Rezzed get ready to rumble
With Rezzed wrapped up for another year, we got a chance to get hands on with some of the most exciting titles that are set to arrive through 2018 and 2019. If you want to know some of the hidden gems on show at Rezzed, read on my friends.
Another Site, Lunar Great Wall Studios (PS4, Xbox One, PC, 2018)
Another Site offers up a beautiful platform puzzler that looks takes place in a steam-punk re-imagining of Victorian London, putting you in control of Kit, a young woman who goes blind after taking a tumble into a Waterloo station that’s still under construction. You’ll also take control of Kit’s companion, a cat named Hodge, who helps Kit find her way through the station. The two characters allow for a diverse bit of gameplay, with Kit’s blindness meaning she can only explore her surroundings by sound and with Hodge going ahead of her, whilst Hodge allows for some particularly lovely platforming sections made even more fun because you’re a cat – a cat you guys. Another Site is slated for a PC and console release later this year, and if you like the Alice in Wonderland-esque style of the game, I’m sure you’re just as excited for it as I am.
Insane Robots, Playniac (PS4, Xbox One, PC, 2018)
At first glance, the brilliantly named Insane Robots could easily be dismissed as just another card game in an already saturated genre. But if, like myself, you never really got into the whole card game thing for whatever reason, Insane Robots is nothing like its peers. Why? Well, there’s a couple of technical things the game s does differently, the most notable is that you won’t be able to buy cards, meaning that pretty much every player is on a level playing field. The game also does away with deck-building, which – depending on your opinion – is either a great or terrible move. Instead, there’s a total of 23 cards for PvP matches, just enough for you to be able to understand what each card does without turning the matches monotonous – oh and let’s not forget the 20-hour single player campaign. Add to this an incredibly awesome design to the game, with characters that include a teddy bear that’s been imprisoned and a robotic assassin, Insane Robots’ design seems like something ripped straight from a Douglas Coupland fever dream.
Lake Ridden, Midnight Hub (Steam, GOG, 2018)
Lake Ridden seems to have everything needed to be a hidden horror gem: a creepy forest setting that’s topped off by having sections blocked off with puzzles (because all spooky places need to challenge you both psychologically and intellectually), a first-person view, and a creepy townsfolk that’ll make you wish you listened to your parents about stranger danger. Lake Ridden has you searching for your lost sister, taking you through a dense forest that unravels a supernatural mystery that appears to be up to you to solve, you know – if you really want your sister back.
Above, Mighty Moth (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, 2019)
What I thought was going to be a simple flight simulator turned out to be so much more. Taking inspiration from a myriad of retro action adventure games, Above is a game that seems to defy genre, melding adventure with flight simulation, puzzles with mysteries, and all whilst looking like a really bloody beautiful game to look at and play. There’s a lot to be said about this game, both in what it does and the thought behind it, and it’s something we’ll be going into greater detail on in the near future, but the summary is: you should be looking forward to playing Above.
EarthFall, Holospark (PS4, Xbox One, PC, 2018)
Imagine Left4Dead, but with aliens, and without the clunky mechanics. Got that picture in your mind? Well, stop imagining, because Holospark’s EarthFall is exactly that – and it’s as fun as it sounds. Offering a series of alien-infested missions, it’ll be up to you and three friends or co-op AI to murderise alien hordes as you try to save the world. The game’s had a total overhaul since arriving on early access last year, and that time has helped Holospark smooth out the animations, AI intelligence, and overall performance of the game. If you missed Left4Dead when it first arrived, or if you just need a new co-op game to add to your library, EarthFall offers pure co-op chaos – and very ugly aliens.
Shaq Fu, Wired Productions (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC, 2018)
I’ve come to expect a lot from Wired Productions since playing Victor Vran on console, and the console release of Town of Light. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is well within its rights to sit among those two titles, offering non-stop action, wrapped up in an over the top colourful backdrop. It’s like they’ve taken your favourite action cartoon from Saturday morning television, recreated the character as Shaquille O’Neal, and set him loose on the world. The game is an unapologetically whacky side-scrolling beat ’em up, recapturing the chaotic, screen-filling madness that we haven’t had in years. I have a feeling that Shaq Fu is going to be my go-to game for getting over a mild hangover, but it might be a bit too bright for a full-on hangover…
And that’s our top six hidden gems at Rezzed this year. How about you? Did you play something that you need everyone to know about? Why not tell us in the comments and show John how to do this job properly.
