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Here’s what was poppin’ at Play NYC, New York’s first gaming convention
A few weeks back my aunt sent me a text message with a link to sign up for this game convention called Play NYC. I signed up for the free raffle and got two tickets.
I was hype when the email came through because this would be my first gaming convention. We got to Terminal 5 early as all hell and were two of the few people waiting in line to be let in.
Many people of all ages attended and some even cosplayed as recognizable video game characters. Once we were let in, it was a whole different world. There were developers everywhere and even old school games set up for your enjoyment.
Booths full of classic or newer merchandise littered the first floor and the entire event was streamed live on Twitch with famous Twitch streamers joining the fray.
Developers littered all three floors eagerly getting us to test many of their projects slated for release on PC as well as consoles like Xbox, PS4, or both. I got my hands on some pretty solid demos. Here’s some of the best games I witnessed at Play NYC.
“Avariavs”
“Avariavs” is a fantasy game centered around two races, the Hume and the Eoni. The Hume have lived under Eoni rule for centuries.
Now the Hume want to eradicate all of the Eoni and rule themselves.
A pretty solid story to wrap my mind around as it deals with conflicting ideals and the real truth behind what’s right and wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYRqb6i4KHg
Being one of the first demos I got to play, this blew me away. The character design was detailed and the fluidity of a JRPG-esque style of combat was awesome as hell.
The attacks did drop the frame rate for the game slightly, which was a bit annoying, but the system for attacking, as well as all the animations, were stunning.
A pretty solid alpha game with great potential. I signed up to be a beta tester for the game simply because it impressed the hell out of me.
I’d definitely look forward to seeing this game in the Steam library and on consoles for the future.
Replay Value: 10/10
“Kingdom Bash”
“Kingdom Bash” is a fantasy action game for up to 4 players.
Developed by Matthew Alan Estock, “Kingdom Bash” is a throwback to couch multiplayer where you can invite your friends over and all play the game in the same room.
You choose between different fantasy characters such as Knights, Archers, Mages, etc. and fight it out on different maps.
The game is pretty easy to learn with some solid controls and old school graphics that remind me of retro games on systems like the N64.
The maps all have different effects on the gameplay as enemies can spawn during the match to make things more interesting.
Items are also present in the game, however, they always spawn in the middle of a map. Careful planning is necessary if you want to grab that item or get merked by one of your friends
Solid game overall with a very good premise behind it. I’m a sucker for retro looking games and this one, along with the custom soundtrack, has a place in my 64-bit heart.
Replay value: 8.9/10
“eQuiz”
Personally, I don’t really like Trivia or Quiz games. I used to enjoy a good game of “Trivia Crack” until it got boring because nothing new ever came out of it.
“eQuiz” is an app for your mobile phone or tablet where you can challenge your friends’ knowledge of topics from sports to movies.
The game, currently out on the app store, is a great little app that I got to mess around with challenging the developers to a WWE trivia quiz (which I won).
The app was a bit buggy with a few minor glitches such as when putting in an answer it would lag but beyond that the game was pretty fun to play.
Personally do I see myself playing the game? Nah, it’s not my cup of tea but it was definitely the best and most developed mobile app at Play NYC.
Replay Value: 8.5/10
“Next Up Hero”
“Next Up Hero” takes a spin on the 2D beat ’em up genre. Players can resurrect other dead players, called “echoes” to fight for them in game.
An interesting concept for a beat ’em up game, Digital Continue has changed the 2D beat ’em up scene with their innovative gameplay and level design.
While playing the demo, you could choose from 9 heroes with assorted abilities from long range to close combat characters.
The enemies are meant to be ridiculous and sure enough they were absolutely bonkers. The challenge is defeating all the enemies on the floor in order to progress through every level.
A challenging game with an interesting premise, “Next Up Hero” is a hidden gem on the indie market.