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Get Hyped For PAX East 2022!

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Alanah Pearce to Deliver PAX East 2022 Storytime Keynote; Full Exhibitor List, Schedule Revealed
Fully Vaxxed, Masked Game Industry Reunion Kicks Off April 21, 2022

PAX East 2022 welcomes renowned video game writer, producer, content creator, voice actor, and charity streamer Alanah Pearce, who will give the Storytime keynote address as the East Coast’s most attended gaming event. Hundreds of publishers, developers, and other exhibitors will come together Thursday, April 21 through Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the first time in two years.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required of all attendees, exhibitors, staff, and guests at PAX East 2022, and face coverings are mandated at all times. Additional health and safety information is available on the official website.

PAX East guest-of-honour Alanah Pearce has informed and entertained millions across international radio, internet, and television, plus games like Gears 5 and Cyberpunk 2077. Her industry knowledge has elevated IGN and Rooster Teeth while drawing huge audiences to YouTube and Twitch as Charalanahzard. A champion of accessibility, equality, and diversity in games, Pearce created the Video Game Accessibility Awards in 2020 and joined a AAA studio as a video game writer that same year. She will welcome gamers home to PAX East with the Storytime keynote address from the Main Theatre (and streamed live on Twitch) on Thursday, April 21 at 10:30 AM Eastern.



Following the keynote, explore a massive show floor replete with hundreds of beloved developers, AAA and indie publishers, and hands-on demos of hotly anticipated titles. See the latest from 505 Games, renowned publisher of Death Stranding, Control, Ghostrunner, and the Eiyuden Chronicle series. Experience new announcements or first-ever playable debuts for games like Devolver Digital’s Trek to Yomi and Demon Throttle, Swordship from Thunderful Games, Cuisineer from BattleBrew Productions, The Last Worker from Wired Productions, WrestleQuest from Skybound Games, RAWMEN from tinyBuild, and many, many more.

These partners join a staggering lineup of new and previously announced, like Gearbox Software, Larian Studios, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, XSEED, Intel, AMD, Apogee Entertainment, Ysbryd Games, Humble Games, and so many more. See Games Done Quick break records in-person, watch esports’ youngest and brightest play Valorant for $7,500 in collegiate scholarships, witness popular content creators throw down in Fall Guys, and catch all-star panels with industry personalities like WWE Superstar Xavier Woods AKA Austin Creed and Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil. The full exhibitor list and event schedule for PAX East 2022 are available now.

Follow the action straight to the Main Stage, where 1047 Games and PAX Arena are proud to present the $10k Almost Pro Splitgate Open. Watch some of the world’s best compete in the free-to-play, fast-paced arena shooter with player-controlled portals and multi-dimensional combat. Host Alex Corea and casters SUP3RSON1k, RomeDMV, CoachBitey, and aEvilCat will call the matches throughout the weekend, culminating in a Sunday Grand Final that fans eager to hear what’s next for Splitgate won’t want to miss.

“Even in the darkest times of the last few years, we found each other in Discord, and bonded in rounds of Splitgate or on simulated tabletops,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “But PAX East has returned, just as was foretold.  To our friends, new and old: Welcome home.”

Saturday badges for PAX East 2022 are nearly sold out. Four-day badges are now on sale for $235, while individual Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday badges go for $62 each. For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the PAX East website, and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.

image source: PAX

Press Release supplied by ReedPop



Read Only Memories Issue 1 – Comic Review

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Read Only Memories is a new cyberpunk noir comic being published by IDW, based in the universe of the game with the same name. Set in the time between the first game and the upcoming title Read Only Memories: Neurodiver, the story follows the character of Lexi Rivers, previously a detective and now a private investigator. Starting off the story we see Lexi posing as a reporter in an attempt to see if her clients wife is being unfaithful and giving some nice insights into the character of Lexi and the world of Read Only Memories. Upon returning to her apartment, Lexi is confronted with a robot whose significant other has gone missing and requires her help in tracking him down.

Read Only Memories quickly pulls the reader into the corrupt and intriguing world thanks to some nice bread crumbs and story hooks from the talented storyteller, Sina Grace. Also helping to draw in the reader is the gorgeous artwork by Stefano Simeone, that gives some wonderful contrast between the bright neon metropolis and the dark underbelly of Santa Cruz. Simeone’s art is simple yet expertly effective in helping to evoke real emotion and depth from the characters and their surroundings.

Whether you are a fan of the games or just looking for some good cyberpunk noir, Read Only Memories is one comic you should certainly keep on your radar.

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Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Read Only Memories [comic] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action – Nintendo Switch Review

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It’s time to mix drinks and change lives in VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action now available on the Nintendo Switch from Sukeban Games.

VA-11 HALL-A is a super stylish bartending sim set in the Cyberpunk styled Glitch City, a city with a whole lot of secrets and unique citizens for you to discover. From the comfort of a bar countertop you play as Jill, one of two employees at the BTC bar designated VA-11 HALL-A. There you mix drinks and make conversation with a large cast of clientele that can range from grumpy publishers, rescue force workers, adult industry workers and hired mercenaries. Some clients will request specific drinks while others will give you vague instructions on what drink they may feel like which can add to the challenge and will change the dialogue depending on how they are served. Looking through the drink recipes and mixing up various cocktails and beverages is easy to understand and fun to do if not a little repetitive at times. At the end of the day Jill will get paid depending on how well she does serving people, while there are no real high stakes, Jill still has bills to pay and needs to be met that help her concentrate at work.

There is some real retro future style in VA-11 HALL-A that mimics PC-98 adventure and visual novel games while feeling set in a cyberpunk like future similar to Blade Runner, Snatcher and Bubblegum Crisis. Glitch city feels full of tension and unrest, hearing rumours and news about what’s happening around you really makes you feel like you really are a part of the world but not a hero that’s called to action. There is a jukebox in the bar that allows you to choose a number of chiptune and vaporwave inspired tracks to play throughout your shift and help set the mood.

VA-11 HALL-A is full of little Easter eggs and references to both popular culture and other games but overall it’s the story that really drives it along. Getting to know the characters, their lives, their stories and their feelings is what makes VA-11 HALL-A so compelling and will require multiple playthroughs to uncover everything. Certain dialogue options are hidden quite cleverly behind different drink choices, some of which must be bought from the store and others that are hidden recipes. It’s easy to tell that a lot of care has gone into making each of these characters as interesting as the last and the allusion to early anime with it’s female heavy cast is quite apparent but never overbearing.

So grab a drink, get comfortable and get ready for some Cyberpunk Bartending Action with VA-11 HALL-A. A fantastic story driven title that’s perfect for on the couch or on the go.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for Ysbryd Games for this review.