It's been a few years since Game Informer has had a presence at PAX West, but 2023 marks the grand return of the outlet at the fan-favorite expo. Each year over Labor Day Weekend, thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic gamers descend upon Seattle, Washington, in order to witness the spectacle of the fun booths, grab some amazing merchandise, meet some like-minded friends, and, perhaps paramount to all of that, play some of the hottest upcoming releases.
As you might imagine, any time members of the Game Informer staff attend an event, we strive to play as many games at these events as possible. As a result, we get a decent view of the show and beyond. In addition to PAX West's actual showfloors, we've been attending offsite meetings and heading into Nintendo Live, the Nintendo-hosted fan fest that is happening in the same building. Check out the coolest games we got our hands on during PAX West, Nintendo Live, and our private meetings below.
AntonBlast
Anton is ready to take back what's his. After Satan steals his booze, Anton is on a quest for revenge. AntonBlast's primary inspiration is the Wario Land series, but it also pulls from games like Metroid, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Crash Bandicoot. Using his huge hammer, Anton tears through the levels, destroying everything in his path. The platforming and action are best described as chaotic; little will be left standing after you finish a level. This is particularly true of the escapes that take place, where you must make your way back to the start of the stage after retrieving your booze before time runs out. These alternate-path races against time are frantic and fun, further hammering home the speed and movement focus. AntonBlast looks to explode onto Switch and PC later next year.
Big Boy Boxing
Punch-Out!! inspiration abounds in Big Boy Boxing, a new hand-drawn, boss-rush boxing game from indie studio Soupmasters. Walking past the booth at PAX West 2023, the expressive animations immediately caught my eye, immediately harkening back to everything from early-'90s animation to games like Cuphead. That DNA is apparent throughout my hands-on time, as I fight through several different fights. What started as a Super Smash Bros.-style fighting game evolved into this, complete with animated cutscenes and memorable opponents. Pattern recognition is key as you face off against the game's 24 boss battles, each of which brings a completely different approach you must take to beat them. I fought against two early enemies before being thrown into the deep end by the developer, which demonstrated just how difficult the boxing title could become. I'm looking forward to taking down each rival and claiming the championship belt when Big Boy Boxing arrives next year.
Cobalt Core
Cute pixel-art anthropomorphized animals are just the beginning of Cobalt Core. This turn-based, roguelike deck-builder puts every pivotal choice in your hands as you guide your squadron through the star system. Each turn, you play a card from your hand, which includes ways to attack, move, or shield yourself. It may sound simple, but you need to take enemy spacecraft, each with its own weaponry and attack cadences, by using only the cards you happened to draw. Moving just out of the way of an incoming blast, only to return fire and take down your opponent was exhilarating in my short hands-on time with Cobalt Core. Each character in your active party brings their own set of cards that get shuffled into your deck, making party composition extremely important; some characters are more offensive-minded, while others may be more defensive or even mobility-focused. Any skepticism I had from words like "deck-builder" and "roguelike" quickly dissipated as soon as my first battle began, and now it's planted firmly on my Steam wishlist for whenever it ends up coming out.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Announced during Xbox Showcase during Summer Game Fest, Dungeons of Hinterberg looked immediately appealing. Now that we've gotten our hands on it, we're glad to know it plays great as well. The gameplay loop of exploring the overworld, finding a dungeon, completing said dungeon, and spending your evenings progressing relationships with various townsfolk scratches several itches and has the potential to sink its hooks in at a rapid pace. Add in fun combat that changes based on the biome and Dungeons of Hinterberg is one to keep an eye out for. Dungeons of Hinterberg arrives sometime in 2024.
For more on Dungeons of Hinterberg, read our full hands-on preview here.