I admit it. I’m old. But as SXSW winded down, I knew I had to step up. Fortunately, there were many competing energy drink company representatives floating around downtown giving away free drinks, which helped alleviate balance out the possible hangover I had with the frustration of wasted time spent waiting to get into the Barracuda for The Current’s showcase featuring Andrew Bird.

Fortunately, I made a good executive decision to leave the line and head over to Buffalo Billiards because Southern California rockers Liily were amazing during their early noontime show. “I Can Fool Anybody in This Town” had great beats, and “Toro” had great energy. With only a single EP to its credit, Liily seemed to a top candidate for best breakout artist. Los Angeles garage rock trio Cherry Glazerr followed with a great set that mostly featured songs from its recently released album Stuffed & Ready.

Detroit alt-pop duo Flint Eastwood practically set fire to the outdoor stage at Cheer Up Charlies with its high-energy set that included “Chapter 4 Sober” and “Glitches.”

Indie rock legends Broken Social Scene was the one band I needed to see at SXSW before I died. Earlier that week, the Canadian band made headlines as it performed the entirety of its classic album You Forgot it In People at the Arts & Crafts Official Showcase. I hoped for a repeat for its Radio Day Stage performance, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. As a plus though, Broken Social Scene performed many songs from its two-volume Let’s Try the After EPs.

The rest of the day and night got mellower as my schedule seemed to fall perfectly into place. Irish singer-songwriter Jealous of the Birds also performed a coveted Radio Day Stage set and wowed the crowd with a mix of melancholy (“Tonight I Feel Like Kafka”) and throwback ’90s alternative jams (“Plastic Skeletons”). The Linnea Siggelkow-led Ellis treated the cozy Clive Bar outdoor stage with an enchanting set of bedroom pop tunes and memories of being forever young (“What a Mess”). To repeat: I’m feel old again.

Over at St. David’s Historic Sanctuary, London-born singer-songwriter Minke helped switch gears a bit with more uplifting vibes such as the searing ballad “Something Better” and low-tempo anthem “Too Late.” Also, Belgian-Egyptian singer-songwriter Tamino (born Tamino Moharam Fouad) filled the same cathedral with less uplifting tunes, but that didn’t stop the crowd from falling under his charming spell (“Tummy”) and enchanting voice.

I ended my night with a bit more bite with Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon and rock legend Steve Earle. I have a soft spot for female rockers so seeing McMahon was a no-brainer, especially with having to wait so long for her debut full-length album to finally drop. Her alternative rock style was such a breath of fresh air (“Missing Me”). Similarly, Earle rocked out with a no-nonsense flair as he and his band busted out “Desperados Waiting For A Train” and “Copperhead Road.” He told an amusing anecdote about folk legend Guy Clark and barbeque before performing a cover of Clark’s “The Last Gunfighter Ballad.”

Recommended Listen

• Angie McMahon – “Pasta”
• Broken Social Scene – “Stars and Sons”
• Cherry Glazerr – “Daddi”
• Ellis – “Frostbite”
• Flint Eastwood – “Queen”
• Liily – “Sepulveda Basin”
• Minke – “Bite the Bullet”
• Tamino – “Verses”

The post SXSW Music Festival 2019: March 15 (Austin, Texas) appeared first on Blogcritics.

I just saw the trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX and, while it only runs 2:07 minutes, I found myself smiling, shaking, and crying as I watched it. There are so many little and rather big things crammed into those 127 seconds, including seeing an old friend and hearing an old enemy. I am cautiously optimistic, but this trailer suggests that there is much to look forward to in this final film that ends the current trilogy and the nine-movie Skywalker saga.

First of all I started shivering when I saw the title – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. If nothing else, this gives me a great deal of hope on a number of levels. For one, I never bought Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) story that Rey (Daisy Ridley) was a nobody as he tells her in The Last Jedi. This is a story I believe he concocts to get her to join him on the dark side of the Force. But the light shines in Rey, perhaps more so than even in young Luke (Mark Hamill) in A New Hope, so it is pretty clear that Rey is indeed somebody and that she will find out that she is a Skywalker. 

The title suggests someone new as a Skywalker – some people have even suggested that Broom Boy (the kid in the last scene of The Last Jedi) may have been unknowingly a Skywalker. My bet is that it is Rey because Luke’s lightsaber called to her so deeply in The Force Awakens, and from the trailer it appears that she has reconstructed it after it was destroyed in her duel with Kylo in The Last Jedi. That iconic blue lightsaber belongs in the hands of a Skywalker – it originally belonged to Luke’s father Anakin (Hayden Christensen and Jake Lloyd in the prequels) – so it makes sense that it will belong to Rey.

How Rey is a Skywalker is interesting to think about because Anakin supposedly had no father and was born through the Force. His mother tells this story to Qui Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) in The Phantom Menace, so if we take this as truth there is a possibility that Rey too was born out of the Force, but to whom? Could she be a child Leia (Carrie Fisher) had when she was separated from Han? Or perhaps she is Luke’s child that he did not know about. Whatever is the case, JJ Abrams has an opportunity to make this an important aspect of the story line. 

The trailer also reveals Billie Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian at the helm of the Millennium Falcon with Chewbaca (Joonas Suotamo) and this caused more shivers and shaking. It is such a delight to see Williams as Lando, and the feeling for me is a real connection to the original trilogy that makes sense as the nine-movie saga comes to an end.

There is also a scene where Rey, Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), and Finn (John Boyega) come upon the remains of the crashed Death Star from Return of the Jedi. Talk about making connections with the original trilogy, this reminds us of how the Empire ended and the Rebel Alliance won; however, it is also how the First Order would get started.

At the very end of the trailer the most haunting thing is not a visual but a sound  – a very familiar and blood curdling one – Emperor Palpatine (the terrific Ian McDiarmid) laughing.  JJ Abrams has confirmed Palpatine will be in The Rise of Skywalker, so we can all swallow that lump in our collective throats and wonder just how he will fit into the story. 

Never has a short trailer done so much to delight and scare me as this one has. Since standing on line as a teenager to see A New Hope to taking my kids to see the new films, I have felt deeply connected to the story. Even in the last films, to see Luke age as I have gives a deeper perspective and understanding to how much I feel for him and the other characters. Many people were upset when they believed Luke died at the end of The Last Jedi because they took it personally, as if they lost a member of their family.

I am not the only one in my family to be excited about the trailer. I showed it to my son and his eyes glowed, and at the end when he heard Palpatine’s cackle, his eyes widened and he shouted, “The Emperor’s back!” Yes, the guy behind all the misery generated in the original films and the prequels is back – hopefully with a vengeance. Nothing would be more delightful than to see his Force ghost (I know, the Sith weren’t supposed to become Force ghosts, but you never know) battling Luke’s. It’s a long shot, but I can dream, right? 

The anticipation for this film will continue to grow, with no doubt more trailers coming out and toys appearing in stores and online. Sometimes the toys give us clues as to what characters will be in the films and their importance. Before The Last Jedi my son and I saw a nice action figure in the store of Supreme Leader Snoke (played by Andy Serkis), and we had high hopes that he would have a duel with Luke in the movie, but he was quickly dispatched in a disappointing scene, so a great toy doesn’t always connect to importance in the film.

We should all be looking forward to all the things that will be coming our way about the film as we await its premier in December. For now, check out the trailer below. 

May the Force be with you!  

The post ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Trailer – Shivering Me Timbers appeared first on Blogcritics.

More Than M*A*S*H

The opening session was chaired by NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. Smith is celebrating his tenth year at the head of the organization.

In introducing stage, TV and film actor Alan Alda, who received the NAB Distinguished Service Award, Smith, a former U.S. Senator, recalled how Alda won an Emmy for his portrayal of a conservative senator from California on The West Wing. He quipped, “Conservative? California? Sounds like a non sequitur. I was a conservative senator from Oregon and all I got was not re-elected.”

When Alda, best known for his portrayal of “Hawkeye” Pierce on M*A*S*H, came on stage he shared stories about how he was inspired and got started on his career with Variety Business Editor Cynthia Littleton.

Alda recalled how his father made one of the first television broadcasts. “It was only between two buildings in New York,” he said, “but, it still counts.”

Alda became fascinated with radio and TV and made his own debut on TV when he only ten-years old and interested in magic. “KTLA was always asking for people from LA to come on the air and perform,” Alda recalled. “I called up and they let me do a magic trick where I pulled a cake out of a hat. I don’t remember how I did it.”

Alda got a laugh from the crowd when he shared a memory of the last episode of M*A*S*H, which was watched by 105.9 million viewers. “At the first commercial break,” he said, “so many New Yorkers went to the bathroom at the same time it nearly broke the water works.”

More recently, for ten years, Alda hosted Scientific American Frontiers. On this show he interviewed scientists to get them to tell their stories from a human standpoint. “I realized that if I related to them like another actor, I could get them to open up,” he recalled. “When they began to lecture, I’d interrupt and connect in a real way. A lecture is like a commercial, but if you engage the person with what interests them, that’s communication.” He smiled. “Everything else is excommunication.”

That show led to the foundation of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University.

“All this,” Alda observed, “because a ten-year old boy was listening to the radio and was inspired by it.”

You can hear more from Alda on his podcast, Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda.

Tom Taylor Tales

Smith also presented the NAB Spirit of Broadcasting Award to industry veteran Tom Taylor. For thirty years Taylor was a “must read/must listen to” voice for people in radio.

In accepting the award, Taylor observed, “Successful stations are those who serve their local markets.

“In all the years I provided news, no one ever said to me, ‘Don’t do that story, it will upset someone.’”

He emphasized the importance of trusted sources. Taylor said, “Always seek our sources we can trust and in our local markets, work to be that source.”

He urged attendees to remember, “The public is the only critic whose opinion has any worth,”

Challenges and the Future

One of NAB’s missions is to represent broadcasters in the halls of Congress and state legislators. To dramatize one of the challenges facing the industry, Smith held up a cell phone with a small white attachment on its base.

“The Next Gen TV attachment with this phone lets me watch my favorite stations anywhere I am,” Smith explained.

From the consumer’s stand point, having the attachment would be beneficial because it uses none of their data.

Smith continued, “And while this attachment is great, what we would really love to see is a chip built into mobile devices to give consumers this broadcast reception technology. But to date, manufacturers, Apple being one, refuse to enable broadcast chips in their devices. And it begs the question: why?”

Smith pointed out that he does not often agree with Senator Elizabeth Warren, but made an exception for recent comments about big tech.

He quoted her as saying, “They’ve bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit and tilted the playing field against everyone else. And in the process, they have hurt small businesses and stifled innovation.”

Smith then mused, “I wonder if this growing tech power is one of the reasons why this consumer benefit is being held back by the manufacturers.”

But he had a solution. “Given the threat to local journalism that is posed by these tech companies, lawmakers can enable broadcasters to better compete and to support journalism in two ways.

“First, modernize outdated broadcast regulations to allow us to compete on a level playing field with these behemoth tech and pay-TV companies to ensure that broadcast journalism can flourish.

“And second, increase regulation on the tech industry to ensure that these companies cannot use their market power to stifle competition and the financial viability of local news.”

Find Out More

NAB aims at enabling broadcasters to serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and flourish in the digital age.

The conference brought together 92,000 media, entertainment and technology professionals from 160 countries and over 1,700 exhibitors. Attendees learned and explored traditional broadcasting, filmmaking, and new digital storytelling options, from creation to delivery, across multiple platforms to bring their stories to life.

Learn more at their website.

The post NAB 2019: Opening Day Honors Alan Alda and Looks to Future appeared first on Blogcritics.

Remedy is the innovative game studio from Finland behind such classics as Max Payne and Alan Wake. They are one of the most admired developers in the world for their story telling and world building. Their last game Quantum Break was truly innovative in its mix of live action cutscenes and CG gameplay.

Now they are back as a self funded studio and ready to show Control to the world. I had spoken to Remedy at The Montreal International Games Summit recently about the game, but I could not get hands on with it so I was very excited to give it a try.

The concept of Control centres around Jesse Faden, the newly appointed director of a secretive government agency. When their headquarters is invaded by an otherworldly threat Jess has to summon all her powers and fight back to regain Control.

The demo was not story based unfortunately but was a free roaming experience to get used to the actions and enemies. Jess has a number of powers in the demo such as hovering and pull/push telekinetic abilities. Add to this the guns and explosives available and she is a formidable opponent.

The look and feel of the game is more Quantum Break meets Max Payne than the methodical pace of Alan Wake. The environments are incredibly detailed and the animations, despite some needed optimization, look incredibly varied and realistic.

Even though there was no narrative in this demo I could see a number of areas that will obviously be key to the story.  I stumbled on and abandoned and overgrown old office in a sub basement and I could tell that a key sequence would take place there in the full game.

In speaking to the creative director he mentioned that Control is a big departure for Remedy, it will be the first time one of their characters actually has skill progression and the first open world style game they make.  Jess will be customizable with clothes and abilities and the world of the massive and supernatural headquarters will be full explorable.

I wanted to see so much more of the game but the demo did let me see the style and pacing of the game which was very cool.  The characters Remedy creates are all very cool and Jess is no exception. Cannot wait till more details on Control are revealed and when the game is finally out in August of this year.

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Wrath: Aeon of Ruin

Leveraging the original Quake engine, yes the engine from 1996, 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment in collaboration with developer KillPixel are hoping to tickle our nostalgic bones with Wrath: Aeon of Ruin.

First off this game is terrifically fun and fast which I was not quite expecting. Feeling like a merge of Quake and Hexen this shooter gave me supernatural and traditional weapons and set me loose in a fantasy landscape.

Skeletons, monsters and other crazy enemies pop out from everywhere as I ran through the levels shooting everything in sight and upgrading my weapons.  There are a number of skills as well that either get triggered or stay active. Some skills heal, others make mid level respawn points.

The game was really quite fun with some great non-linear exploration that seemed to offer a lot of options once the full game is released.  Wrath is releasing this summer for PC and Nintendo Switch platforms.

Astroneer

I had a chance to try out Astroneer at PAX East which just recently left early Access on Steam and Xbox with a 1.0 release.  This is an incredibly charming and accessible space themed exploration, building and strategy title that is continually evolving.

In Astroneer the fully customizable character lands on one of the seven explorable planets, builds facilities, mines resources, terraforms and explores to progress to other regions. There are abandoned structures on each planet that weaves a narrative as the planet is explored.

The developer System Era Softworks showed off a new major feature at PAX East which is jetpacks for the characters.  This adds a lot of fun and further strategy as the pack needs oxygen to boost and that is a precious resource.

I played around on the demo units and was able to quickly create base items, gather resources, setup oxygen paths and terraform the planet. Astroneer is incredibly charming with a visual style that is as charming as it is practical.

While the game is in a full release level the team will continue to support it as if it was still early access adding features and community requested items as soon as they are able.  They see Astroneer as a continually evolving product.

One cool thing I noted is that both children and adults were enraptured with the game.  It is easy to pick up and really fun to play and explore in. The booth was always full with gamers of all ages which made the team really happy.

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Community Run Events

Every year there are a number of consistent events at PAX East that offer a wide range of fun activites from Board Game nights to pubcrawls. These events are a way for PAX goers to meet and have some more social and personal experiences together outside of the crowded Expo halls.

Pre-PAX dinner – this is completely community run and, while I did not attend this year, I have gone many times in the past. This dinner is a ticket based event that includes all fees to get a full meal (drinks not included). There are always raffles and plenty of laughs.

I know the organizers have struggled with attendance since the show shifted to four days but next year they are moving to Thursday which will boost attendance again. It is a fun night at a great Boston restaurant and well worth checking out

Pre-PAX boardgame night – This is a pretty spectacular event held in the Westin Waterfront Hotel’s massive main meeting room. The hotel provides the space for free which is crazy and really appreciated.

At this event at least 100+ PAX goers gather the night before the show and play ad-hoc boardgames/D&D or whatever for hours until it closes off at midnight. The hotel even provides a cash bar if folks want to drink while they play.

For those staying at the Westin or nearby hotels this is a mainstay event and not to be missed buy the PAX Regulars and newbies alike. There is nothing like sitting in on a great game with strangers who become friends by the end of the night. Frequently I bump into the folks I met during the show and we high five in passing as new buddies.

Pokecrawl – Another mainstay of the PAX experience and in it’s 10th year of operation. The Pokecrawl is a Pokemon themed pubcrawl where donations are accepted over the night to raise money for Child’s play. This year we raised $4424 for the charity which is a typical amount for the Crawl.

The point of the crawl is that 8 teams of approx. 30-40 people representing different Pokemon split up and hit bars two teams at a time on a prescribed route. At the bar there are fun challenges we have to pose to the other team. Once the time is up we move on to the next bar. Each team has a professor who sells items for donations to raise money.

There is nothing like 80 folks dressed in various Pokemon themed clothing descending on a bar. Cars honk, people high five and the bars know us well enough now that special pokemon drinks are offered.

Obviously a pubcrawl is not for everyone, but each and every year I meet great new folks and as long as moderation is employed it is a truly great time.

Developer Run Events

PREGAMER: PAX East Edition – This event hosted by Playcrafting is a chance before PAX starts to check out a bunch of Indie games and meet some fellow PAX goers.

Hosted at the LAUGH Boston in the Westin this is setup like a nightclub mini expo hall. Developers have stations with mobile, PC, console and board games setup throughout the space.

It is always great to walk through the space and chat with some of the smaller Boston devs and see what they have going on. I invariably run into some old friends and as there is a bar and some snacks some fun is always involved.

Bethesda Game Days

This one is exceptional in the fact that Bethesda books out a restaurant and Laugh Boston in the Westin and rebuilds it as a custom space to show off their current and upcoming games. Not only do they show their games they also host panels with most of their key team members across two full days.

Admittance is free and first come, first serve with food and limited drinks available to all who attend. This year they showed off Rage 2, Elder Scrolls Blades, Fallout 76 and the new ESO expansion. They had major players including Todd Howard on hand to discuss all the things they were working on.

The scale and scope of this two day event is pretty amazing. Not only do they feed attendees Bethesda also showers everyone with swag including a free game days shirt (which is quite nice) and other stuff from each game.

Bethesda is very interesting organization in that they don’t like to conform and prefer to call their own shots, this event is proof of those beliefs. I have to say with all the missteps they make, Fallout 76 being on everyone’s minds now, it is great seeing them really speak directly to the fans with events like this.

Acer Predator Gaming After Party

Another PAX mainstay is the massive Acer Predator party that always happens on the Friday night at a massive nightclub in Boston. This year it was at the House of Blues and was a crazy night from start to finish.

Free for attendees but first come , first serve this is the party everyone wants to go to when at PAX. There is always fun esports tournaments happening live, killer DJs and plenty of contests and swag given out to attendees.

DJ MissNINJA and EDM group Pegboard Nerds were amazing and got the huge crowd moving throughout the night. I wasn’t as big a fan of the games the teams were playing, Rocket League, but it was fun watching a pro team go against fans and losing at times!

Media Molecule Community Event

Media Molecule is an iconic company best known for the Little Big Planet series but they were at PAX East showing their truly amazing game Dreams this year. When I was chatting with the team at their booth about the game they mentioned they were hosting an event so I checked it out.

Dreams is a really cool game where anything you can dream can be created. The game has a full range of tools to create environments, creatures, people, interactive paintings, sculptures or anything you want. It really is indescribable – just check it out.

At the community event most of the lead team was there, producer, programmers, artists and audio experts. It was a small but intimate event that let us chat with the team directly, ask questions and play some fun competitive modes against the team.

This was a standout event for me as it was so intimate and personal just like the game itself. Dreams is something really special from what I saw and the team behind it is equally as impressive and truly passionate about their game, each other and their community,

After Hours events at the Convention Centre

The main show floor hours of PAX East end at 6pm but there are plenty of things to do until the BCEC closes its doors at midnight Thursday – Saturday.

Concerts and Live gaming – Every year there is at least one night of concerts and this year it fell on Saturday night with Doubleclicks, Bit Brigade and the Video Game Orchestra. These video game inspired bands always impress the crowds with crazy sessions keeping the main room hopping till midnight.

On Friday this year Penny Arcade hosted an Acquisitions Incorporated game night with Omin Dran (Jerry Holkins), Jim Darkmagic (Mike Krahulik), Viari (Patrick Rothfuss), Môrgæn (Morgan Webb), and Bobby Zimeruski (WWE Superstar Xavier Woods), led byJeremy Crawford as the Dungeon Master.

Acquisitions Incorporated has become a phenomenon all on it’s own with a newly reveled official Wizards of the Coast D&D supplement for the group releasing soon. The regular Acquisitions Inc. prime and B Team live streams attract 10’s of thousands of viewers and this game packed the Main theater for 4 hours of fun.

After Hours Panels – During the day panels tend to be what you expect, industry chats, mainstream discussions and reveals, but at night things get a little wacky.

Talks about who is the best Pokemon, actual gaming bake-offs and wrestlemania themed events are the norm. There is so much to do outside of PAX East in Boston at night, but some of these panels are just so hilarious and well worth checking out.

Pinny Arcade Community Trading – Introduced I guess about 5 years ago the Pinny Arcade Pins have become a HUGE part of every PAX. Exhibitors clamor to be part of the official pinny hunt process and the hosts, enforcers are always part of the trading community.

At night though there are always events to get together, chat and trade for the elusive pins you could not obtain previously. Some people are crazy passionate about Pinny Arcade and make it a goal to get all the pins at each PAX.

I am not the hugest pin fan BUT I do wear label pins with my suit jackets daily and REALLY wanted the three floppy disc Indie Mega Booth pin so I made it happen! Picked up the Rez one as well (so cool) and got a Media Molecule blob at their event.

So there you have it – PAX East is about the games, tabletop and panels but there is so much more to the show because of the community it fosters. There are plenty of opportunities to meet each other and the developers which makes this conference so special.

The post The Social Side of PAX East appeared first on Blogcritics.

The art style is very similar to Darkest Dungeon, as is the dark scope of the project, but the rest is a very different experience. Gameplay in Mistover is divided between overland exploration and encounters. The exploration uses resources such as light and food, which requires careful resource management to balance everything.

Traps and environmental effects can compromise the characters and impact health and resource availability. The goal is to reach the exit of the dungeon or area and get as many resources as possible on the way. The Mist is always around and enemies are always hungry to attack the characters. Bushes can be used to hide in and character skills can clear obstacles or help the party disappear.

The gameplay was quite fun, with a lot of strategy required to navigate the map safely, constantly looking at health and resources. There are eight character classes, which give a wide range of tactics available, but of course healing characters are always necessary.

I did not get a chance to see the hub point of the game but was told more characters can be recruited, skills improved and loot utilized. The battles are very interesting, with a lot of tactics available such as team-up attacks, depending on positioning, or multiple hits depending on the attacks.

Resource management is key in battles as well, because special attacks need their own pool, so the big attacks need to be rationed so the battle can be won. The more I dug into the game the more I was impressed with its depth.

At the surface I took this as a pure Darkest Dungeon clone, but developer Krafton has brought a lot of depth and originality to Mistover while drawing positive similarities to Darkest Dungeon – which I consider one of the best games of the last five years.

There is no fixed release date for Mistover but the developer has announced it will come out this year (hopefully late summer) for PC and Switch platforms. Thinking about this on the mobile Switch option gets me pretty interested, as this is a great on-the-go style of game, well worth checking out once it’s released.

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Day 2 dawned though and I was back on the show floor checking out a wide variety of games and experiences.  From a VR falcon based game to a new large scale version of Earth Defense Force and a supernatural action game set in the ruins of Chernobyl.  All the games were interesting and different experiences.

Falcon Age

I had a chance to sit with Outerloop Games and have a look at the soon to be released PS4 and PSVR game Falcon Age.  This one is quite cool and unique with the main hook of the game being the titular Falcon the main character Ara works with.

In speaking to the dev they were fascinated with the falconry practice and did a ton of research which led to the concept of this game.  In Falcon Age I played as As Ara where I learn to hunt, gather, and fight to reclaim her cultural legacy in the lost art of falcon hunting against a force of automated colonizers.

The concept looks at colonialism, but from the sides of automated robots that indiscriminately take over planets.  Leveraging her partnership with a Falcon I could name Ara works her way towards freeing her people and bringing back the ancient practice of Falconry which holds significance with her people.

The game is very interesting to control with very easy functions (both in standard and VR modes) to control the Falcon (I called it Petey).  The controls vary from attacking, to roosting, gathering or doing recon.

I could interact with Petey, giving him clothes, food, comforting pets or crazy hats and accessories.  The combat is pretty fun and really required me to coordinate attacks with Petey and keep an eye on his health.

Falcon Age looks great and is a prime example of a VR game done right.  From the ground up the designed it two pronged, VR and Standard. This way they did not have to shoehorn in support for either mode.  

The game itself is truly lovely to behold as well and a good addition to the PSVR landscape. Falcon Age launches on April 9th for PlayStation 4 and offers VR support from Day one.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

On the crowded show floor I had a chance to swing by one of the larger booths and check out the latest in the Earth Defense Force series – Iron Rain.  This series is bonkers focusing around an elite group of defenders facing off against monsters to defend the earth.

Even though this was a show floor demo I was given plenty of time to customize my character – who is always named Closer and is recovering from a long coma to rejoin the fight. I guess people in the EDF just don’t get a break!

Once my character was ready – including picking weapons and Physical Augmentation Gear (also known as PA Gear) I hit the battlefield running.  Right away I was facing off against building sized ants and crazy alien tentacled creatures so I knew what I was in for. I crazy town action game where anything goes.

I plowed through the mission and then got back to base where I saw the deeper mechanics.  I was able to customize additional aspects and pick my next missions. There is definitely a narrative thread but a lot of freedom in how the game progresses.  I did not get to try it but Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain will feature 2-player local co-op via split-screen or team-up with fellow players for 1-6 player online co-op.

There will also be a new competitive multiplayer mode called Mercenary Mode, supporting 2-8 players on two teams competing for the most gems collected at the end of each round while defeating enemy hordes and other players at the same time.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain looked and played great but is not really my cup of tea.  It was too open for how I like games to progress and the vibe was just too odd for my liking.  I am a lone voice though and the series is widely popular – from what I saw even casual EDF fans will love this when released April 11 for PlayStation 4.

Chernobylite

This was a very interesting game from a small developer focused around love and loss at of all places the Chernobyl disaster area.  The game revolves around the lead character who was a young physicist at Chernobyl when the nuclear catastrophe happened April 1985.

His girlfriend at the time disappeared in the event and 30+ years later he is still obsessed with her and I started the game playing as this character searching for answers.  What was most cool about the game is that the team went to Chernobyl numerous times to document, record and take pictures.

This commitment to reality really benefited what I saw of the game.  Areas reclaimed by nature or repurposed by factions in the game all looked stunning as did the overall look and feel of the world created in this game.

There is a very strong narrative arc in Chernobylite with many sci-fi and supernatural elements.  There are portals to teleport around in the game and to traverse them I had to travel through another dimension where it was hard to separate reality from imagination.

In the real world there are manifestations as well as real enemies to be encountered.  The game is VERY early so enemies looked great but had very poort or basic AI governing their actions but that will be steadily improved.

There is base building, cracting, upgrading and survival elements as well which were cool but i sometimes worry that too many loose threads ruin the product but what I saw was quite capable even at this early stage.

Overall Chernobylite is a gorgeous representation of Chernobyl with some really interesting supernatural and sci-fi hooks.  They are moving to Kickstarter to get additional momentum on the game and I hope they succeed so we get the best version of their creation.

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How We Get To PAX East

The PAX East conference, held in Boston, Massachusetts, is the only gaming show on the East coast anywhere near its size. There are also PAX shows in Seattle, San Antonio and Australia at different times of the year. PAX East is typically held anywhere between mid-March and late April.

It has grown into a multiday event running Thursday to Monday. Tickets typically go on sale six months in advance due to very high demand. Friday and Saturday passes typically sell out within days, so if you have a keen interest to go keep an eye on the website or the @paxpasses Twitter account for ticket launch dates.

Once you buy tickets, the hotels are the next tricky bit. PAX partners with a booking company to get great rates at all the local hotels, but rooms are limited so grabbing a hotel quickly is key. Even if your preferred spot is taken, the site updates up till 2-3 weeks before the event so freed-up rooms can be grabbed.

How to Plan for PAX East

OK, so we have passes, hotels and transportation figured out – now what to do at the show is on our minds. A month or two before the event the schedule is released, showing all of the panels, exhibitors, and most importantly the floor plan.

With these tools it’s easy to block off what talks you want to attend, what developers and games you want to check out, and how to spend your many hours during the convention.

The BCEC where PAX East is held is MASSIVE, so pack comfortable shoes and clothes and bring plenty of snacks, as getting in and out for food can be tricky. A reusable water bottle is a must-have, as there are water stations everywhere.

A word of caution: PAX East gets VERY crowded and they have pretty strict security checks upon entry. Pack smartly and prepare for lengthy lineups if you want to get in the Expo hall early each day.

What to Do at PAX East

So very much is the real answer. PAX East focuses on three major things: panels, the gaming expo hall, and the Tabletop area. But there are so many side events that are well worth mentioning as well.

The expo hall houses all the game developers, with probably a 65/35 mix of indie and large-scale developers showing their games and products. The hall also has PC Freeplay areas, with esports events like this year’s Mythic Invitational Magic Tournament. Exploring the expo hall offers many chances to play games, but also to observe and buy materials from the devs, such as the games themselves or themed products.

The Tabletop area has tournaments, drop-in games, first look areas, and places to demo and buy games. I love wandering this area and often drop into a closed deck Magic tournament or a game session for some of the newest boardgames. It’s packed start to finish and always fun.

The panels include dozens of talks by industry vets, personalities, or interested community members spanning a huge array of topics. In one panel there may be an Acquisitions Inc. game session, in another a talk about inclusivity in games, or how to fix Fallout 76. The wide variety of talks, with up to four or even six happening simultaneously in different rooms, really offers something to everyone who attends.

The other stuff is incredibly wide and varied. There are console freeplay areas, Intel PC play areas, a Dance Central open arena, a Kickstarter Lounge, Jackbox game sessions running every day, and so much more. Literally around every corner there are diversions, rest areas, quiet zones, or fun experiences completely outside of the main halls and panels.

Big developers and small as well as the community also sometimes have side events, such as the Bethesda game days hosted in the attached Westin Hotel, which offered two days of free fun looking at their games and getting some food and swag.

The Expo Hall runs to 6PM each day but the show itself runs to midnight (except Sunday, which ends at 6PM) with concerts, large-scale tournaments, panels, and events running up until the doors close.

Is PAX East Worth It?

Hell yes. The hotels and passes are expensive, four days are a big time commitment, and the crowds can be intense and overbearing. But what an experience. Like everything in life, you get out of something what you put into it. If you want a chill, quiet experience, that’s completely doable, and if you want a crazy energetic 12-hour nutso experience that’s also possible.

The depth and breadth of the event and the strength and inclusivity of the community of developers, enforcers and fans make make PAX East (and all the PAX shows) incredibly unique and well worth experiencing again and again.

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That risk-taking director Ivo van Hove should have thought to stage this work isn’t surprising. His production, with additional music (by Annelies Van Parys) and a larger role for the soprano, just paid a brief visit to BAM. The singing was beautiful; tenor Andrew Dickinson and mezzo Marie Hamard brought out the subtleties as well as the conspicuous drama in the music, with sensitive accompaniment by pianist Lada Valešová.

The offstage singers folded their voices into the score with lovely balance and clarity. At the same time, their invisible presence resonates with the modern experience, giving a backwards-anachronistic illusion of electronic effects and the melding of live and recorded sound.

The production itself, though, is a slog. Normally Janáček’s cycle of 22 songs takes 40-odd minutes to perform. Van Hove expands that, but only to just over an hour. Yet the conceptually convoluted staging wheezes glumly by. Set in modern times in a photography studio, it makes generous use of symbolism that’s simultaneously obvious and vague – photos being developed in a darkroom, images shown on an old-fashioned overhead projector. But the main trouble comes from the artificially slow and self-consciously arty blocking, which shouts depth without exploring it.

A few sequences stand out, especially a relatively long aria sung a capella by Hamard as Zefka, the poems’ Gypsy woman. Within the production’s constricted conceptual confines, Hamard brought a cool dignity to the role. Dickinson, with the lion’s share of the vocal burden, managed to convey an ardent lover, in tones that varied from bright to sleek to warm.

As operatic theater this Diary of One Who Disappeared falls short. As an opportunity to hear a great song cycle performed by singers with strength and finesse, I’ll take it.

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