneaky endeavours. You’ll be able to create and teleport between shadows, fire shuriken-like weapons to kill guards and even summon a shadow creature to devour your enemies.

Your main enemy, however, is light. While you can survive walking through lit areas, Aragami’s main protagonist will die if touched by sunlight, which is something that the enemies in the game will destroy you with should you be caught. When you stand in the light your power will also weaken, causing you to become unable to perform any of your special abilities until you get back to the darkness. Basically it’s best if you stick to the shadows.

Aragami launches on PC and Playstation 4 on October 4, 2016.

Brawlout

At first glance Brawlout looks a lot like Super Smash Bros. It features arena-based brawling combat, where the aim of the game is damaging your opponents enough to be able to launch them off the screen. Its characters are diverse in appearance, personality and play styles and its a colourful game with a playful style. And while Brawlout does share some similarities with Nintendo’s flagship fighting game, there are some notable differences too.

Brawlout is designed to be more aggressive and fast-paced – even the slowest characters I tried at EGX were quite quick. Combos are executed with speed, there’s no such thing as blocking and you’re going to get the best out of yourself by getting into your opponents face and kicking it off. Respawning after being knocked off a map is nearly instantaneous too, meaning you’re right back in the action after you’ve been K.O.’d.

Brawlout is aiming to launch in 2017 on PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

PikuNiku

PikuNiku was probably the happiest game I played at EGX. It’s a bright and colourful game populated by cute and quirky characters. My tasks within the demo I played included finding the cards that someone had lost (and somehow scattered all over an area littered with platforms) and retrieving someone’s friend who had gotten stuck up a tree. PikuNiku literally translates from Japanese as picnic, a light and happy affair, which is exactly the mood the developers are aiming to recreate. After spending some time with it at EGX, I can say that they’re definitely on the right track towards succeeding.

PikuNiku currently doesn’t have a release date.

Forgotten Anne

Announced by the Square Enix Collective and playable for the first time ever at EGX, Forgotten Anne is a 2D cinematic adventure game that takes place in the Forgotten Realms. It’s a land inhabited by Forgotlings, creatures made up of misplaced objects. The demo I played at EGX was short and shrouded in mystery.

Players take on the role of Anne, a young enforcer who is tasked with keeping the land safe from rebels – unregistered Forgotlings who, in the demo, had attacked a power station. The game has an amazing art style, with the entire thing looking like an Anime, as well as some sort of choice-based system. In the demo I was confronted with a conversation that could result in my taking pity on an unregistered Forgotling or destroying it.

Forgotten Anne is coming in 2017 to PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

A Normal Lost Phone

A Normal Lost Phone is a snooping simulator. Found during one of my excursions into the Leftfield Collection, the premise of the game is quite simple – you’ve found a lost phone. By going through the various messages and apps on it you can find out what happened to its owner, who has gone missing. It’s an engaging premise and I found myself sucked into the act of spying on this strangers life, pouring over every detail of his messages as I pieced together not only where he went, but how his life was going in general.

A Normal Lost Phone is currently available for free on GameJolt, with an updated version of the game coming soon to Steam and mobile platforms.