The three games that stole EGX Rezzed 2015

Considerably smaller than its big brash EGX brother, EGX Rezzed 2015 was still full of many great games. The ID@Xbox team had turned up with a number of titles and the usual developers and publishers were out in force. But which were the games that really stood out above all else?

Well, there were three that we were massively impressed with. One that was exclusive to the ID@Xbox booth, one that had a showing in with both the ID guys and those over at the Indie Zone and another that was based firmly in the Team 17 camp.

Step forward Gear Gauntlet, Soul Axiom and Overruled!

Gear Gauntlet

Coming to Xbox One later in 2015, Gear Gauntlet is one of those games that can induce rage at the drop of a hat. It can however, also bring gamers those all important ‘woo-hoo’ moments, when a sense of relief hits after many previous moments of failure – and believe me, there will be MANY moments of failure!

You’ll need plenty of patience as the gauntlets see you boosting, teleports, reversing and rotating your gear in order to reach the end goal, with every barrier in your way broken only as long as you press the corresponding buttons at the exact time. Think of a constantly rolling 2D scroller that incorporates those beloved ‘Guitar Hero’ button presses and you’ll be somewhere near Gear Gauntlet.

Each level comes complete with numerous routes of execution, and whilst you’ll no doubt start off by searching out the quickest easiest route available, the sheer addictive nature that Gear Gauntlet brings means that it won’t be long before you just can’t help but be tempted by the additional scores and bonuses available in the more complex routes.

You’ll need fast fingers and a forward thinking mind but Gear Gauntlet should be something to check out when it drops on Xbox One…if only for the mind blowing amount of replayability it should bring.

Soul Axiom

Currently available on Steam Early Access, Soul Axiom will be coming to Xbox One (aloingside PS4, PC and Wii U) later this year. Described as a cross between a modern day Bioshock and that early 80’s light-tastic Tron, Soul Axiom works on the basis that what you give with one hand, you can take away with the other and it’s this basic game mechanic that seems to serve the vast majority of its tricky puzzles throughout.

Personally, I found it to be a brighter, more sci-fi version of recent Xbox One release, Pneuma: Breath of Life; one that played beautifully with the most unique of art styles, testing the old gray matter just enough without becoming too frustrating. Puzzles were ‘doable’ without being completely obvious at first viewing and there was a real joy in creating and removing platforms, ramps and models with a push of the hand.

With 40 unique locations that bring not only rich environments but a fully immersive story that sees you unravel not only the mystery of your life, but also that of your digital ego, Soul Axiom promises to be an intriguing voyage of discovery; one that we can’t wait to embark upon when Wales Interactive release it on Xbox One later in 2015.

Overruled!

I’m a big fan of what comes out of the Team 17 studios. Blame it on the late 80’s and early 1990’s when I was an easily influenced teenager spending far too many hours with the likes of Lemmings and Worms, but Team 17 have a big place in my heart.

Whilst Rezzed saw them with a room filled with the big hitters in LA Cops and The Escapists, the one Team 17 title that really stood out for me was Overruled!. I’d previously dabbled a little bit with it at the back end of 2014 but going hands on with a multiplayer match up this time round really made me realise how good it is.

Basically we’re looking at a fast paced party game in which the sole aim is to end the match with more points than your opponents. Brawling earns points but the real game changer with Overruled! is the inclusion of a number of ‘game cards’ which give the players the opportunity to change the course of the game at a seconds notice. Each card that is played completely changes the dynamics of the match and you can go from a ‘grab the bag’ mode to ‘king of the hill’ to ‘straight up brawler’ in a matter of seconds. What you decide on is ultimately up to the cards you have in your hand, but I quickly learnt that timing that game change can be the real difference between winning and losing.

It may turn out to be a bit of a struggle if you don’t have any mates, but grab a couple of strangers if need be because Overruled! promises to be a great laugh when it releases on Xbox One.

The best thing about it? Overruled! is utter nuts! End of.

Throw in the inclusion of a few other titles that are worthy of a watch, namely SkyScrappers, 101 Ways To Die and the super addictive Penarium and it’s pretty obvious that EGX Rezzed 2015 was a bit of a success.

Xbox One gamers have a great deal to look forward to in 2015 and beyond!