Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
The final day of PAX East is always bittersweet. PAX is a long, enjoyable but tiring conference where I log 18 to 20,000 steps each day and am overwhelmed with sights, sounds and interactions, So on the last day I tend to take my time, take breaks and have just a few appointments.
I do like to check out the finals of the Almost Pro Tekken 8 tournament which is always an exciting end to PAX. This tournament lasts all four days and ends near the end of the conference with the two best players fighting for a $10,000 cash prize.
I also wander over to the vendors I have been eyeing all week and pick up any last-minute souvenirs or swag I just could not stop thinking about. The organizers also did something new this year at the merch section: a TJ-PAX sale on items from past years at ridiculous discounts. It was a blast to explore some older items, and people seemed to enjoy the surprise sale.
Of course there were more games to check out on this last day and thankfully they were all quite fun and very different. I enjoyed checking out RPG Lost Eidelons, twin stick shooter Section 13, and charming puzzle game String Theory to close out PAX East for the year.
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch was one of the first appointments I booked and one of my favorite games at PAX East 2025. It is tactical turn-based strategy RPG set in a fantasy world that has a really cool exploration and unit management system that hooked me quickly.
The story introducing us to the game was quite clichéd, with a shipwrecked lead character with amnesia learning the world they wake up in. The game quickly drew me into action despite the simplistic intro and I had a small crew of unlikely partners and enemies to vanquish.
Combat feels similar to Fire Emblem with ranged, melee and magic characters having to be positioned and in range to attack. Each character also has skills, magic or a second weapon to swap to that adds some diversity to the combat.
I found that I was able to pick up the general mechanics quickly, but I underestimated the game and did not notice when it said my characters were wet when in water. This became a quick mistake when I cast a lightning spell and shocked all of us plus the enemies. The game also incorporates environmental effects that add further to the strategy.
Outside of combat, exploration is via an overland view where you choose among branching paths. Some lead to combat, some to challenges, and others to camp sites. Once at camp I was able to train or rest and talk to my companions. The leveling system was quite nice with instant rewards and perk choices when certain resources were found.
The look and feel of the game was quite nice and there was a ton of voice acting pulling me further into the story once it got going. Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch is a promising-looking game that is currently out on Early Access on PC via Steam and Xbox Series S|X with a full release planned later this year.
Section 13
The next game I checked out was Section 13, which on the surface looks silly but actually has a lot of depth and was fun to explore. This twin-stick roguelite shooter has a bonkers story about a secret force that is sent to exterminate mutant zombies while retrieving sensitive data and materials from the contaminated Section 13.
The premise is pretty thin, but the gameplay, weapons, enhancements, and card-based augments made the game a blast to play. Starting as a new recruit, I was able to explore the enemy locations and quickly learn the nuances of the game.
The game allows some persistent and temporary augments, so death is never the end. New weapons, augments, and melee abilities are unlocked every run, making success more possible the longer you play.
The action is quick and gory, with environmental triggers that cause shockwaves, explosions, and blasts to help take out the hordes. Dodge rolls, quick reloads, and special abilities were revealed as I played, adding some nice strategic layers to the combat.
I really liked the ability to customize weapons with found items to unlock new abilities and features. The game also has a fear mechanic that is triggered in dark places or during large attacks, causing a panic mode that has positive and negative effects.
Sections 13 a fun one to experience. It surprised me with its depth and replayability. It is currently available in Early Access on PC via Steam with an active roadmap adding features and story content on a regular basis.
Splitgate 2
The original Splitgate was a surprise hit. With a blend of Halo multiplayer and Portals, well, portals, it became and instant free-to-play hit. It was inevitable that a sequel would come along and I had a chance to check out Splitgate 2 at PAX east.
I must confess I have never played the original game, so I had to ask the developer what was new as I was blasting other players in team deathmatch mode. His answer was essentially: everything. Not only did they greatly enhance the physics, speed, graphics, music, and feel of gameplay, they added a ton of features.
The big one is one-button portals, which seems a no-brainer but is a paradign shift from the original game. If you click to add a portal, the next click on a different surface adds the other portal, making traversal crazy-quick and dynamic.
Other features, like crouch slides, a lot of maps, and new game modes like Hotzone (essentially King of the Hill) were ones the developers were excited for. As a newbie I played as if every feature I knew should be there, fast weapon switches, zooming with quick commands, fast jumps and direction changes, and of course the portals.
The game was fun, quick, colorful and exciting as I played a large group of attendees at the always packed booth. Another addition is larger team sizes, so the action can get even crazier as more players jump into the game.
I was really impressed with Slipgate 2 and how quickly I was able to jump into the portal-hopping action. It is slated for release later this year with open Alphas and Betas coming as the game progresses. It will release on PC via Steam and Epic Game Store as well as PS5 and Xbox Series S|X.
Strings Theory
Possibly the most charming game at PAX East 2025 was Strings Theory, a celebrated puzzle game from Polish developer BeautifulBee. The premise of the game is relatively simple on the surface: Guide up to three “strings” to the end of the level using their unique powers. But the puzzles can be deceptively hard, which made the game addicting and fun.
Sitting down with the Nintendo Switch version at the show, I chatted with the developers and it was great to feel their passion and pride for the game. The small team wanted to explore the romantic side of physics by having silly strings solve puzzles using different tricks.
The game starts with the taller blue String, who can knock over barriers. Then the round yellow String comes along, who can travel through shadow blocks. Finally the wide “twins” can separate and reconnect magnetically. Only one of the Strings can move at a time so planning which one to move involves studying the level and planning how to progress to the end.
The levels look stunning, and the music is catchy and moves the levels along in a wonderful way. As each level I tried loaded, it seemed simple at first, but thinking ahead and planning what each String should do took some practice and patience.
I played Strings Theory on the PAX East Expo Hall floor for a good 40 minutes straight and I felt myself relaxing and just enjoying the flow and exploration of the game. It is well worth checking out and is currently available for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One and Series S|X. A PS4 and PS5 release is planned shortly.
